Insight: Ryan Dungey
Monday, June 11, 2012 | 2:15 PM
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The Dunge is morphing back into the 2010 Dunginator, showing little emotion or mercy as he relentlessly mows down the competition. His FMF High Point National win marked his second straight overall and helped him open a nearly two-moto lead in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship 450 standings already—with just eight motos complete! The Red Bull KTM man talked about it after the race in the press conference.
Racer X: Take us through the day, Ryan.
Ryan Dungey: It was good, Mike [Alessi] was riding really good today, he got off to some good starts and put up fights in both motos. It was a strange one, I saw James [Stewart] back there, I thought he was going to be back to feeling good looking at his lap times in practice, but that was not the case I guess in the races. But at the same time, it’s always good to get a win.
You had an off-track excursion, but everyone seemed to have their troubles at times. What was the track like?
Yeah, for all the times I’ve been here, this was definitely the hardest I’ve seen it. I don’t know, maybe it was the prepping. I did have an off-track excursion there, I did the jump and was in an outside line I hadn’t been in all day. It cost me there and I went off the track. I was able to get it under control and get back on.
With perfect 1-1 scores at High Point, Dungey was able to extend his points lead.
Simon Cudby photo
The braking bumps at the bottom of that stair case, they were like curbs.
Yeah absolutely, there was a lot of square stuff, like walls. I switched tires for the second moto, it was pretty hard pack. Definitely one of the roughest tracks we will see, other than Unadilla, just with how choppy it was today. But the bike was good, we only made one small change, we stiffened the rear up a little and it seemed to work. It’s good to know we’re so close that we don’t need to make huge changes during the day.
Are you aware the winner of this race has won the last four national titles? What’s that mean to you?
Well, that’s great, you try to win races here and there, but every race and every championship is different. To celebrate the win is good, you want to enjoy it, for sure, but I like to think you’re only as good as your last race.
In light of what happened to Ryan Villopoto at the end of supercross, he had a big points lead and ended up going down, is it difficult to figure out how to ride now that you’re building a big advantage? Is it difficult to know how hard to push?
No, you have to live in the moment and focus on the task at hand. This is round four and we have eight races and 16 motos left. No lead is ever safe enough or big enough. You can’t let things get ahead of yourself, because that’s when you lose focus or get into trouble. I have the same mentality if James is here or not here, and that’s to race hard, do my best and win.
Dungey now holds a 42-point lead over Mike Alessi in the championship.
Simon Cudby photo
Can you comment on the tracks this year, they seem like they haven’t been ripped as deep and maybe aren’t as wet.
It’s hard to say—every track is different every year, and sometimes it’s hard when the weather is dry. It’s been dry in a lot of areas, especially down in Florida where I ride. It’s good when the tracks get rough, when you have monorails and everyone can go fast, it’s hard to separate yourself, although that does make for good racing. A little bit, maybe it’s different, but, I try to do my own track maintenance at home, and I screw up more than I get it right, so I’m not the best guy to comment. It’s just rain. That helps tremendously.
What are you thoughts going into Budds Creek?
Looking forward to it, hopefully the weather is good. It’s a fun track, and that’s Father’s Day weekend so I’m looking forward to celebrating a little bit.
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RD dodged a Bullet one time, He could have went down hard! He looked a little off for a few laps then went to work like always. Stay healthy RD we need you and JS for the MXD
The Dungenator..........great kid, you know he is only 22yo. Great ambassador for our sport to the outside viewer.
On the track he could use a little more agression IMO, but he knows better than I what he is doing. Can't agrue with success no matter what the path taken. It is the end result that matters.
I like this kid...........manners, respect, humility, gives credit to his creator. His parents raised him very well.
Dungey seems like such a nice kid and I'm sure he is. Congrats to him. I think he is the most deserving person that could win a title right now, he seems to always work harder than RV, CR, TC and JS and for it not to pay off last year due to a DNF, it will be cool if he wins the title. Good job Dungey!
First, Congrats to Mr and Mrs Dungey, they have done an awesome job of raising Ryan, keeping his head out of the clouds and focused on the task at hand. Some riders come up being touted as the next big thing, that can lead to a bit of entitlement. Ryan had to put in the work to show he belonged in that league. The respect he shows for his competition and his sport is beyond his years. He welcomes each challenage knowing that in the long run it will only make him better. As long as the Locomotive stays on track, he will be a contender for years to come!
Yeah I am glad Dungy made it through that one! As BillC says"dodged the bullet" he was lucky and sometime the final factor is luck. Dungy has his head on straight and he undertands one race at a time. Just Keep on Truckin RD and it is yours and KTM will be able to put a big mark on the sport. AS we all know it is not over yet a long was to go.
he does not seem to ride on the edge. Maybe thats why he has such good "luck". Mega props to him and his choice to go to KTM, it seems to be working well for him. No Drama, just wins!!
Another solid and consistent ride save for a couple bobbles. Ryan really does represent the sport well as a hard working gentleman.
