Dungey takes 2nd victory at Anaheim Supercross
By TMX Archives on 25th Jan 10
Ryan Dungey has increased his lead in the 2010 AMA/ FIM Supercross Championship after racing to his second straight victory at Saturday night's third round at Anaheim in California.
The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider raced his RM-Z450 to a three-secondwin over Joshua Hill in the Main Event, watched by almost 32,000 fans.
Said Dungey: "To get our second win was unbelievable and I can't thankthe guys on the team enough. The guys at Rockstar Makita Suzuki did agreat job with bike set up."
After a shortened practice schedule due to fears that the trackwouldn't hold up after a week of rain in Southern California, Dungeywas the fastest in the practice sessions. At the drop of the gate forthe Main Event, he came out of the first turn in fifth, while his teammate Austin Stroupe grabbed the holeshot. Eventually, Dungey worked hisway through the pack and was able to take the lead in lap 14. By theend of the race, Dungey had given himself a comfortable three-secondlead at the flag.
"The way the Main Event happened was perfect..." said Team ManagerRoger DeCoster. "... because if Ryan got the holeshot, people would say'Well, he got the holeshot and that's what helped him win.' Coming frombehind was good for Ryan. He was fifth coming out of the first turn,and having to pass some guys made the win that much better. It's goodfor his confidence, and the circumstances of the race were perfect forus."
Dungey was very calculated in his manoeuvres on the track, which allowed him to benefit from the mistakes of other racers.
"I had my work cut out for me tonight," Dungey said. "But I just had tobe patient. I had the speed and I had the lines; it was just a matterof letting it come and not rushing it."
With consistent lap times and smart racing last night and so far thisseason, Dungey has opened up his points lead 15 points ahead of secondplace.
Another winner was the Rockstar Makita Suzuki RM-Z450, which has provedto be a holeshot machine: Austin Stroupe got the holeshot in Heat #1 aswell as the Main Event, and Dungey got the holeshot in Heat #2. Thefuel-injected RM-Z450 has grabbed more holeshots in the 2010 seasonthan any other bike on the starting gate.
The race action moves to San Francisco's AT&T Park next weekend; January 30th.
Main Event: 1. Ryan Dungey (Rockstar Makita Suzuki); 2. JoshHill (Yamaha); 3. James Stewart (Yamaha); 4. Andrew Short (Honda); 5.Kevin Windham (Honda); 6. Justin Brayton (Yamaha); 7. Ryan Villopoto(Kawasaki); 8. Davi Millsaps (Honda); 9. Michael Byrne (Yamaha); 10.Ivan Tedesco (Yamaha).