by Davey Coombs
450 Words: Freestone
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PrintWhat was it this weekend with racers snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? At the Indy 500, that rookie had it won until he just absolutely overshot the last turn and blasted himself into the wall. At the Coca-Cola 600, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was headed to his first win in God-knows-when, when he ran out of fuel on the last lap!
And then there was Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey. With the win in hand at the rutted-up Freestone National track in Wortham, Texas, the defending Lucas Oil AMA Pro 450 Motocross Champion saw his fuel overheat and boil enough to stop his motorcycle within a lap and a half of the second-moto win. It was painful to watch on Speed as Dungey kicked and kicked at the bike, then pushed it home—his frustrated mechanic Mike Gosselaar hesitant to help push because he wasn't sure if that would mean a compete DQ for outside assistance. (It wasn't until the AMA confirmed that he was outside the top twenty, and thus the points, that Goose was told to go ahead and help, which he did.)
In the face of adversity Dungey acted like the champion he is.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Coincidentally, after Dungey's Suzuki teammate Brett Metcalfe reached the podium in the second moto after holding off a fierce attack from Valli Motorsports Yamaha rider Ricky Dietrich, his bike was sent to the impound area next to the AMA semi, but while it was being ridden from the podium to impound, it ran out of gas after going just a couple hundred feet! Was it a Suzuki problem? Was it a heat problem? Was it just a fuel-robbing track?
All of that will no doubt be discussed at American Suzuki's HQ in Brea, California, this week, but that's not going to make Dungey's day any less frustrating. The #1 rider in both AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross this year has had a lot of unlucky breaks come his way this year, just as he seemed to get all the good breaks last year. It’s like he's switched roles with Chad Reed, the beneficiary of his fuel starvation and now the one man with a firm grasp on the points leader's red plate. Reed had health, bike, goggle, and injury problems last year—sometimes seemingly all at once. Now he and the TwoTwo Motorsports/Bel-Ray Honda team are 2-for-2 outdoors, after literally waiting until the last minute to commit to the series. They are getting more and more backing from American Honda, which is going to make them more and more difficult to catch. And he's having fun, and that’s dangerous for everyone else chasing him.
But back to Dungey. As he pushed that stalled motorcycle off the track, he acted like a champion. He didn't drop the bike and walk away. He didn't lean it against a fence and pout. He took off his helmet and, in otherwise full moto garb, tried to push that thing to the finish line and get some points. It's been a frustrating year for Dungey, but it's also been impressive to see how he's handled the adversity and the added weight on his shoulders that comes with that big #1.
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holeshot !
Good write up. I felt horrible for RD. He will be back... as he is still my pick fot the title. Mechanical failures have cost him a lot this year.
RD is a Class Act!
Reed is looking good on that Honda, but Dungey had him that 2nd moto easily and Reed crashed trying to catch him.... I do not get the whining about the plate deal...Just when he appears to have ditched that whiner attitude he is known for, he pulls it out again.....I can understand his point, but rules are rules....so quit whining on camera about it....kind of look like a poor sport
Wow what a rough break for Dungey...
Ryan showed the class of a champion, whether he keeps the championship this year or not. I only wish I would have been so gracious in the circumstances that Ryan was dealt. Ryan seems wise beyond his years and is one of the new stars in our sport that we all can be very proud of ! My hat is off to his parents. great job !
JS7 is on the roster for BUDDS ... All bets are now Off ....Talk about a spoiler .
Great point about how Dungey handled the situation this past weekend Davey. It was not his fault, there was nothing he could do to change the situation, so he chose to act like a grown Man! It reminds me of seeing Jim Pomeroy break a chain in the late 70's at Lake Whitney while running up front. He pulled off the track, shrugged his shoulders and smiled, and watched the rest of the moto at the side of the track with the fans. I hate seeing riders throw their bike on the ground and stomp back to the pits like a little kid!
Shoot, I was impressed with the fact that he had the strength to push his bike back after 30 some minutes on that track. Man I hated to see that.
