450 Words: Washougal
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The 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship just completed two key races on the tour in Millville and Washougal. TwoTwo Motorsports Bel-Ray Racing Honda’s Chad Reed, the points leader, had to get through the two home tracks of the riders immediately behind him in the series. First up was Millville, a track that Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey grew up on and has dominated on.
We saw what happened there, after a great ride in the first moto, Reed got ejected and right there, as Reed was flying through the air--the whole series appeared to have been changed. Dungey ran down Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto in the second moto, made the pass and took the overall on the day. RV had nearly a ten-second lead on Dungey at one point so that was even more impressive for the defending champion.
Villopoto fell just short of the overall at his home track.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
This weekend at Washougal, on a track that RV knew well, Dungey caught him late in the first moto before spinning out and going down. After a re-start (where Villopoto was in front) in moto two, the tide turned when the number 1 Suzuki rider got the jump on Villopoto, and now the game began with Villopoto having to find his way around Dungey.
But after a few attempts on the first lap, the two riders settled in and Dungey started clicking off some fast times. In front of his home fans, on the track he grew up on, Ryan Villopoto was helpless to stop Dungey from pulling away and eventually it was almost 20-seconds between the two. It was quite a ride for Dungey and even though he tied Villopoto on points, it has to feel more like a straight out win for Dungey and the Suzuki crew with the way he tracked RV down in the first moto and the domination in the second moto.
Villopoto has the points lead as we enter the break, but Dungey has the momentum after two straight overalls.
Photo: Andrew Fredrickson
So there we have it, two tracks that Reed had to limit the damage on and without one mistake on the face of a jump, he might very well have just done that. Ryan Dungey did his part and held serve at Millville and now, he stole a set away from Villopoto on his home soil. Dungey’s one point back of RV and has the momentum right now with his second straight win. Reed’s third in points but now has two weeks to heal up from “the crash.”
To be sure, Dungey isn’t coming back to Suzuki next year- he’s going to move on from the only team he knows for a variety of reasons. But one thing he’s not moving on from is giving the team everything he has until the final checkered flag waves at Pala.
Stay tuned.
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The Dunge looked awesome. I still like Reed's chances though.
I'm as confident in RD1 having the momentum in this series as I was of SX tittle winner at round 6....Plenty of racing to go yet but no one can make anymore mistakes
is it official dungey is going to ktm?
They keep saying Dungey won’t be back with Suzuki “ for a variety of reasons”. How about letting us in one some of them? DeCoster taught him well while he was there, but I think the pupil has graduated. KTM would have to offer a lot more than that. If it’s Suzuki’s decision, are they really that stupid?
What a series!! This is AWESOME!! Dilla and Southwick combined will determine the championship. That is my prediction and i'm sticking to it!
For RV and RD, its almost like "restarting" the series after the 2 week break.... A one point lead for RV and the 2 week break could extinguish the momentum Dungey has right now..Reed has falling back in points and it may be hard for him to make them up as RV and RD are going to click things up a notch...Most folks had Reed going 3-3 in a worse case scenario, but a 7-4 zapped the points...Listening to RV and watching him, I dont think he appears to be feeling the pressure yet...Back at Thudervalley after his first moto win, he said they just needed to get points, get points and then worry about the title.....now he has the points lead and the title is in reach, so the strategy may change..The SX series, things got tight and RV prevailed and pulled out wins when they were needed most....cant wait to see how it plays out....
Damb!!! Thought we were going to make it through one article finally and not have to mention Reeds crash......this weekend was all about RV and RD
Shame to see him leave Suzuki, I hope he doesn't. They have shared alot of sucess. His riding style seems to fit the Zook, he looks to get better traction thru the rough than some of the other riders. But all good things must come to and end...
Suzuki is stupid if they don't offer Dungey whatever he wants right now. He's dialed and ready to win this for them.
RV came up big when it was clutch time in SX. I'm interested to see if his endurance and bike set-up has improved. Got a few weeks to get dialed before Unadilla.
Betcha Reed will have a tough time climbing back into this...........last four races the Ryans have been faster, and he's probably still shaken up from that crash.
RV2 vs Dungey vs Reedy 2011 part two. it came within single digits between the 3 of them in supercross and if things continue as is its goin to be the same story in outdoors. The order might change, but really got to say its goin to be the #1 or the #2 thats goin to pull this out. I like reed and have mad respect for him especially after that wreck at Millville, but lets face it he wasnt the same guy at washougal he has been the whole season. He still has a fighting chance and hopefully this break will bring him back to where he was 3 motos ago. But here in the final stretch of the season if i have to pick just one rider its goin to the supercross champion RV2. even though dungey has back to back overall wins, RV has the points lead, so regardless of anything getting the points lead has to give some momentum, so RV2 go get some and dont make seem stupid .
