Page 12 - Issue-46

RYAN DUNGEY
450 SX / 1ST
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / WILSON
>> Once someone has made their mark on an activity in which they choose to partake in, solidified them- selves as one of the best to take on their craft, and become financially stable in the same realm, why else would they choose to continue to push to the absolute highest of thresholds? Because of heart. What Ryan Dungey has inside of him, can’t be replicated, bought, or instilled through trial and error; it’s an intangible trait that few can identify with. Motivating him from sun up to sun down, it’s pushed him through the deepest of valleys in which he has had to overcome, along with reflecting his resiliency as he’s stood atop the podium on countless occasions. And although he could’ve thrown in the towel a while ago, he’s chosen to line up and do battle with the best yet again, taking a risk on being demoralized by friends and foe alike, and losing his title as champion. He seems unfazed, although a younger predator is aggressively hunting him; he’s remained headstrong and focused on the task at hand. Coming into the weekend, the momentum wasn’t necessarily on his side, but if he could somehow turn the KTM into a barricade and lessen the blow of the green grenade, he would leave himself in an ideal position for the series finale. In practice the memo was to search for Eli, figure out what he was doing, and head back to the drawing board prior to the nighttime festivities. And once they came upon him, he knew he’d done all he could. Positioning himself into the main event, he was ready to fire on all cylinders and take home what he thought was rightfully his. The 30 second board went sideways, just he and his fellow competitors lining up fender to fender, and the metal bracket slammed into mother earth. A rather unpleasant start had him ninth on the holeshot grid, but he somehow managed to finagle his way into third through the opening rhythm section, neck and neck with foe, Eli Tomac. The two battled as they made their way to the front, with leader Jason Anderson crashing, and the two eventually getting into the 1-2 ride. ET began to work his magic, moving his way around Dungey, at the dismay of the whole KTM squad and many fans in the crowd. Hope seemed to be dwindling away. Until, the number 3 had a slight lapse of focus heading into the left-hander prior to the first triple, washing his front end, and furring the muzzle of his helmet into the New Jersey soil. Dungey was the first to pass; and you could feel his sigh of relief rippling through the stadium. With his mechanic telling him to calm down, the reigning champion had to back the heart rate down to as low as possible, all the while staying focused on charging toward the checkered flag. Knowing he had a bit of cushion, he began to feel his blood pressure rise as he heard a distinct bark just behind his rear fender; with a quick nod over the finish line, he would turn around and view the number 25 at his bay. Contemplating his options, he chose to let the KTM around, giving up the number one spot, knowing he had points to spare. Lap after lap, he sliced away, cutting through all 20 minutes of layering, salivating at the thought of the golden nugget that resided on the other side of the finish line. His line choice was methodical, the technique was
that of the textbook cover, elbows up, his inside leg never dabbing the ground. With second seeming to be sewed up, another unexpected turn of events occurred. As Marvin Musquin began to hiccup in the final mo- ments, enough so to give go wide before the second set of whoops and give Dungey the lead back! Through the multiple climaxes, RD remained poised, as a champion should. Walking the tightrope through the final chicane, and claiming victory; putting a huge burden onto Eli Tomac’s shoulders.
12 GRITMOTO • APRIL 30, 2017