Racer X ReduX: Class Personality
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 | 5:30 PM
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PrintOkay, we all know what we’re dealing with here: Lucas Oil Pro Motocross’ 250 class is going balls-out bonkers crazy with wild motos, comebacks, last-lap battles and unpredictable racing. The 450 class is, well, its Ryan Dungey methodically stomping out any and all such heroics. With James Stewart (and Ryan Villopoto, Chad Reed and Trey Canard) out we’re not seeing anyone with the speed to challenge The Dunge outright. That alone makes the 450 class a big departure from what we’re seeing in the 250s, which is enjoying a perfect storm of even/determined/prepared competition, even with its own defending champion out (just stop and imagine how good these races could be if Dean Wilson was still out there. Think about that. Wow!). But, there’s more to the difference between these classes than simple talent parity—it’s just that this season has been built around the greatest strengths and weaknesses of each class.
Take Dungey, the 450 points leader. Not only is Dungey hitting the dominate button, he’s doing it with his own personal style, which is to not worry about style at all. The very core of his program is built around eliminating the craziness we see in the 250 class—no crashes, no comebacks, just methodical performances week in and week out. The plan is to get a top five start (never last, never down in turn one, but rarely as spectacular as a holeshot, either). Then, don’t go crazy and risk it all early. No need to pass riders in bunches, or jump over anyone’s head with a crazy line. Just go a little bit faster each lap, and make some clean passes. And don’t take those passes down to the last lap, either, that would be too risky. Try to make that move halfway through and then motor away. Just win, rinse and repeat.
Ryan Dungey is in a class of his own at the moment.
Andrew Fredrickson photo
Heck, even when Dungey does have something crazy going on, the craziness is quickly dampened like a wet blanket. Otherwise, it could interfere with the goal of winning. Last year, Dungey not only had two episodes of bad luck that cost him big motocross points, but it happened while he was also setting himself to leave Suzuki, the only brand he has ever raced for. If this happened to almost anyone else on earth, you’d have seen a tiny fracture in the foundation. Maybe a small, nearly imperceptible comment about the team that the fans and media could blow up under a microscope.
Nope. Dungey lost the title due to bad luck, then left Suzuki and moved to KTM and yet somehow never, ever uttered a single bad word. Why would he? Not only does such talk not seem to be in Dungey’s nature, but he also knows it could distract from the goal of winning. Had he leaked any frustration at Southwick, it could have been perceived as a weakness, and at that point, there were still four motos in which to battle Ryan Villopoto for a championship. He needed to keep his focus forward and make sure the Kawasaki people knew he and his Suzuki team were still ready to come out swinging, as a team, in the last four motos. For the sake of winning, the drama was cast aside.
Now, Dungey is on an all-new bike and a team that has never experienced this kind of success (in this class in the U.S.) before. Considering that, these are spectacular results, but yet it seems spectacularly unspectacular under Dungey. While he’s actually doing something quite amazing—turning a brand that had never even won a premiere-class races into a would-be champion, in one year, as the only rider on the team in that class—it just seems so normal. See, Dungey could go out there and blow up this accomplishment, and talk about how hard this is. But then, that would increase the perceived degree of difficulty. You would rather have the competition thinking this is the 2010 Dungey, again, the one who won nine of 12 races, then remind everyone that this bike is unproven, and maybe there are still some flaws yet to be uncovered.
He is just doing what he always does, only now in a different color. But he is not alone in his class.
With James Stewart possibly on the sidelines for an undetermined amount of time, will Mike Alessi be able to challenge Dungey?
Andrew Fredrickson photo
Let’s not forget that while the 450 class is the modern-day replacement for the 250 (two-stroke) class, these are really open-class bikes. Go back and watch an old 500 National on YouTube and you’ll see how those bikes are ridden—with care and respect. Yeah, the 450 thumpers aren’t the detonating, fire-breathing, tire spinning vibrating beasts the 500s were, but power is power, and you’re never going to hear someone say “he was wringing that bike’s neck” in describing that class. The riders ride hard, but riding over the edge is rarely rewarded—it’s usually not even faster. The 250s? The dude who pushes the hardest seems to win, and that’s why the key buzzword in that class early on has been “intensity.”
Chances are, once you’ve moved to the 450 division, you’ve been through the wars before and come away with the battle scars. At best, you’ve won some titles, at worst, you’ve been through some injuries, and many of the riders have been through both. They know that living for the moment and going for the kill in every turn and every moto doesn’t really work.
