AMA Supercross / Motocross
In 2010, the AMA Motocross and Supercross season reached a new historical peak when Ryan Dungey took both titles during his rookie year.
This feat will forever be etched into the AMA MX and SX history books. It immediately crowned the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 rider Dungey with legendary off-road racing status.
When Dungey returns to the dirt this Saturday for Anaheim 1, the opening round of the 2011 Supercross season, his bike will be badged with the notorious Number One plate, one that he will look to defend.
The Belle Plaine, Minn., native’s history will make this a very obtainable goal, considering Dungey has quite a record at such a young age.
Dungey rose quickly through the amateur ranks, landing an audition for factory Suzuki in 2006. He was given the opportunity to ride professional, and also had the guidance and tutelage of 15-time AMA Motocross/Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael.
Throughout the 2006-2008 AMA Supercross and Motocross season, Dungey won a total of 18 races.
But it was 2009 that brought the Dungey name a new status; that season, he won both the AMA Supercross Lites Western Regional title, as well as the AMA Pro Motocross Championship 250 Class crown.
He then led Team USA to its fifth straight victory at the Motocross of Nations in Italy.
His accomplishments allowed him to graduate to the premier class, and he would first match the legendary status of Jeremy McGrath, being the second rider in history to capture a Supercross title in a rookie year.
But then he also took the AMA Motocross Championship, becoming the first rookie to take both titles. And a repeat of his 250 year, Dungey again led Team USA to victory at the Motocross of Nations in Colorado.
At the young age of 21, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey has now won every championship he’s competed in since 2009 and has already captured every title in the sport.
Off the track, Dungey’s exposure has transcended the sport of motocross thanks to personal sponsorship from Corporate America companies Target and Nike. As a Nike Athlete, Dungey is an integral part of the LIVESTRONG campaign for cancer awareness.
Additionally, Dungey is an advocate of the LIVESTRONG philosophy, using his involvement as a tool in his own determined mission to find a cure for cancer, a disease that took his grandmother’s life in 2005. Motivated by his close bond with her, Dungey has dedicated his career to her memory.
To say that racing is in Dungey’s DNA would be an understatement. His father, Troy, was an amateur racer in his youth and both of Dungey’s siblings, Jade and Blake, are amateur competitors as well. The entire Dungey family is a close-knit group that travels throughout the country, supporting Ryan’s quest to be the best in the world.
Ryan Dungey Quick Facts:
Name: Ryan Michael Dungey
Hometown: Belle Plaine, Minnesota
Residence: Tallahassee, Florida
Date of Birth: 12/4/1989
Height: 5’10"
Weight: 150
Number: 5
Turned Pro: 2006
Ryan Dungey Yearly Feats
2010
• 1st-place – AMA Supercross Championship
• 1st-place – AMA Motocross Championship
• 1st-place – 2010 MX des Nations
2009
• 1st-place – AMA Supercross Lites West Championship
• 1st-place – AMA 250 Motocross Championship
• 1st-place – 2009 MX des Nations
2008
• 2nd-place – AMA Supercross Lites West Series
• 2nd-place – AMA 250 Motocross Series
• Competed in two AMA Supercross class events – earned one 2nd-place finish
2007
• 5th-place – AMA Supercross Lites East Series
• 5th place – AMA 250 Motocross Series
• Awarded AMA Rookie of the Year for Supercross/Motocross
2006
• 2nd-place – World Supercross Lites, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• 7tth-place – professional debut at Millville 250 MX (8-8 moto finish)
