Supercross
The 10 best Supercross riders of all time
Ryan Dungey’s retirement prompted us to peruse the top ten most talented riders. Here’s our pick.
Dungey has announced his retirement from racing
© KTM Images
Shortly after taking his fourth AMA Supercross 450 title this month, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Ryan Dungey announced his retirement at the age of 27.
The consistency and dominance shown by Dungey over the past few seasons has seen him pull off 20 wins and 25 podiums, and his retirement seals his lasting legendary status.
What better time to look at where he now sits among the best-ever riders in the history of Supercross?
10 to 7
Ward dominated the smaller classes
© Getty Images
Bob Hannah had some epic battles with Broc Glover
© Getty Images
Ricky Johnson was one of the most charismatic
© Club Xtrem
Damon Bradshaw (19 wins) is our first call. 'The beast from the east' took just shy of 20 Supercross victories as he battled other legendary riders, such as Kevin Windham, Jeff Staton and Jean-Michel Bayle.
Bradshaw's often referred to as the greatest rider never to have won a Supercross title in the larger category, but without doubt the North Carolina native will forever be remembered as a tough, aggressive and dominant competitor on the track.
In ninth, it's Jeff Ward. The Glasgow-born rider scored 20 wins in his career and was the leading light in the smaller categories. He was the first rider to be crowned champion in each of the categories (125cc, 250cc and 500cc), and the 1987 and '88 seasons will always been remembered for his fierce duels with Ricky Johnson.
Coming in at number eight is Bob 'Hurricane' Hannah, who amassed 27 victories. The Californian had some epic battles with his team-mate Broc Glover on his famous yellow Yamaha.
Seventh is taken by Ricky Johnson, a true legend of the sport with 28 wins. His head-to-heads with David Bailey are the stuff of legend and Johnson secured his status as a Supercross deity with his 1987 win in LA, a race which is widely regarded as one of the best of all time.
From 6 to 4
In sixth place we have current Supercross champion Dungey, who's already got 33 wins under his belt. The Minnesota native's name has already been firmly printed in the history books, but he can seal his legend even further if he surpasses Ryan Villopoto's incredible haul of 41 race wins.
Dungey is the reigning SX champion
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
Ryan Villopoto racked up four SX titles
© Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
The duels between Reed and Stewart were legendary
© Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Kawasaki stalwart Villopoto's premature retirement in 2015 came after an attempt to crack the MX World Championship. After injury cut short that foray, the Washington rider called a day on his career with a roll-call of prizes that most riders can only dream of; seven AMA titles (four in Supercross and three in Motocross), and no fewer than 72 wins (41 in SX and 31 in MX).
Chad Reed is fourth, with his 44 victories. The Australian wrapped up two titles, in 2004 and 2008, and has enjoyed a long and fruitful career.
From 3 to 1
On to the final straight we go and Ricky Carmichael is right in there with 48 wins. For many, he's the greatest of all time across both MX and SX and his combined victory tally of 150 would add weight to that claim.
For many, Carmichael is the best of all time
© Jeff Kardas/Getty Images
James 'Bubba' Stewart has flair to spare
© Bob Levey/Getty Images
With 72 wins to his name, McGrath is SX's number 1
© Craig Durling/WireImage
James Stewart, with 50 victories, is possibly the most spectacular rider in SX, and the current rider with the most wins. 84 national titles up to the age of 16 says a lot about Stewart and his two AMA SX titles came in 2007 and 2009.
However, the champion of champions is Jeremy McGrath, who has 72 SX wins to his name.
'The King' was unquestionably the rider with the finest array of awards and he dominated the 1990s with seven 250cc titles between 1993 and 2000.
In 2003, after signing for KTM, McGrath suffered a pre-season injury that forced him into retirement. He made a comeback in 2005, on a Honda, and at 34 years of age was still able to mix it with the very best.