HEP, nobody gives a crap except one rider fans like yourself. It means nothing. Why doesnt he ride High Point, why wait so long. He will come in fresh and rested with no title hopes and nothing to lose, so who gives a crap about a guy who doesnt care about the sport??
Reed looks real good this season, I hope RV gets healthy by High POint, he doesnt look 100% at all.
I am a Ryan Dungey fan and felt horrible when his bike broke. It is a good thing that it broke while he was on the ground; it could have been much worse for RD if it had a mechanical while he was in the air. It could have ended his season early. Hope to see him come back even stronger in 2 weeks.
I was at Freestone. It was hard to watch. Dungy was flying in the second moto. He is crazy fit and just seems to keep going no matter what the elements say. He handles himself like the true champion that he is. A class act. He may get his own team next year and watch all the sponsors who would love to have him represent their company
Class Act Dungey, imagine the frustration of working that hard & running out of fuel on the last lap (I don't beleive the fuel boil story) also to have metcalfe run out heading back to the pits, c'mon makita suzuki, put some fuel in your bikes! I seen that happen in Canada once, #1 & 2 were running #1 & 2 & both ran out of fuel on their 450's on the last lap, devasting for a rider, team & series, they've dug a big hole for themselves in the championship now, nothing else to do but try to dig yourself out, nice ride anyway Dungey, the highs & lows of MX, tough luck!
And HEP I just to be a Stewart fan. But if he doesnt care about the sport then why should the sport care for him? What a cry baby. He needs to retire. He doesnt ride the series because the other riders have caught and passed him and he cant handle it. Well I take that back. He can handle it when he takes them out. And hes "not ready". Give me a break! He gets paid big dollars to "be ready" and race. Cry baby
One rider fan , Who said I was a one rider fan , My Favorites are , and have been ...Bradshaw ...Laroco ... Emig ... Bayle ...Decoster ... Pomeroy ... Pourcel ... MC ...RC ... Metcalfe >>>Stewart .... FONSECA.... PASTRANA ... Been involved in the sport since the 70s ... seeen all the greats , including JS7 ...
The track was rough and brutal. The lap times where in the 2 minute mark. Dungys bike seemed to be smoking just prior to it letting go. Dont know what really happened. Man he was flying though. And Reed also. RV
Stewarts in for High Point
I do wonder what Ryan Dungey's results would be for the 2011 SX and this season's outdoor points, if the the team could of had Roger DeCoster's presence and guidance throughout the season.
Phil L.
We need more riders like Ryan Dungey - a class act and a fine example of the spirit of Moto-cross.
Tough break for Dungey , but the way he handled it is why I root for him . He is a true champ and great for the sport !
Also I'm really dissapointed with Pourcel , if he is as good as he thinks he is, he would have at least finished the race ! Hope he smartens up cause his stock is dropping .
Are you allowed to refuel during a race?
RD and Reed were is a class of their own. RV doesnt have anything for them yet. Ricky Dietrich was amazing! desert, endurocross to running with the big dogs in MX. CP needs to man up and Stewart sucks-
I hope stew pot does show up so I can watch him get his lazy butt kicked. He ranks up there with the biggest flakes this sport has even seen.
JS7 ... JS7 ... JS7 ... JS7 ...
HEP.Remeber Unadlla 2010 and start thinking up excuces right about .......now
Did you happen to watch southwick last year TJ. Honda's ran out there. One was Metty. Glad he made it this time.
Its the type of track that uses a lot of fuel, real soft and loamy treacks. I remember team Kawasaki back in the Larocco/Kiedrowski years running larger fuel tanks at Southwick because they calculated they would not have enough for an entire moto on that track. I'm not sure if I believe the boiling fuel reason, in Florida during the summer it hotter here with more humidity. I do believe he might have run out of fuel, especially since Metcalfe ran out a few minutes later, luckily after the race though.
As far as I don't understand why JS7 was "unready" for the Nationals, he had as much time to get ready as anyone else, I am anxious to see him come back. It is only good for the sport to have more fast guys out there.