All last week it was written that RD has the advantage at Washougal, so whats the big surprise Matthes?....RV has never won the O/A there and RD had beat him in the same fashion on the lites I beleive. RV coming out with a 1-2 for 2nd overall, a tie in overall points for the day and then making up those points on Reed and taking the series points lead by one (only had a one point lead on RD before) is pretty good, in fact it couldnt be any better...RV and RD were in a league of their own at Washougal... RV knows he doesnt perform well and didnt push it that second moto.......so one more race in the books and a 2 week break.....Unadilla is a toss up for me right now....I can see both RV and RD running really strong there, so I cant guess who will come out on top and only hope RV can get it done.......The Kawi boys need to get that rear shock dialed in. RV still seems to have issues with that Kawi when he gets off the main line and out in the soft stuff... Southwick I think I have to pick RV...He has that "attack" style that seems to work well for the sand tracks....
Dunge to ktm must be a done deal why don`t they just have a press conference to announce it so other riders can get their deals done...
if dunge has signed a deal with ktm must have ridden one already and feels he can win on it...I read somewhere cairoli s deal up in europe is up wants to try racing over here for 2012 anybody else hear anything about that...
Steve Matthes my Canadian bro did you write this "Villopoto feel just short of the overall at his home track."????????
Beaten by 20 seconds come on, he didn't just fall short he got fully smoked,
SMOKED, beaten to a pulp, wasted, spanked, OWNED.
So if you Steve did in fact write this hang your head in shame, and hang it extra low because you even let a typo by, feel just short of the overall yikes.
RV has the most room for improvement at this point between him and Dungey. But can he get firing on all cylinders during the break? Can't wait to see!
damb tittle silk panty's - oh my
i also thought rv was hanging back a bit on this shit hole track - we will see
Bar a total screwup or mechanical problem Dungey will kill them the next two races.He seems to have finally let his hair down. The faster guy can easily pass at the next two tracks compared to what they had to work with lately. Last time I saw Villapoto at Dilla he crashed one moto and won the next by a mile but that was then. Reed on the other hand killed it there on a Suzuki but also got embarrassed by Bubba when he was on a 2 stroke and Reed had a 4 stroke. If Reed's feeling it he has a prayer. I hope I'm wrong and we see a 3 way battle. If they tighten up the track that will really suck. Oh yah the switchback at the bottom of the hill after the huge 100ft tabletop where they land on the downhill sucks!! That's probably a way to add a few seconds a lap or something. Yes I can't wait to see the race if you can't tell, no matter what it's still a great race to watch.
IMO...if dungey and villi keep it on two wheels dungey is gonna come out on top...dungey is in the "zone" rite now...dungey remnds me of a cross between carmichael and windham fast,smooth,fit and relentless...scary combo...villipoto can t hold him back rite now dungey is too strong...no matter how big a lead poto gets dungey seems to run him down
People are forgetting this is actually RV's true rookie year in the 450's, he hasn't raced an outdoor series in nearly 3 years.
Call it what you will, but I wouldnt say it was a "smoking"...RV has dished out pleanty of beatings this year in the from of run away wins.....1st moto, Dungey was right there and RV walked away only to let RD come back, but RD was unsuccessul. and crashed...Moto 2, I think RV may have been mentally frustrated with the restart....he made a few mistakes and RD got a decent lead on him after which RV appeared to back it off a bit since they would tie in points..... I have raced many of races and been in the red flag restart situation....if your up front and you have to do it all over....you get a little irked.. if your RD and you were losing ground on RV battling with Alessi and Canard, you get that 2ns chance and another burst of energy......RD rode great for sure...but dont get ahead of yourself.....
How stupid is Suzuki you ask? Welllll, if anyone knows how Roger Decoster ended up at KTM just shout out the ansewer. Dunno? I'll tell ya, The guy that made Suzuki motocross bikes what they are today and won 5 world championships on the same Suzuki's aked for a 3 yr contract. After managing god knows how many championships for not only suzuki but a few other brands, and winning 5 world championships hisself (sorry 6th grade english) they said nope, can't see givin ya a 3 yr deal there rog, but thanks alot pal. and he went packin to KTM in like a week. They seemed to think rd was worth a 3 yr deal. He wanted to retire at suzuki, thats how dumb suzuki is. Its just my opinion though. pure morons.
