Page 18 - ISSUE42

RYAN DUNGEY
450 SX / 3RD
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / WILSON
>> The Detroit Lions have been a staple in the city for decades, taking the motor city by storm and giving the town a team to rally behind, although they’ve had numerous ups and downs. Athletes such as Calvin Johnson have claimed hold of the Northern staple for years, but with stars such as himself retiring in recent memory, it was time for the city to latch on
to a new hero, even if it were only for one early spring weekend. Could Ryan Dungey be bringing a little bit of “Lionesque” flare back to the racetrack, and have a feverish battle to make the “Lions Den” a place where only the untamed can come to compete? Everyone was hoping so. His speed through the rhythm section in qualifying, prior to the right-hand corner before the whoops, was flawless; he would click the 450 into third just prior the exit
of the bowl turn and leaving the peg dragging rut. Shift his balance to the left, placing the crease of his knee joint along the seat, soaking the single up with his legs, and then abso- lutely bombarding the whoop section; the header of the 450 ringing with every bounce. He would fight tooth and nail all day for a pristine qualifying position, and it would be rewarded with a routine ticket stub into the main event. As they lined behind the gate, the field would be scanned from left to right by the official, and as he would direct the power towards the doghouse, all heads would fall in unison; they were off. A severe logjam would ensue in the first corner, everyone fighting for a little bit of tread, and he would come around timing and scoring near 7th for the green flag. He knew he would have to dig deep, as the champion- ship was literally slipping from his grasp, right before his eyes. He would continue to counter, position by position, although a little bit slower than what was preferred. He would move up near the top five, battling Josh Grant for quite a while, and making a move before the high left-hander; his focus was now on the top four. Lugging the bike a gear tall, his smooth style was able to hold off the number 20 of Broc Tickle, all the while closing on to the number 18 of Davi Millsaps. He would hunt the fellow KTM pilot, and have quite the time breaking his spirit, but each corner he would continue to close in, hold the rev limiter a bit longer, and show the wheel. And as the laps got closer to the 0:00 indication, he would break DM18 with a crisp uppercut along the triple. This would be the last move in his arsenal, and he would go on to take 3rd place; he must remount a valiant effort in order to claim this championship.
18 GRITMOTO • MARCH 26, 2017