by Jason Thomas
The Breakdown: JT$ on Dungey and the LCQ
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 | 12:00 PM
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PrintRyan Dungey had himself quite a night on Saturday in Anaheim. Of course, you could look at the results and say it was a great night, but what the record book won’t show is how he turned a potentially catastrophic night into one he will probably never forget.
As the gate dropped on his heat race, so did the rear end of his bike. The air shock had sprung a leak, and as the pressure dropped on his absorber, pressure mounted on Ryan and his team to avoid disaster. Going back to the truck after the heat race, I am sure there was an aura of uncertainty. Switching back to the conventional shock would make the most sense, but without using it that day, no one could be sure how the setup would work. Switching setups once the racing gets underway is a bit unnerving anyway, as the first chance to try it is under maximum effort—there isn’t even a parade lap for the LCQ. That’s a pretty scary proposition. The only thing I usually needed to change before the LCQ was my underwear, forget about a completely different shock system!
So instead of a relaxing hour of heat race film review and sucking down his sports drink of choice, Ryan had to suit back up and ride the tunnel toward LCQ Land. Having been many times a visitor to this land of chaos, it makes me queasy thinking about what Dungey was going through. LCQ’s are one of the most stressful things I can imagine besides a positive pregnancy test. Waiting in my personal LCQ staging hell, I have seen more Toyota Tuff Block Challenges and dudes racing around in fat suits than I can stand to count.
Yup, lined up all the way down on the outside.
Simon Cudby photo
Even worse, Dungey had the last gate pick in the LCQ, and that is not a comforting feeling. With only six laps to work with and the deepest field in recent memory, the percentages of mishap are elevated into the stratosphere with the outside gate. No matter how fast you are, with a bad start, you are almost hoping for a miracle to sneak into that top two. And, that’s more or less what he got. As Phil Nicoletti bobbled near the end of the race, Ryan once again found himself bridesmaid to Jimmy Albertson, who is quickly becoming the Doug Domokos of the friendly skies. I don’t want to say that Top Jimmy owns Dungey in LCQ’s but if Ryan’s nightmares involve bad moustaches, I wouldn’t be shocked.
Once he cleared that hurdle and was thinking about the main event, he still had that horrible outside gate pick to deal with once again. His incredible job of weaseling around the outside and coming out fourth was the type of move you look back at and signal as the stuff of legend. He couldn’t have asked for more of an opportunity than that. The race was all on him at that point, but compared to the pressure he was feeling in that LCQ, I am sure it was a huge surge of adrenalin to know he had a real shot of winning after the night’s drama. After fighting off a few charges from Millsaps, it seemed as if Ryan settled down and found his rhythm. This made sense to me. Ryan’s chaotic night can definitely throw off a routine and game plan. Plus, he hasn’t been in the lead much this year, either, so I feel he may have been trying a bit too hard at first. He is always his fastest when the track demands smoothness and great corner speed. You could almost see him find his rhythm, settle into his pace and start to creep away. As a multi-time winner and champ, once he gets that important breathing room the race is more or less over. It was an incredibly impressive performance after an incredibly weird bike failure. I have heard of flat tires, flat batteries, and even Tijuana Flats but a flat shock was a new one for me. Congrats to Ryan and KTM on their first win of the season and hopefully the next one comes a little easier for them—I wouldn’t wish a trip to LCQ Land on anyone.
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Here is a good Racer X column... How many riders have gong to the LCQ and come back to win the Main..... Dungey did obviously....I beleive Stewart and RC both have as well, Reed too maybe?
*believe and *gone (not gong)
Great write up JT$ but be careful, toss in a few more one liners like that and Ping might be coming after you! Haha.
Great read JT.
Racer X - another interesting stat you guys could dig up (probably with the vault) is a list of riders that won the most LCQ's. I bet Jason Thomas would be pretty high on that list. If I remember correctly he won a ton of those things.
The new King of swing RD5
Mcgrath did it one time , 93
JT$.....my wife (who is a writer), just said to me that you are maybe the best writer Racer X has. I explained to her that you are like the king of the LCQ, so you know what you are talking about. She said: "The KIng the the LCQ" ...".kind of like Jeremy McGrath, The King of Supercross?" I said: "No, nothing like that"
I remember McGrath doing it in 94. He holeshot the main!!
Great article
I had a similar thought to kxpwr18 (but he beat me to it). Who do you suppose has made the most finals through the LCQ......and, Who has just missed making the final by one position the most?
Villopoto has won coming from the LCQ also. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, they need to bring back the two heat, two semi, one LCQ format. If Dungey had gotten up a few seconds slower in that LCQ, he surely wouldn't have qualified. I can remember Villopoto crashing in the LCQ in 2011 and not qualifying, but he managed to put his head down and still win the championship. Also, the nature of the LCQ encourages dirty riding. I'm sure some day we'll witness one of the top guys getting cleaned out for one of the two qualifying spots by a privateer. For a title contender to not make the main event due to the qualifying format is unacceptable.
@ griffter
As your wife if she can resite my pledge .
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
If a woodchuck would chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck
If a woodchuck would chuck wood.
LOL !
Maybe the start should be looked at. Have it more of an angle so the outside isn't so far away. I know thats why you want to have a good practice to get a good gate pick but it seems a little too unfair sometimes.
Also bring back semi races.
Stewart went to the last chance Qualifier at A-3 CAME BACK TO get 2nd in the main ..........LOL!!!
It's a big deal to come back from an LCQ Period and even have a good main just checked all of last year. It didnt bode well with the little rest to come out and do it again.Let alone win...Big feat in its self .. 2011 was taking top 4 to the main... LOL!
So now that JT is done with Germany and proven he has a lot of skill as a wordsmith, can we deport Matthes?
can't deport Matthes...One ...our current crop of air bus doesn't have seats that large...Two...putting him on a ship would simply sink it....Three...he's got no place else to go
Send him back to Canada....we could use a little hot air up here right now.
Great article JT, I look forward to more of this good stuff from you. Great subject, great comments.
MX40 - tend to agree - but don't think it will happen due to TV timing. What might be a good comprimise though might be to take only 7 or 8 from heats and make the LCQ top 4 or 6. So when a guy has a mishap in his heat, he doesn't have to have a near 'perfect' LCQ to make it. And winning the LCQ would mean a bit more from a gate pick perspective (difference between 19th gate and 20th...not much. but 15th vs 20th?)
Good article JT - keep 'em coming! It makes me realize that what Dungey accomplished last Saturday is even more impressive. Thanks for your perspective.
Nice read. You did leave out the bit about Dungey having to get himself off the carpet in that LCQ as well. Most impressive six laps I've seen in several seasons.
Changing suspension before the main.............what, me worry?
Not feeling much Matthes love here today................you guys are going after him like a japanese fisherman does a whale...........
"LCQ’s are one of the most stressful things I can imagine besides a positive pregnancy test." - Well done, JT. Well done. You are turning out to be a darned good writer. Keep up the good work!
Such a relief and just great to read an article from someone has been racing full time of recent. Always looking for JT's articles now.
Great article Jason.
DUNGY is a RACER when he is under pressure. He has an overdrive in these do or die races that he needs to tap into more consistently. This dude needs to get pissed every time he lines up. Maybe Roger could knock him in the earhole with an Austrian Knuckle smamich 30 seconds before the gate drops to motivate him......JT$...one of the best articles i have read in any mag in a long time. Spot on Bro!!! thanks keep up the good work
JT$- Great article, not just because because I am a RD fan either. It really takes you through the pressures of his night.
CC505- That is some funny stuff.