@villimoto will not take anything away from villipoto...he could go on a run no doubt...but i am wondereing if he is wearing down mentally and physically at this point in the season first "full" season he has had in a few years i think not sure though...supercross was a battle rite to the last race and motocross has been goin the same way..
I'll will for sure admit restarts do piss you off when your leading, it happened to me too, and Villapoto is super fast on smooth tracks. I just hope they battle and it isn't a freight train. I'm getting sick of the Pro Circuit romping in the 250 class but their riders are a level ahead and that sucks. Barcia has been a disappointment so far this outdoor season.
didn t suzuki offer him a three year deal after they heard decoster was leaving for ktm a little late then
RD is 1 fast and smoth mo-fo. you could say silky fast. and i liked RacerX a lot more when they were a young hungry newspaper. IMO
For what it is worth...... Dungey to KTM(done deal). Stewart trying to secure Suzuki for next years bikes for support only (read not a factory ride) as he will be bringing a major drink company to pay much more than a factory ride could offer. Lawsuit pending when he leaves Yamaha as they still have one year deal. He will still have to ride the Yam at the Vegas cup race(or whatever its called). JGR looking at Suzuki as well for bike support. Suzuki to have new drink sponsor.
If Dungy goes to KTM it will be the worst mastake of his career. Look at the difference between what Alessi did on a Suzuki compared to the KTM. Look at how Short is doing on a KTM compared to Honda. KTM in the 450 class is not proven in the US! If he is done with Suzuki he should go to 22 with reed, rumor is Honda will give him full factory support.
@dmc no he asked for a 3 yr deal to retire on as he had kid in collage and wanted to wrap up his retirement, I think he figured he'd earned his way to ask for a 3 yr deal, they said,,,na just 1 there rog. I came up with a word outta the joemotocross book of labels. "extream moronisism" usually associated with motocross or some other extream sport. Thats just a whole neva level right there.
@Mit12....all valid points. However, think back aways and the same thing was being said about RC going to Suzuki from Honda. They did not have stellar reviews on the production bikes, no one had won on one since Albertyn. RC paved the way against one of the fastest(dumbest PR campaigning) riders around....*see JS7. Now, Suzuki is the king of bikes and KTM sucks? History repeating itself. Justsaying.... : )
remember when decoster brought carmichael over to suzuki from honda people thougt that was a bad move for carmichael....but turned out alrite...suzuki at that time were not very good either if i remember rite....a lot of people keep saying short and alessi not doing very good on ktm but both seem to me to be rite where they should be..both are top 10 talent but not competing for championships neither one has won a championship in their career...don t get me wrong i like both short and alessi but they are not gonna beat reed dungey villipoto....put one of the top three on the 350 then decide if it s gonna work or not
Good note on Dungey's suspension. I have also noticed that it seems to be working better than others. This was especially visible in the first round at Hangtown. I would be surprised if he does as well on another brand...especially a KTM.
@joemotocross thanks for clearin that up 4 me i had it wrong..heard decoster interview sounds like he might be around for more than three years now says he is havin a lot of fun rite now....if thats the case imgine what he could have done at suzuki in the future...a lot of championships lost for suzuki
First RV was not owned, they tied saterday, swapped wins. RV is starting much better and his weakness is keeping his speed the last half. When and if he gets his program and fitness/health down, I feel he will steadly pull away with this one.
If you look at lap times RV consistantly goes faster than either CR and RD, it is when he begins to tire that the fast and steady RD begins to catch him. He has dark circles under his eyes doesnt lokk good and looks too thin, I feel his program needs to fit him better and the trophy is his.
If RD stays like he is and RV's health doesn't improve, I see RD with the series.
I really am glad CR has done what he has but feel his will be third this year since his wreck, before then Ihad RD neck and neck for 2nd and third.
I am really sorry TC brock his leg for the third time, not good mentally or phisically
I have owned several KTM's.
The problem people are mentioning is that the big bikes have not proven they are up to snuff in AMA Motocross or Supercross. I.E. risky career move for any top level rider.
They are not bad bikes... just not sure if they are good enough to win an AMA title at this point.
RV did not ride washougal as much as they think. once he got his team green ride he was not around much at all at local races. the occasional LL qualifier but that was it. most of the time we heard of him being in cali or the nationals. but i will say this... when he was there, he was the fastest. even over almost all local pros on his supermini
Dungy to two/two motorsports....more at 11...
You can pass much easier at Dilla and Southwick than what has been available to this point. A fifth or sixth place start wont be the end of the world. It will be tough but passing should be easier if your faster. The other riders are faster since Alessi was a title contender and I don't think Dungey would ride a 350. Roger would get Dungey's bike working for him I would bet. Stewart on a Suzuki would be awesome if he still has the fire. Another awesome year of racing or maybe even better. Dungey isn't lazy, he would work his ass off testing and would do just fine.
