Image: Octopi Media.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki has drafted Ryder DiFrancesco in for selected rounds of the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, beginning with RedBud next weekend.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green talent will also ride Millville before turning his attention to the AMA Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn’s.

Following that, 17-year-old DiFrancesco will return to Pro Motocross for the final four rounds of the outdoors to officially commence his long-anticipated professional career.

“I’m really fired up to be racing with the Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team at the pro level in these upcoming weeks,” DiFrancesco said. “It has been a dream of mine to race for Mitch Payton’s team for a long time, so this is a huge step.

“I’ve put in a lot of work to be prepared for it – I’m ready to go out there and give it my best effort each weekend with the main goal of learning and improving every time I hit the track.”

It’s been an outstanding year of amateur motocross racing for DiFrancesco, having won both 2021 MX Sports Pro Racing Scouting Moto Combines and four of the five SX Futures events in Monster Energy Supercross this season.