Image: Octopi Media.

Sixth overall in Maryland marked the first time Dylan Ferrandis has finished outside of the top five in a 450MX round this season, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider revealing that he battled illness throughout the Budds Creek motos.

Ferrandis delivered his best 450MX performance of the season during the round prior at Unadilla, but was struck with sickness during the week leading up to Maryland, the effects he carried into the event.

The number 14 was able to qualify fifth fastest and work his way forward to third in moto one, before a first-turn crash in the second moto put him at the back of the field with time to regain. Ferrandis was able to reach P9 by the end of the race, landing him P6 overall for the penultimate round.

“Unfortunately, I got sick this week, and today I felt really bad,” said Ferrandis. “The first few laps of the first moto were terrible, but lap after lap, I gained a little more adrenaline and felt better. Then I just tried to give everything I had and tried to get second but ended up third.

“Then in the second moto, I had a crash at the start of the race, which made for a difficult race, but again, I gave everything I had to make my way through the pack. We got to ninth, and I kept pushing, but there was too much of a gap. It’s a bummer, but for how bad I felt, we still got some good points. We will go back to Florida and rest up and try for a better result at Ironman.”

The final round of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship takes place this Saturday at Ironman Raceway, with Ferrandis second in the 450MX standings and holding the sixth 450SMX seed.