I feel Dungey should stay with Suzuki, but I don't know all the inner workings going on there, and it does not look like any of us readers/fans will know either. If he does go to KTM, then I have a feeling Stewart and Villo and Canard will battle for the title, and outdoors pretty much all RV. However, Dungey's second season on a KTM, if that is what happens, will probably see him emerge as a serious contender again. Ktm's track record in SX is questionable, outdoors a little better (in the states). He can get KTM to the top, if he is willing to experience some growing pains, which I feel will happen.
I would think with the success Dungey is still having on the Suzuki, he would be crazy to leave. I know KTM is starting to invest alot of money and effort into the AMA series, but it takes a few years sometimes to get things right. Does Dungey want to put up with those growing pains?? I wouldnt, he obviously has the Suzuki dialed just right for himself, and Mike Webb is doing a good job, so why go?? Just because of one guy? (Decoster). But yopu never know..
Don yes its villos first year on 450's but dungey would be the points leader by 24 (or 22 or something) if it wasn't for fuel.
all im say'n too dmc. btw those were some trick kawis in the day ;) dave miller concepts right?
This 2 week break should shake things up a bit. Can't wait to see what happens at Dilla and Southwick. RD ran out of gas (so did Metty) and snapped a chain on his zook... so zooki isn't perfect. It's mostly the rider anyways... so he'll be battling for wins on whatever team he goes to.
Heres a thought from a imbacile,....if ya take a hard look at suzuki since sayyy..1975 till now.....they have always been good bikes when roger was involved, when he stepped away from suzuki, (early 80's) the bikes sucked if they even were avalable (1983rm250's) then roger went back to zooki ala R/c era the bikes were good again.....I suspect, if history is any indicator, sadly zookis will suck again in a few yrs.
Prior to 1975 roger was winning everything himself. i realise that, when I went to bed at night I prayed to roger,
guys - do not forget that RV is still carrying a lot of shrapnel in his leg after his supercross yard sale - when he looked over at the flying chad at millville you could could just imagine him remebering his last heartbreak - he is still not over that injury - at least not in his mind - nor should he be - he is not a robot
Where the h$ll is BillC?
I've been to many of the nationals this year and watched the suspension and power transfer on Dungey's Suzuki work noticeably better than all other brands. At the blazing speed these guys are running, this is a distinct advantage. Whatever issue Dungey has with Suzuki... it's disappointing it can't be resolved. I could see him go to maybe Honda, but KTM? A huge risk that could completely change the course of his career. Dungey, get over what is going on with you and Suzuki and look at what will deliver the most championships. JMO.
I think that if Dungey goes to KTM you'll see what you have always seen from the kid, hard work and great results. KTM has a bad rap because of years of not paying for the tippity top riders in the AMA and producing less than stellar results. Now that their budget is serious about winning over here I would be really surprised to not see them be just as competitive as the big four. It definitely wouldn't spell the end of Dungey being a top rider for him to go there. I think a lot of people will end up eating their words.
Roger said that Dungey didn't give him an answer yet so maybe he is thinking something else. I did see his dad and Joe Gibbs talking at Mt. Morris like some close friends and maybe that's what they are but.........
As for the Suzuki looking good, I think Dungey would make any bike look good with his smooth riding style. Look at Metcalf, he's been struggling all year until now.
Where the h$ll is BillyC.
Gills: I agree with the hard work point from Dungey... no question about it... but he will not be a title contender in 2012. KTM made a significant commitment this year and brought DeCoster, extensive GP knowledge, etc. The outcome? Good riders going in the wrong direction. Have not seen anything but riders struggling on their bikes. KTM is a few years away from being a title winning product
Give me a break. Short and Allesi wouldn't be doing any better on any other brand. They will rarely be in the top 5 no matter what. With all the resourses and money KTM is throwing at thier program Dungey won't have any problem switching over. Allesi and Short have never been in Dungey, Villos, or Reeds league EVER.
Rumor is that Suzuki is losing Makita and Rockstar Energy after this season, so that will dry up a lot of their available funds for a rider like Dungey. As for people saying Suzukis weren't good when Carmichael left Honda....what the hell are you talking about? The 2004 RM250 won MXA's and TWMX's 250cc shootout, and their 2005 RM-Z450 got second or third in most shootouts. The factory team didn't have much luck with riders, but the bikes were good. KTM is getting rave reviews lately as well, and they seem to win everything in Europe. Their "Euro-handling" is a thing of the past, and their motors have always been powerful. I don't think Dungey would have any problems with KTM's equipment.
