Supercross
Ryan Dungey: An Epic Career Part 2
The second entry of a three-part series highlighting Ryan Dungey's historic career.
2010 was Ryan Dungey’s first year as a full-time 450 rider. The then-Factory Suzuki pilot was fresh off a 250 National title and the incredible showing at the Motocross of Nations and though few expected him to run in front of the big-timers like James Stewart, Chad Reed or Ryan Villopoto, Dungey was on the radar. However, after a race-long battle with Stewart for the win at Anaheim 1, everyone knew that Dungey had stepped up to the elite level as a 450 rider already. In fact, after injuries claimed Stewart, Josh Hill and Villopoto, Dungey rattled off six wins on his way to becoming the first rider in the 21st century to win the 450 Supercross title in his rookie year.
Ryan Dungey
© Christian Pondella / Red Bull Content Pool
Obviously, his Supercross title shoved Dungey into the conversation coming into the 2010 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. But after struggling to an eighth overall finish in his first 450 National at Hangtown, Dungey’s spotlight faded … for a week. Through the rest of the series, Dungey won 10 of the remaining 11 rounds and, obviously, the championship. Through a combined 29 rounds of AMA Supercross and Motocross, Dungey had won more than half of the races and both championships in his rookie year in the premier class. He was on top of the sport, and officially becoming a superstar.
But in 2011, Roger Decoster, the man who’d brought Dungey into the pro ranks and seen him through his entire career to that point, parted ways with the factory Suzuki squad (and by default, Dungey) to take over the management duties for the yet-unproven-in-America Red Bull KTM team. Dungey spoke openly about what a huge influence Decoster had on his career, and was no doubt was affected by his departure.
Ryan Dungey, left, and Ryan Villopoto
© Medium Creative Group/Red Bull Media House
Dungey scored a third in Supercross and a second in Pro Motocross, with five total wins. It was what most would consider a very strong season, but for Dungey, after having won both titles the previous year, a change was in order. It was strongly rumored throughout the season that Dungey would follow his mentor Decoster over to KTM, and in October, the rumors were confirmed: Dungey was heading to the Orange Brigade.
Even with Decoster waiting for him at KTM, it was still a questionable move for Dungey at the time. Up through 2011, KTM had never seen legitimate success in the premier class in America. They’d won races and even titles in the 125/250 class, but had never fielded a bike/rider combo that could battle for a title. Dungey heading there was read by many as a mistake — the bike couldn’t possibly win a championship, at least in the eyes of many Americans. He raced the 2011 factory bike at the off-season Monster Cup in Las Vegas just after announcing his joining the team, and seemed to struggle with the new machine.
Ryan Dungey focuses on the line
© Simon Cudby / KTM / Red Bull Content Pool
Just before Dungey’s 2012 AMA Supercross debut on the KTM, however, the brand announced a new model 450 — the “SX-F Factory Edition." It was a total re-design of the KTM 450, supposedly heavily influenced by Dungey. KTM had literally built him a production bike to his liking.
The result was tremendous — Dungey won four races indoors — KTM’s first in 450 Supercross, and his outdoor Pro Motocross series was one for the memoirs. After losing the opening two rounds to Suzuki’s freshly signed James Stewart, Dungey closed out the series with 10-straight overall victories. The series yielded Dungey his second 450 Pro Motocross title, and KTM’s first in America. The relationship between Dungey and KTM was flourishing and amazingly, the best had yet to come.