Dungey Readies
Rockstar Makita Suzuki is fully focused on racing this Saturday at the final California round of Supercross, Anaheim 3. The team’s rookie racing sensation Ryan Dungey is currently leading the AMA Supercross class in points, and is determined to keep the lead.
Team Manager Roger Decoster is keeping the team’s focus on winning one race at a time. At the last round in San Diego, Dungey went down twice and finished the race in sixth place with a hole in his bike’s radiator.
Roger DeCoster Speaks…
"We still have a four-point lead, and Ryan is fine," Decoster said. "There’s still a long season to go. We’re looking forward to going to Anaheim and doing well there…and leaving California on a good note."
Though it’s Dungey’s first year in the 450 class, you wouldn’t know it from the racing smarts the 20-year-old Minnesota native has employed in the 2010 season so far. Decoster has been happy with Dungey’s ability to race smartly and make moves when the opportunity arises.
"Ryan was patient in his heat race in San Diego, and took first. But in the main event he hit a slick spot in the first turn. He went down, got back up, and then went down and broke the radiator. He just kept plugging away, and went from last to 6th."
Ryan Dungey Speaks…
"I put us in a good position off the start last weekend in San Diego, but ended up losing the front end, which made for a very long night coming from the back," Dungey said. "There are 12 more races and the season is a long one, so in the end a sixth-place finish still keeps me in the points lead and right there in the mix."
Dungey’s teammate Austin Stroupe is busy preparing for his debut in the AMA Eastern Regional Lites class, which starts up in Indianapolis on February 20. Stroupe, who raced the first few Supercross classes on the RM-Z450 in place of teammate Matt Moss, is now focusing on his RM-Z250 and taking home the championship in the Lites class. Team member Matt Moss, who took the Australian Motocross Pro Lites and Austrailasian Supercross Pro Lites Championships in 2009, is still recovering form an incident in December and hopes to be on the track racing soon.
2010 AMA Supercross Overall Points
1. Ryan Dungey 105
2. Joshua Hill 101
3. Ryan Villopoto 95
4. Davi Millsaps 82
5. Ivan Tedesco 77
6. Justin Brayton 72
7. Andrew Short 69
8. Kevin Windham 66
9. Thomas Hahn 56
10. James Stewart 51
Look for the No. 5 Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 piloted by Dungey to be a forced to be reckoned with at Round 6 of the AMA Supercross series, which takes place at Anaheim’s Angel Stadium on February 13th.