What does Dungy have to gain by going to KTM? With Villopoto, Reed, Canard and Stewart returning on the same bikes? If I was Dungy I would not take chance of throwing away at least 1 to 2 years getting the KTM on par with the big 4. If I was Dungy I would let the "second tier" riders develop the KTM and win some more championships on a proven bike.
RD leave Suzuki? Why? He is bad fast right now & has tons of wins in Him provided He doesn't get hurt. Loyalty? And if Goose stays with Suz then I hope RD does also. KTM? Why? DeCoster? Yep, He was great 20 years ago & may be a great team manager but RD has done pretty O K without DeCoster this season, so He really doesn't need Him. He is going great on Yellow & if Goose stays & RD splits watch-out for Brett Metcalf. RV is #1 & should stay Yellow I.M.O. Why switch brands when You're kickin'ass?
How about this--how many combined 250 and 450 titles do Dungey and Villo have and how many do Short and Allesi have? Not in the same league. KTM needs some top notch riders just like the have across the pond.
Gotta give credit where credit is due...Ryan Dungey is absolutely haulin a$$ right now. I've said before that he reminds me of a young Jeff Emig and I'm sticking to that comment. This guy is under an extreme amount of pressure trying to prove to people why he won the titles last year. He is a hard worker, his fitness is second to none and it's nice to see the results coming. I'm not sure he will ever be a dominant force in SX but in MX I think we have yet to see the best of RD. This guy is just getting started in my opinion. Great effort from everyone at Suzuki.
I have to laugh at the "experts" who throw around words like "morons" and ""extream moronisism." (Isn't that just a stroke of genius?) Perhaps you don't understand that these manufacturers are BUSINESSES. Suzuki is a worldwide corporation that is struggling financially. Wouldn't offer DeCoster a long-term deal? Try COULDN'T. THAT is the main obstacle to Dungey's continuation at Suzuki (and was to Roger's). My guess is that most (or all) of the people posting here don't have any REAL "inside information," but some don't even have a concept of how the world works. But they have fun out here pretending they do!
Also, people who are writing off Reed because he had one bad day ONE WEEK after that crash, again, are simply "keyboard jockeys" and apparently know little about the effects of a hard crash on an elite athlete. Somewhere, someone said he's been off the pace for the past four races. Did you not see him SMOKE the field in the first moto at Millville? (And he may well have been one crash away from a 1-1.) That's "off the pace"?
Likewise, hardly anyone thought RD had anything for RV once Villo got over his early-season "sickness." Now there are bandwagon jumpers everywhere!
Reading these things is frustrating!
Roger said in an interview that Suzuki told him to talk to Yoshimura about his contract and that they told him one year only. After he accepted KTM's three year deal, Suzuki called him and offered him a three year deal, but it was too late. Mitch Payton's quote summed it up perfectly "Someone at Suzuki was asleep at the wheel." They lost DeCoster, and as a result, Roczen (not to mention Teka as a sponsor) and now possibly Dungey.
All you ppl are saying you are doubting Sir Roger Decoster. The man that has done everything possible as a Rider/Manager... You think Dungey cant do good on a KTM you have to be kidding yourself... People say look at Short look at Alessi & how they were going well short is on a 350 when obviously the 450 is the go for him & Alessi just doesn't have the speed of the top 3 any1 can say how good Alessi was years ago on the Suzuki but he never finished a series & times change RV wasn't there either was RD & Reedy well he gets better as time passes by....
Alessi hasn't won jack as a pro. Big freaking deal he used to get alot of holeshots on the Suzuki. He still didn't end up with very many podium finishes.
@blairofaus exactly what i have been sayin about alessi...350 clearin everything 450 is...last year shorty finished third in points last year rite...2 guys missing reed villipoto.... short is 10 points out of fifth rite where he would have been last year on the honda.....the 350 has not hurt him this year imo....washougal saturday weimer havin hard time gettin by short couldn t even get by goin up horsepower hill 350 held it s own!!!!!!
@supercrosssucks we are on same page about this it seems..... what is ur opinion on the 350?????????????like to get other peoples view on it
It's really simple. Suzuki can't afford Dungey. If the Stewart rumors are true they won't care that much. They will never be Honda anyways and they know it.
@dmc----I'm not sure what to think of the 350. I watch the Euros do well with it and if I remember correctly there was a picture of the MXDN where the KTM's were way out front on the holeshot. I just don't think Alessi and Short are a good example of what the KTM's are capable of.