He does seem to have an extra gear at times when he really needs it although at other times it's elusive. I hope Stewart heals up soon so we can see some serious dicing up front.
Great comments from everyone regarding Dungey, even @BillC. The reason I Like RD and RV so much is they did not have stellar amateur careers like Alessi, Stewart and Carmichael. Based on their amateur days, you would never have expected this level of success and speed from both guys.
RD and RV show what can be achieved with perseverance, dedication and commitment. They might not be the most naturally gifted riders in the field (such as Stewart) but they certainly have the work ethic to achieve great things.
First few laps of the second moto and he was all over the place making mistakes. then as usual, comes on as strong as ever. very solid, smooth and as fast as anyone-
Great kid and rider.No B.S.I see a new leader in American motocross,as if he wasn't in the past.Yep I agree,his parents should be proud.
@JonR290......so true as you stated about RV as well. Both of these racers / men have confidence in what they do, and this transfers into their attitude and demeanor. Never a bad word to say about their fellow competitors. Both of these young men are true professional in actions as well as deeds. Our sport has two top spokesmen in RV and RD.
This guy really is awesome, i feel like i can relate to him because he doesnt act like some big hotshot. He may be one of the best in the world, but i can tell he's just a normal person like you and me.
I hope both Ryans go compete all of next season, like in 2011. It will be interesting how some of the guys moving up from the 250s fit in. It's going to be hard to topple either Ryan.
Reed, Stewart, and sometimes Canard have shown they can sometimes match or better their speed, but need to stay healthy. Reed does not have time on his side, and Stewart is approaching that same point.
I'm glad people are finally remembering that RD was one DNF from winning outdoors last years, it seems like people forgot for a while there.
Also it is very refreshing to see ALL positive comments about one of the awesome racers that we get to watch every week.
RD has been and continues to be the real deal!
Mr Vanilla Killed it this weekend!!!! The mans solid, and you certainly can't hate on that! Good job Dunge!
Somebody hijacked Preston's name. That or he went Jesus over the weekend. J/K man, I'm proud of you!
Preston is right, James was making Ryan faster! James's speed and innoviative lines were not being lost on Ryan. He may not have been able to pass JS at Freestone, but he learned alot. RV made Dunge faster and tougher last season outdoors. The last second pass at Steel City, which seemed to take the wind from Dungey's sails, was used to drive and toughen his resolve for this year. Racing the best makes you better! In my eyes, Stewart and Villopoto are two of the fastest riders ever, and with Ryan chasing them around he is learning from two of the best. When the gate drops on the 2013 season and all the injured are lined up behind it, we the fans will be the winners! Even a Dungey fan can give it up to JS and RV....see we can all get along ....
@BD25..........well said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since 2010, there have been 3 SX Tiles up for grabs and 3 MX Titles up for grabs. If RD closes out the 2012 MX season, 3 Titles belong to RD and 3 to RV – zero for everyone else.
Since the start of the 2010 season not one guy has won a Title other than RD and RV. That is impressive. With all the fast guys, mechanical problems and injuries, RD and RV are clearly the most consistent guys out there. True “speed” is the ability to go fast from the first race until the last.
Was that self depreciating humor out of Ryan? Maybe a crack in his concentration brought on by a huge point bender let us glimpse his real self? KTM marketing and his agent need to fertilize and water this sprout of personality and maybe he can someday throwdown an interview like Weimer! We know his real personality is there, he just needs to remove the titanium armor every once in a while and show it. No offense intended - great success story, just need more human interest to turn him from a statistic into a hero. Just look at the shadow that RJ cast with his quips from the podium. That guy was ALL TIME.
BigUglyManiac: I understand what you're saying about Dungey's personality but I really hope he stays exactly like he is.That's what makes him who he is. There are dozens of "look at me" personalities in mx and I think he stands out and reps great for KTM by being the opposite of most of them. Just like those well-meaning ones on here who want him to be more aggressive. I keep saying, he is aggressive when: 1) he has to be AND 2) he can be(the bike is right and he has to have the points). He simply has a different strategy then most any elite racer. I understand why a lot of people don't like his strategy. I just wish more people would give him credit for the fact that it has worked for him. RV was awesome last year and deserved the championship but, were it not for a a couple dnf's due to a new team, his strategy would have paid off again. Again, not saying RV isn't the deserving champion. Just giving props to Dungey for sticking with what he does and living with the results. CR always say's " you gotta be in it to win it". I think Dungey's mantra is, "you gotta finish to win it"! 10 years from now all people will see is a pile of championships between the 2 Ryans who went about it 2 different ways.
My son, daughter and I were fortunate enough to meet him after the races, and he was cool as hell. Plenty of personality, so I see no issues and hope he stays the same...just with more championships!
I think he's perfectly fine with his ''good boy'' attitude. You say one thing and people like us twist it and break it down to where we find something bad in it. Good luck, Dungey!