City Slickers
By TMX Archives on 18th Mar 15
Can anybody stop Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) from winning the 2015 Monster Energy 450cc SX title? On the current evidence the answer is a resounding no.
The 2010 champion raced to his third win in a row on Saturday night at the Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis. With 11 rounds down and six to go he now leads Trey Canard (HRC Honda) by 45-points and has claimed five Main Event victories this season to take his career total to 19.
Andrew Short (KTM) took the holeshot in the 20-lap Main Event but Dungey wasted no time in motoring around the outside in a right-hand turn to take the lead. Cole Seely (HRC Honda) followed him through into second but Canard was outside the top 10.
With James Stewart serving a ban after failing a drugs test and Ryan Villopoto racing GPs only Canard seems to have the speed to trouble Dungey but bad starts are punishing him. It was no different in Indianapolis and despite a race-long push that carried him all the way up to third at the flag behind Seely, Dungey's astonishing ability to create a gap and then pump out perfect laps is killing the opposition.
"Every race is important and I'm taking it one at a time,” said Dungey. "It's easier said than done but it's a long series and you can't get too far ahead of yourself.
"The track was tough today. In practice everyone was so close and we were all running the same pace. It was going to take something more to open up that lead if we got the holeshot. My heat wasn't so hot but the Main Event start was way better.”
Eli Tomac (Geico Honda), who sits third in the standings, had a nightmare in Indianapolis and was lapped by Dungey but managed to unlap himself just before the end as he came home 11th. He's now a massive 80 points behind the championship leader.
Earlier in the evening, Dungey's team-mate Marvin Musquin had set the standard with his third win in a row as he dominated the 250cc East Region final.
The Frenchman, who's now won four from five, cruised past Martin Davalos (Husqvarna) into the lead at the start of lap two and checked out. Defending champ Justin Bogle (Geico Honda) clipped a Tuff Block and crashed while chasing but still managed to come home second.
Musquin's winning margin of over 20 seconds is a pretty clear indicator of just how fast he is and with title rival Jeremy Martin (Star Yamaha) crashing in his heat race and failing to qualify for the Main Event he's now 16 points clear of Bogle with four rounds to go.
"That one was special,” Said Musquin. "My starts weren't the best today in the heat and in the Main but I cut inside really tight and then made some passes and got into the lead pretty quick.
"I was trying to push and get a big gap. I could see Bogle and Savatgy behind but I think I was a little bit faster and every lap I was gaining a bit of time on them.”