Any bets that JS7 races like 2 nationals and if he hasn't crashed out by then or hasn't won a moto he will find some sort of excuse to sit out the rest of the year due to a mysterious illness that only 2 people in the world have ever gotten or a bruised finger....
Hey that was a great article DC....and your right...i am not the biggest RD fan but he really is a great guy for the sport. The guy was raised right for sure. Everything about what happened sucked and for him to hold himself the way he did really makes me more of a fan then before. Its only 2 race's in and i am loving every minute of it! Cant wait till they get here to colorado!!!!!
I need to know what rule says you HAVE to race and if you don't why you would matter. If you qualify you get to go. If you want to take Havoc7's spot line up and take it. Should be easy......lol .I think Showtime started the SX only deal ,blame him......RV just bein' dungey like, is just fine ,lots of laps left for haybale exploding.....I would like to see JS7 Canard Grant POORcel Brayton Shorty (450 please) MA800 all get back in the mix ...it makes for great racing
@Kaw9
I agree with that little theory there my friend - I think unless these guys were registered at the start of the season or are guest appearances from another series (ie FIM), they should not be allowed to compete with in the championship!
Especially with someone like JS7, no doubt about it the boy can ride, he on anyday could win - though he could also charractaristically wad up and cost the championship for a real contender. He will race for wins, as all these greats do, and we all know how CR22 and JS7 race each other (Im on Reeds side - Unadilla '02 was the reason Cr hates JS! Wanker effort from JS by the way!) And with this racing rivalry in mind, it could be an issue for CR, RD and the other runners (BM, DM, RV, RDeitrick).
Dont let him run, more importantly, do not give him the MXoN position he is coming back early for (Last year the team won without him!)
I like JS7 - Its just so dissapointing the direction from a MX and SX fan he is taking (Be it his decision or him allowing his team to make!) with regards to the series. I hear all the time about the all year round effort racing both series (Suck it up - I run my own company and im runninng all year round and still find time to ride almost every weekend.....) Not to mention in MX, its pretty good coin at the top of your game!
JS7, MX wants you - but not this year (2012 you need to redeem yourself - Please dont bother this year though, have the break, cop the criticism on the chin and see ya next year buddy!)
BLAH BLAH BLAH .... JS7 is Racing... He will Win Get used to it.....
HEP, you retarded douche bag...You must still be dreamin'. Wake up, renob! Your loser rider, that'd be Bobbles, is NOT racing. I repeat, loser Bobbles is NOT racing. And, whenever he will again, you can bet your faggy lil' ass that he'll get his back ass handed to him. Get over it, rertard! Maybe you and Bobbles can observe Dungey, actually "Mr. Dungey" for both of you chumps, and learn something...starting with finishing races, and then acting like a real Champ like Mr. Dungey is.
@ hep is an BLAH BLAH BLAH. Wow you managed for me to actually see you foaming at the mouth , and all you can come up with is childish pre pubescent insults , its just racing Son ... Get over it , we all have opinions , what do you think this is for , just to talk Moto. You have got to calm down Man . You are acting like a BABY . Now go to your room . and dont come out until you know how to act ....
Seriously, Why is anyone even talking about Stewart? He hasnt been to either round. Has he even commented on when he will appear again? I would only be concerned if I was a top contender and I knew he was entered.... I bet Kdub doesnt follow as closely anymore.
Yeah calm down , you sound Silly
I work at Budds Creek , JAMES is racing. Check out our website ,
Absolutely heart-breaking! I don't think he broke. I think he just plain ran out of gas!
Dungey shows a lot more class than DeCoster did at Carlsbad when his bike wasn't running perfectly and he threw the bike down in a temper tantrum. I like Dungey more and more as time goes by.
It kind of sucks that they used to have 45 minute motos, which separated the men from the boys, and now the gas tanks have obviously shrunken like the heads of some of James Stewart's fake cop pull-over vitctims to where they can't even keep a bike running for 30 minutes. Sheesh. All that weight savings is really worth it now, right guys?
One time I won an off-road championship when the guy who was leading tried to only put enough gas in for the race. He ran out of gas 1/2 mile from the finish.