IMO they ruined our sport when the 4 stroke took over. The racing was just as much fub with the 125/250 2 strokes.
@supercross sucks....i have said ama should limit 4 strokes to 350 or 400 cc...make 250 two strokes competitive with them again....lites class run 150 cc 2 strokes even the playin field teams and riders could choose which ones to ride 2 or 4 stroke ....in times of a bad economy would help lower team costs with 2 strokes...would help teams with budgets and make racing alot more fun...
@supercross sucks short and alessi are top ten talent not title contendors like most people are saying on here....350 was holding it s own against weimer s 450 saturday short would even pull away at times....horsepower hill 450 couldn t get by the 350...could see dungey ridin it...350 reminds me of a strong 250 two stroke stay on it alot longer into the corner and nimble compared to the 450
If dungey wants a chance at the supercross title he won't go to ktm. I have faith in decoster helping work out a few of the bugs but not overnight. The reason ktms are so ndominate in europe is the production rule we have in america. Carolli rode bored out 420 last year and so did alessi at the usgp as long as its under the 450cc limit. They have different rules and dont abide by the production rule. they have full factory parts and expirement with stuff we cant bring over to the states like carbon fiber yamaha frames.
They always talk about factors like track prep and gp competition but they never mention the production rule and what alessi rode in the usgp wasn't a real 350. False advertising.
Would`t it be awsome if RD, RV and REED would be seperated by only 2 Points going into the last moto at Pala. Anyone could win the championship if they won the 2 Moto. If they could also all be 1,2,3 after the first lap , wow .............
@timi sh*thole track...? are you kidding me...your an idiot. What a great race!!! I love the how the RMZ works but KTM is capable of building a bike that can win championships also. Their not some new company that doesn't know what their doing. They have catered to off road ,now there wanting a motocross championship...good for them. They have won before and they can definitely build a motor that will haul and they are NOT scared to take chances or try new platforms. They will take a close look at Dungeys bikes specs for sure if he goes there which seems to be the rumour.
Suzuki is obviously having financial issues, this economy is hitting them really hard. Even though they're building a great bike, no one is buying them. Kids want to be like the winners, but they can't even build kids bikes any more. They need to keep on doing what they're doing tho, the kids that have watched RC, Reed,(Alessi), and now Dungey win on them are soon going to be buying their own bikes and they don't have the negative view on Suzuki that the older people do. They've lost Dungey, but I hope they can supply Stewart with bikes and Metcalfe comes around and they continue to win. it's nice to see such a great looking bike on top.
Apparantly Rockstar was and still is not too pleased to be sharing the title sponsorship with Makita.. And rumours, Makita will be out next year...
Suzuki mentioned that $$ was not really the issue regarding to keep Dungey for next year.. I reckon, Dungey just wants to join DeCoster.. And I seriously believe, KTM can offer a good future for Dungey and in the long term he will be able to earn huge money...
The recession hits all manufacturers pretty hard.. It all depends how willing the sponsors are willing to invest... On that department, things still look good for some.. Ask Dungey!
Did anyone stop to think that maybe Suzuki are not bothered if Dungey leaves because maybe they are joining forces with a Mr James Stewart next season??? Could be a good combo, JS7 & Factory Suzuki. Malcom rides a Suzuki as well, so Im guessing his big bro has tried one out by now. Oh and James also TWEETED yesterday that next season he was in for SX & MX 100%
@ ShiftPro
Perhaps RV after pushing to get past for the first couple laps decided it better ( less risky ) to just settle in, take the tie on points for the day and ride into the two week break with the red plate? RV is the faster rider RD is in phenomenal condition which pretty much makes them equal over two motos......
Just a coment on KTM 350 and the production rulehttp://www.amaproracing.com/assets/AMAPro-MX-2011-Rules.pdf
It looks like you can bore those 350 out as long as you use the production cylinder. So why wouldn't you bor that 350 as much as you can!
Another great season of racing.
@ dmc
My opinion on the 350 is simple. You need to ride it more like a 250! I would love to see RV run it. That guy flat out hauled on a 250, railing the outside of berms and holding open all around the track. I still think he's faster on a 250 than a 450. Would love to see what he could do on a 250 with 100 more cc of power??
Dungey to KTM would be one of the worst ever career moves !
If he had any chance of siging with Honda, what is he thinking ??
and on that subject, Honda needs to get rid of Grant !
Dungey has absolutely no chance of winning another championship on the pitiful orange bike...
