Page 12 - Issue34

RYAN DUNGEY
450 SX / AZ
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> The defending Champion came into the fourth round of action in Glendale, Arizona with the red plate for the second time this season. Ryan Dungey carried that plate into the first round as a reminder to his competitors that he’s the back-to-back champion. Ken Roczen was quick to snatch that privilege away from the Minnesota native, but a mistake from the young German last weekend in Anaheim would surrender the honors back
over to the Red Bull KTM rider; He held a miniscule points lead over his teammate and training partner, Marvin Musquin, before the gate dropped at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Dungey put down some of his usual consistent lap times in practice, keeping it smooth and composed as he slipped into the fifth place qualifying spot. The Minnesotan was seeded into the second 450 heat race of the evening where he pulled a decent start by his standards. He got shuffled just outside of the top five into the first corner, but was able to utilize his veteran race craft to settle into fifth place before long. Dungey found himself perched behind Chad Reed, patiently waiting for an opportunity to make the move into the final transfer position, but he couldn’t get too comfortable as he was having flashbacks to Anaheim 2 with Cole Seely breathing down his neck. Dungey was able to capitalize off of a mistake by the factory Yamaha rider in the early lap, therefore secur- ing the final transfer spot into the main event. The Red Bull KTM rider strung together
a couple of fast laps in order to track down his fellow KTM rider, Blake Baggett, but he came up just short and would cross the line in fourth position. Dungey executed a decent start in the main event as he shot out of the gate to a top five start. He was immediately challenged by the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM of Davi Millsaps through the whoops section, but he fought back with an eruption of resurgence down the start straight as he stuck himself up the inside into the following corner. The Minnesota native ticked off the laps throughout the opening half of the race, attempting to keep Chad Reed behind him as best he could. Dungey was eventually able to make the move on the Honda rider in the same spot that he passed Millsaps, but Seely fought back in the sand section. The two of them slowed each other down in the corner after the finish line and Reed was able to work his way by into second position. Dungey made the pass stick on Seely,
but he wasn’t able to remount a challenge for second place on Reed. He rode a calm, consistent race for the remainder of the allotted time on a track that was testing some of the most technical riders on the circuit. Dungey’s teammate, and closest rival, Marvin Musquin was buried back in ninth place at the end of the race, giving him a comfortable fifteen point lead heading back to Cali.
12 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 29, 2017