A couple of pounds isn't going to make any difference, especially since it's sprung weight!
HEP, you have the balls to call someone a baby and you keeping posting over and over about Stewart just to try and start crap. YOPU are the child, keep posting the same stupid sh#t over and over to start an arguement. Nobody gives a crap about you or your stupid feelings for Stewart. Get over it please. And get off the Stewart love for a few.Baby
some one at Suziki should be canned, they almost lost 2 podium's over fuel,
are you kidding, with all the testing and they don't know what it uses, maby get out in the middle of the day when it's hot, and get out of the air condition trailers
JS7
u all sound silly,,remember when james last rode the full outdoor season? went 24-0 didnt he? who besides him and RC has done that?(i know RC did it twice),,reed had the same deal as james at that team supercross only remember that? james didnt hav to try and race those last few nationals last year he wanted to,,rememberwhen reed pulled out of the outdoors with a illness after he knew he was getten smoked? remember when james slowed down and let reed by and let him pull away and then passed him and won the moto??,,james on a 125 and reed on a 250f,,david bailey said it was the best rope a dope he ever saw,,remember when remember when,,funny how soon we forget
I still don't understand why Dungeys mechanics let him push the bike back to the pits, he was already out. And Mike, yes you are right, looks like all these people don't know anything about motocross. They can say all they want, but the facts speak for themselves. I live in Florida and I have seen JS race since he was on a Pee Wee, and he really is awesome, always was and still is.
I remember Mike
I don'y understand how Dunge could get DNF'd for help pushing his bike home. Everytime JS falls in SX he has 20 people holding him & helping him back on the bike with no disqualifications.
Recently I was watching the 450 moto 2 from Hangtown (again), I found something very interesting during Chad Reed's podium interview.
In the interview, Erin Bates asked Chad Reed the usual, we got the usual answers back. Thanking sponsors, the team, crowd, etc. Near the end of the conversation, Reed brought up his wife and kid. He began to lower his voice and get real close to the microphone. He quietly explained how he really missed his wife and son, he apologized that he couldn't be with them.
Now, taking that into consideration with Chad Reed's past, I think he will use that as an excuse and we will not see him the whole championship. We know that TwoTwo Motorsports was contracted only for the supercross series. Surely his wife and his infant child will need a father. I will continue to enjoy his new attitude and motivation towards motocross racing, but I have no expectations for him to stay in the series.
I hate to see JS show up for a race. He doesn't care enough to ride the full circuit, just wants to step in, show off, then retreat to his Bubba World. We don't need him. Sure he's fast, impressive, but it he's just a distraction for the real men, the real racers showing up for a race here and there. Stay home Bubba. We've got a great series without you.
Thanks RacerX for they great write-up! When I saw the footage, I immediately wondered why Gosselaar wasn't helping push. I wondered if it had to do with points and DQ, but I definitely appreciate you guys answering those types of questions for us. Those details are definitely appreciated.
Lucky for Dunegy it's only 25 points. In the outdoors with 20 motos to go anything is possible. Dunegy is a true champion and will survive this season. I guess with his young age there will be more championships for him. Hopefully him and Reed will keep this cat and mouse game going all season. Maybe somewhere RV will get in the mix when he gets well. Is it possible Pourcel made a mistake with his choice of bike and team?
Mike, your right with all of that remember when! It proves that James will crush them all! Like, remember when he showed up at Unidilla last year and smoked everybo....oh, hold it...
Next time you see JS7, he will be on different color bike. Red, Yellow or orange
@joseph simmons
So Canard is racing also with a broken leg, he's also listed along with Tedesco and Regal, Will be a great gate.
I like the JS7 is the biggest flake this sport has ever witnessed comment. I could care less for any racer (or any sponsors of those racers) who doesn't race real MX - the outdoors. You want to pick one series, pick outdoors and not do SX or combine all the racing into a grand national championship.
Kevin Windham is the exception, he's earned his keep but still is racing outdoors. Could JS7 look any dumber when the ole' man is racing and hes watching.