@ rip down...the bigger is better theory 350 vs 450 people saying 350 can t hang....look at the lap times 250f class sometimes turnin faster lap times or a sec or 2 off the 450 times...if 450 is that much faster why doesn t it show in the lap times?.
if dungey rides a 350 next year that s a big if...if he starts winning races on it how long do u think it would take for the others big 4 to switch to it?....would be scary too see what a pro-circuit 350 kawi would run like..pro- circuit kawasaki 250 f already rockets..put baggett rattray wilson on a 350 pc kawi if they made one u would have a 5 to 6 rider battle for the win in the 450 class!!!!
@dmc---completely agree. I also think the increased speeds and other tedencies of the 4 strokes are creating more violent crashes. Used 4 strokes aren't worth buying which is cutting out those that want to try it out. The 250 is a horrible transition bike from the 85. 4 strokes were a big mistake. We would still enjoy the same battles it they were on 2 strokes.
For all of you Dungey doubters: Dungey dominated at Washougal. To anyone there it was obvious he was the fastest. He pulled from RV in the second moto by nearly twenty seconds, and let's not forget that Dungey spotted his competition 25 points in the form of a DNF. Take that gas issue away and Dungey would have control of this series.
@ Comfortably Dumb
I'm so sick of hearing about Dungey's DNF because of fuel !!! Seriously...you can't say he'd be 24 points in front now had it not happened! Do you own a Crystal Ball???? Like I've said before.....perhaps he's riding so good now because he is driven to make up the points he lost and more importantly because a whole lot of pressure was lifted off his shoulders?? As Chad Reed can attest it's a lot more difficult to ride and protect a points lead than it is to ride free of that pressure. Perhaps RD would've left Freestone with a points lead or real close and wadded it up the next week riding too conservatively??? Perhaps losing those 25 points was the best thing that could have happened to him? look where he is now?
Every rider out there has What it's? .....it's completely irrelevant unless you can predict what was to ensue had the 'What if?' not occurred.
Everyone should get over the 'What if's' and enjoy this series for what it is......it's been great so far and Dungey seems to have transformed himself into a more complete and determined racer....
What if he'd of won Freestone ??????
Yes, I can say with confidence that RD would be leading the series by a big margin. The thing about RD is that he is consistent, whether he has the series points lead, or he's behind by 25 points he rides the same. It is his consistency that he's noted for and his ability to ride the same under pressure. In SX, Dungey rode the same before and after his DNF. The same could be said about the Nats, Dungey has ridden the same before and after. Last season, Dungey rode the same while leading both series, and in SX he had RV hot on his tails until RV crashed out.
You can't ignore that 25 points that Dungey spotted the competition. If Dungey wins the title, it will be even more sweet. If he loses by a few points, then everyone will be looking at that DNF.
@ripdown - No way RV layed up and let Dungey have the second moto win. That is three points right there! He just couldn't hang with RD's pace all day. RD was just plain faster than RV in both motos last w/e. I thought that was blatently obvious.
I don't feel good about RD going to KTM if that is the case. It seems like a mistake. If Suzuki isn't offering anything because they are wining and dining JS, then I would go join Chad at Two Two. His bike obviously works great, and he chose it to start his own team with over all the other bikes.
@ supercross sucks...did u see the ktm 2012 intro for the new two strokes...if u didn t have to watch it...bikes sounded awesome...pj larsen was out there on the 250 two stroke....all the riders said forgot how much fun the two strokes were
haha....was that Mr. Consistent picking his bike up off the ground after washing out in a corner trying to pass RV?? Guess he's lucky he 'consistently' kept it running or he may have lost some points and we'd have Freestone and Washougal to blame it on....but who know's, I can't see the future...
@ drkelly
Sorry good sir, but I must disagree with 'He just couldn't hang with RD's pace all day.'
Lap chart show's RV was slightly faster in Moto 1...best lap and average so the all day theory is not accurate. I can't deny that RD was better in Moto 2 as he has been most of the summer. In the end, if RV loses this Championship it will be to Dungey's incredible conditioning not riding skills. RV simply doesn't have the strength to go hard for 60+4......his program has sent him backwards.
It's his first full season on the 450 outdoors and we may just be seeing that it's too much bike for his riding style...he's not a big guy. I for one would like to see him on a 350....?????
@Rip
Yes, he's consistent, look at the results. Also, there are huge differences between crashing and losing points, and having your bike run out of gas while having a 25+ second lead with a lap and half to go. You can pretend to ignore that if it makes you feel better about RV having a one point lead, but you'd only be fooling yourself if you didn't think that Dungey would be leading the series at the moment if not for his DNF.
And believe it or not, even Dungey crashes now and then.
