Official: Dylan Ferrandis Joins Phoenix Racing Honda

After spending the first seven years of his time racing professionally in the USA with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team, Dylan Ferrandis has found a new home for 2024. Ferrandis spent 2017 through 2020 aboard a Star Yamaha YZ250F, claiming the 250SX West Region title in back-to-back years (2019 and 2020) then the 2020 250 Class AMA Pro Motocross title in his final summer abord a 250F in 2020. For 2021, he jumped to the YZ450F as the Star squad took over the factory Yamaha 450cc effort.

In his rookie year in the premier class, Ferrandis claimed the AMA Pro Motocross 450 Class title, finishing on the podium 22 times in the 24 motos in what was an impressive debut in the summer of 2021. While Ferrandis has put in some strong rides in the premier class of Pro Motocross, his rookie season in the 450SX Class of Monster Energy AMA Supercross was the only year he started every main event as injuries sidelined him for the final seven rounds in 2022 and the final 13 rounds in 2023.

In an Instagram post on October 1, Ferrandis thanked the Star Racing team for their support.

Rumors linked Ferrandis  to the HEP Motorsports Suzuki team, and he did test and like the team’s bike. There were also talks of a possible revival of the Factory Connection Honda team (known as GEICO Honda when it last competed in 2020). Ferrandis had begun working with Rick Zielfelder, owner of Factory Connection, in late 2023 and also had a strong desire to race a Honda. Enter Phoenix Racing Honda. Owner by David Eller, this team is prominent in several different disciplines, ranging from the 250cc class of AMA Supercross—with some races in Pro Motocross as well—to the 250cc division of the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Racing series, to the 250F and 450F classes of AMA Arenacross (where Kyle Peters has dominated lately), and even the quad racing in the ATVMX series. In recent years, the team has been competing in the arenacross season then jumping into the 250SX East Region of supercross afterwards. 

This morning, Phoenix Racing Honda officially announced Ferrandis would be racing for the team in 2024, with Factory Connection handling suspension. Check out the full release below.

SALISBURY, North Carolina | Phoenix Racing is proud to announce the signing of their first premier class 450 racer and the addition of a new racing management partnership to take on this task. For 2024 and beyond, Phoenix Racing and Factory Connection will tackle this new 450 Class project to take on the AMA Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Pro Motocross, and the SuperMotocross World Championship. David Eller (Phoenix) and Rick “Ziggy” Zielfelder (Factory Connection) have come together to best combine the resources and current partnerships of Phoenix Racing, along with the development knowledge and championship experience (12 AMA Championships) previously found by the staff of Factory Connection. Together, they have made key strategic investments and staff hirings, alongside their continued support by Honda Powersports, in preparation to take on the highest level of competition the sport has to offer in 2024.

Their sole focus in the 450 class is set to be 29-year-old Dylan Ferrandis. After nearly seven years and four championships, the Avignon, France native is set for his first team change since he started his American journey and will line up at Anaheim 1 aboard a Honda CRF450R. The bike is one that Ferrandis sought after this off-season and with the help of Eller and Zielfelder, Ferrandis will be flanked by a staff that believes in his abilities and share a similar mindset. The goal is to take Ferrandis to a new level in 450 Supercross competition while reminding many that he was the 2021 450 Class AMA Pro Motocross Champion for a reason.

“This whole thing really began with Jimmy Button calling about Dylan’s passion to get on a Honda, that’s when the process started of how do we collaborate and make it happen. With Ziggy becoming a big part of getting Dylan comfortable towards the end of Pro Motocross and Dylan finding confidence in him, it just became natural we would partner with Factory Connection beyond just the suspension duties. I really feel that together we can create the program that will help Dylan succeed. The biggest excitement for me is that this gives Phoenix Racing the opportunity to be highly competitive in the premier series of our sport.

My biggest surprise so far has been Dylan himself. We all know what he’s capable of on the bike but off the bike, he’s been very relaxed and has been a lot of fun to work with. He’s cutting up with our team and seems to have found a home with us.”

“I’ve always wanted to race a Honda and Phoenix Racing has given me the opportunity to do so. David Eller has been super nice with my situation and working towards building a program that will work for me. This includes working with Factory Connection, which is something that was very important for me in 2024.

So far everything has been really great and the feeling on the bike is exactly what I was looking for. Having Ziggy around, with all his experience in the sport, I really feel at home with him and the whole Phoenix Racing team. The vibe is awesome and I’m very thankful to be in this situation”

“Dylan’s situation reminds me so much of LaRocco at the end of 1997 (the beginning of the Factory Connection Racing). Racing isn’t easy and it doesn’t always go as planned, we all have family and friends to lean on in hard times, but in Dylan’s case…he’s in a foreign country without the friends and family most of us are accustomed to. While attempting to help Dylan for 2024, the conversations began with David Eller and the situation just felt right to me. Everyone is very welcoming and eager to make this work.”

“We are incredibly excited to have Dylan on a Honda and to have Ziggy and Factory Connection officially back in the Honda family. To have Phoenix Racing bring a champion of Dylan’s caliber to the team while also partnering with Ziggy and the Factory Connection group shows their commitment to compete at the highest level in our sport. Phoenix Racing has already done a fantastic job in the other disciplines they compete in and now with this increased effort in SX and MX 2024 is going to be even more exciting. We are all looking forward to the 2024 season.”

• Birth Date: March 31st, 1994 – Avignon, France

• 2011: MX2 Class Debut.

• 2014: Motocross of Nations Winning Team (MX2 for France), fourth in MX2

  World Championship Final Standings.

• 2015: First MX2 GP win.

• 2017: AMA 250SX Rookie of the year, two podiums in rookie season. Two

  podiums in rookie 250 Pro Motocross Championship.

• 2018: Two wins and four podiums in 250 Pro Motocross Championship.

  Motocross of Nations Winning Team (MX2 for France).

• 2019: AMA Supercross 250SX West Region Champion (first in final standings),

  AMA Pro Motocross 250 Championship Runner-Up (second in final standings).

• 2020: AMA Supercross 250SX West Region Champion (first in final standings),

  AMA Pro Motocross 250 National Champion (first in final standings).

• 2021: AMA 450SX Rookie of the year (7th in points standings), AMA Pro

  Motocross 450 National Champion.

• 2022: Motocross of Nations second place team (Open Class for France).

• 2023: AMA Pro Motocross 450 Championship Runner-Up (second in standings)