Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki's Ryan Dungey (Photo: Brian Robinette)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The AMA Supercross Lites race from Salt Lake City will air on SPEED at 6:00pm EST on Sunday, May 2.
When Ryan Dungey entered the premier AMA Supercross class and made the move into the much more talented and competitive world of 450cc racing, he was still something of a question mark in the supercross pecking order, despite his monster 2009 season. He captured a Western Regional Championship and followed it up with a 250cc National Motocross Championship the following summer, capping off the most memorable year of his life by leading the underdog Team USA to a resounding victory at the Motocross of Nations in Italy.
For his outstanding performances and breakout year, Dungey was widely recognized as the rider of the year in 2009, edging out equally impressive seasons by the world’s biggest stars in James Stewart, the 2009 supercross champion, and Chad Reed, the 2009 motocross champion. Despite the accolades, one thing has seemed to follow Dungey through the success and into his move up to the premier class -- his perceived inability to handle pressure.
Back in 2008, Dungey was the Lites Western Regional Championship title favorite. After a solid 2007, he was named AMA Rookie of the Year and showed he had the tools necessary to be a champion in the sport. He was also only 18 years of age and had never been in the overwhelming spotlight that can be cast in this sport. He kicked off the season the way so many expected and appeared to be on his way to his first-career AMA title.
However, realizing that his window of opportunity to win the title was quickly closing, Dungey’s championship rival Jason Lawrence played on off-track tactics and mental games in an effort to break Dungey’s concentration. Unfortunately for Dungey, Lawrence’s maneuvers were successful and a once significant points lead gradually fell into a deficit he was unable to overcome.
The loss of a championship he felt was his was a bitter pill for the Belle Plaine rider to swallow, but he grew from it, going toe-to-toe with Ryan Villopoto for the majority of the outdoor nationals and eventually overcoming his soon-to-be supercross rival at season’s end to capture three wins in the final four races. It seemed like Dungey had moved on, but as the 2009 supercross season got underway, a minor dispute with a sponsor made its way into the public with Lawrence once again playing a defining role. With misconception brewing throughout the industry, the months of hard work Dungey put forth to hone his mental game and bury the stigma were ignored. While he stayed strong, those outside the know ran wild, questioning his ability to stay composed. By May of 2009, he was a supercross champion, quieting the critics and went on to silence even more naysayers throughout the remainder of the year.
Fast forward to January 9th and the newest, youngest face at the top level of supercross made his anticipated debut. Instantly tabbed as “The Rookie,” there was hype surrounding Dungey’s move up to the premier class. However, with names like Stewart, Reed, Villopoto, Windham, Short, Millsaps and Grant littering the lineup, it was hard to imagine Dungey having what it took to be in the mix his first race out. By the conclusion of the first 20 laps of the 2010 season, the world knew who Ryan Dungey was and the sport’s newest star had officially arrived.