@ Ripdown,
Dungey was faster. Even fractions of a second add up. After all, Dungey caught up to RV from about 8 seconds down. Last week in Millville, Dunge was 10 seconds down and caught and passed RV. RV has to be thinking about Dungey at this point.
Sure, in three weeks everything could change. RV could go 1-1 and gain his momentum, but as of right now, Dungey is the guy on the move,
I fool myself all the time....it's a great way to get through life!
I guess all I can say is that I suppose it's best if RV loses this championship because all we'll hear about is Freestone and RD's dnf ??
I did see the KTM intro. There is nothing like the sound of a Pro winding out a 2 stroke. KTM has the largest selection of off-road machines and they are obviously committed to the 2 stroke.
What can 22 offer RD? Nowhere near the money that KTM can. Nowhere near the support KTM can. Goose will go wherever RD goes including KTM. Nobody has seen a top notch 450 rider on a KTM in the SX or MX series and no Short and Alessi are not what I consider top notch. The top Euros look damn good on it. Dungey would not be making a mistake IMO.
@Ripdown,
Why not? All Dungey fans heard was how lucky he was RV wasn't there last season.
Yeah, spotting your competition 25 points is something that will stick out at the end of the series.
I would also like to say that RV has had his fair share of bad luck this season. Starting the season by being sick obviously affected his results/confidence/momentum. RV is leading the series and will be hard to beat for the title at this point. Good luck to them all, they are giving us fans a great series to watch.
i m gonna throw this rumor out there..22 motorsports to ktm next year with dungey on team????roczen and cairoli had # plates on supercross.com on podium with go short,go alessi....and go reed cheerin on guy on a honda??????????cheerin for teammates but cheerin for reed maybe they know something we don t?????with mc and brooks startin honda team might get support from honda over reed....decoster reed and dungey seem to work good together...ktm spendin cash rite now maybe reed grabs some?..that way team ktm can continue to run the 350 till roczen and musquin ready... reed and dungey could develop 450...
maybe why dungey has been talkin to reed?.that way if 350 doesn t work out reed and dungey ca work with 450 development ...got both bases covered that way
Man, I hope the dung signs with KTM. I got a 350 and they are awesome. Feels like a 250 and goes like a 450. He´ll kick some ass on that baby.
KTM has not established in U.S. primarily because of their "no-link" rear suspension and it's effects on suspension feel / performance in Supercross which, is primarily a U.S. phenomanon, get it?
Now that they have a linkage it is only a matter of time before the KTM's are performing at a level comparable to the other bikes pros have grown up racing SX on.
I believe with Roger DeCoster on board (and Red Bull bucks sporting the bill), you will see a quantum leap in competitiveness from the orange brand (certainly by next year).
I see WP as KTM's weak link in that their infrastructure and people are not SX-bred. This is being addressed as we type and should be ironed out in time for 2012 SX season.
As for the KTM haters, hate-on. You will have more than enough to hate as time goes by, they're only getting stronger. Roger DeCoster will assure this.
In my opinion, KTM has never quite recovered from when McGrath switched to KTM and all but destroyed his career. For years following that, the term 'KTM' was synonymous with 'junk' and could be used interchangeably. I think their bikes are light years better than that now but they still have trouble attracting top pros to ride for them, probably at least partially due to that same stigma that continues to follow their brand around here in the US. I've been guilty many times of bad mouthing KTM, even though I've only ever ridden a KTM maybe 3 times, all 2-strokes, and actually loved it. A KTM 125 is probably one of the most fun bikes I ever rode. Light as a feather and rips. Anyways, I'm sure Dungey could be successful on one of their bikes, and it would go a long logn way to erasing some of that residual negative perception of the brand in America. It will be interesting.
KTM is very established in the US, just not in motocross/supercross, because they handled very differently from big jumps. They are VERY established in the off-road world as very reliable and very fast bikes. With the new suspension design, they will gain alot of ground in the motocross scene in a few short years. But they have a huge fan base on the off-road world, but the biggest problem so far in the US is dealer support. the closest dealer to me that deals with KTM is over an hour from home, way over an hour. I mail order everything, it kinda sucks, hope that changes.
@spottedmarley thats cool an honest view on the subject.....i have cheered for ktm as far back to the mid 80 s todd campbell on the z racing ktm s, mike fisher in the early 90 s..i always cheered for the underdog and ktm has always been that...it would be nice to see them step into the spotlight something different and new....keeps the racing interesting kinda like pro circuit dominating the lites class gets boring...i also rode a late 80 s 125 ...motor was strong felt like a well built bike with high quality components