Hey dad, I know how you feel but I reckon the racing is better with bubba in. The sx season would have been less awesome / exciting without him, and when he was out of he points (along with trey) after SLC it took a little shine off the event. It's always better to have the best in the mix and bubba brings another thing to watch. Love him or hate him, he is a champion and more champions the better.
lil'Stew, love him or hate him, his stewpid fantards are annoying.
Stewtards are like NASCAR fans that think the crashes the most exciting part of the race. Crashing, endangering fellow competitors, and riding/driving beyond ones ability is not entertaining, interesting, or exciting. It seems that MX/SX lends itself, at least in small part, to the accepting the lil'Stew mentality of "crash, take out, or win". No other form motor sport or two wheel competition would accept this type of behavior.
DGIZZT, get over yourself. Stewart still has a Yamaha deal, and what happened to Pourcel being on the podium every week?? You talked for weeks about how Pourcel was going to show these guys how to ride a 450. And be a threat for the title?? What happened??
Felt alful for Dungey, The kid is bulletproof. Now get the damn zooki thata way. I think I wouulda sat down & sobbed. :p
I wasn't surprised about Dungey's attitude after the DNF, he has always been a class act. What surprised me was Chad Reed's humbleness after the moto. I expected to hear an excuse about why Dungey ran away with it but instead he says that Dungey won the race in his mind. I can't say that I've ever been a fan of Reed but he seems to have a much better attitude this year and now that he's riding Red I think I might be starting to like him afterall.
I'm looking forward to seeing Dungey come out on fire at the next round.
Ummmm he was not pushing it on the track so what points could he get anyway??
I am sure glad I wasnt mid pack during that first 450 moto.....You think they put enough water on the track??? Great racing and a little luck was on Reeds side this week with Dungey breaking down.....Reed eluded to something other than the gas issue, but it is what it is....Dungey had that one in the bag, but at the end of the day Reed took it....thats racing. Funny he was whining about the plate like that, but thats Reed...then he throws in the " I am a team owner...."....we know dude.....Reed is looking good but its only round 2. Dungey had the speed this week to get the W, but Reed was right there to take advantage of his misfortune.....RV looks like hell , off the track......he had blisters on his face....so hopefully he gets better here quick....Reed will be consistent and isnt ammune to badluck, but 19 points after 2 rounds isnt too much to be concerned about...
白龙.. I think that's basically the only thing enjoyable about nascar.. The crash's... Seeing cars ride in circles... Euh... That's exciting... The crash's makes the difference.. Sucks for the drivers.. But hell.. The fans seems to love it...
Man.. You seem to get real irritated on the stewtards... Ha,ha.. let them be.
The guy has the biggest fan base.. what do you expect? Like visiting Spain where most still believe Alonso is the best ever... When was the last time he won a championship?
Just take pleasure in knowing.. when was the last time JS won something... He,he
I was so bummed to see Dungey lose, let alone because of a mechanical. He was on rails! but that proves how he is a true PRO in this sport and such a great example. When it doesnt go your way just pack your stuff up and get ready for the next race! RD#1
Really hope to see JS7 at Budds too cause next to Dungey, I'm his biggest fan! Two MX/SX elites!
Like it or not James has a huge fan base , He is good for the sport , and has helped the other riders , step up there game . Barcia will do the same , and so will Wilson , Roczen , Tomac , and some kid on a ktm 60 somewhere Now procede with the same old insults ....doucebag idiotnut licker , stewtard .etc etc ... we have all read the insults , and realize children comment as well . Have a nice day
I said that Dungey was going to win Texas and he was on his way ... but it looks like I will have to predict a Dungey victory at the next national. Does anyone think another rider will win High Point? Well?
With so many know-it-all's in ALL professional sports, it is awesome to have someone like Dungey with a great attitude, respect for his team members and other competitors, etc. at the top of his sport.
Was also great to hear Chad Reed acknowledge that Dungey was THE man in the second moto and he seemed totally sincere that he felt bad for what happened to Dungey. Thumbs up!
The old two strokes wouldn't have boiled over!