This doesn’t apply in the 250 class. While there is some level of championship experience there via Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin’s MX2 titles, and Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac winning Supercross Lites crowns, these riders are very much just getting started with their professional careers. In the 450 class, you rarely see a surprise performance—the riders are who they are and usually log similar performances each week. In the 250s, you get a lot more mystery. Roczen logged his worst moto of the season in the first High Point moto, but then followed it with his best moto of the season in moto two! This is also the class where Eli Tomac has put together two incredible, soul-crushing rides for overall wins, but sandwiched that around two good, but not spectacular, days. When I asked Eli what was different in Colorado compared to Freestone and High Point, he said, “I don’t know. I guess I was just on with my riding.”
GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac both won motos at High Point and have won three of four overalls in the 250 class.
Andrew Fredrickson photo
It’s also the class where Blake Baggett leads the points. Baggett’s here today/gone tomorrow speed was the mystery of 2011, and while he has been much more consistent this year, it’s too early to know if the problem is solved—and remember, when we asked Blake last year what changed between his amazing first half of the season and his mediocre second half, he said, “I have no idea.”
Surely, Eli and Blake know more than they’re letting on, but, at the same time, it shows that this is a class where riders still haven’t perfected the recipe for success. As a reference, for anyone thinking that Roczen is “struggling” since he hasn’t won one of the first four races, think about how many races Wilson had won at this point last year. Think about Wilson walking away from RedBud in frustration, beaten straight up by Baggett. Then he rallied back when he figured something out, it all clicked, and he won the title in a romp.
In the 250 class, surprises can spring up at any time. The riders feed off of that kind of thing—in the first 250 moto of the season, Baggett was trailing Roczen and Barcia late in the race, and dropped the hammer. He passed them both and won in spectacular fashion. In High Point’s second moto, he was in the same spot and tried to do the same thing. Instead of winning, though, he crashed not once, not twice, but three times! Not great, but, Baggett’s going to keep running that play and hope that it works out more often than not. Same for Tomac. He could have settled for a decent finish at High Point, or thrown all caution to the wind, gone for it, charged, and put together an unbelievable performance. He chose option two, and it paid off huge in terms of points, confidence and momentum.
Yes, in the 250 class, the riders feed off of surprises. In the 450s, the points leader knows it’s in his best interest to keep eating the same meal every week.
But it's Blake Baggett that still holds the points lead.
Andrew Fredrickson photo
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Very good write up. Nice work guys
I have to admit, the 250 racing has been so good I completely forgot about Wilson! How about an update on him RacerX???
Dungey is defintely dominate in the 450's now. Wish we had a healthy 450 class...The real throw down is in the 250 class. Wish Wilson was in the mix too...
I think when we see a Mudfest you might be surprised about who shows up on the Box in the 250's. Dungey will run and hide with Metcaffe in my opinion but I think there's more surpises coming
2010 Dungey won 10 of 12 races, beating RC's rookie record of 9. Nice to see some kind words for him every once in a while, he's always deserved it, rarely gets it, and never will he himself complain about it.
It's gonna hurt Dungey for 2013 that he's out racing while his competitors are sitting on the couch! Keep reaching buddy, better luck next time.
Will the 250 riders continue to entertain? Hopefully!
The stats appear to be relatively even with the exception of LAPS LED. And based on this statistic, it seems like the class is Barcia's.
@preston-"Does anyone know the names of some of the other riders that he races against !" What? There are other riders out there? Ah comeon I am sure we could think of at least 1. lol
preston....just when i thought you were coming around with the nice comments the other day about rd you kick him in the nuts again. i should of know, geez. i think you will see more riders try to copy rd program as it seems to work better then sitting on the couch. nice article weeg.
Good write up Jason!! Very nice perspective on the whole deal
If a competitor sits out the summer, it's, "that's going to hurt his chances for next year." Now it's, "his competitors are sitting on the couch while he's racing, that's going to hurt his chances for next year." Which one is it? "Racing" > "not racing" for prep.
Jason gets a THUMBS UP for this Redux!!
First, for reminding us that like the 2 strokes of yesteryear the 450's need to be ridden with respect. One needs to play nice when dealing with all that horsepower. Patince precision and smooth throttle control are rewarded when riding the big 4 strokes...Secondly, Ryans uncanny abillity to focus! Just like a Lococmotive once on track, its hard to derail him. He concentrates only on the things he can control. Ryan does not waste time worrring about what others are doing or saying, as that time could be utilized on making himself better. The third thing is Dean Wilson. I had forgotten about the last years champ, sorry Deano! The new Fab Four has taken our attention with the insanly close racing. Each week its stand on your feet, jump up and down, yell at the top of your lungs excitement. As the laps count down, we watch and wonder who is going to make that last lap pass. It is definetly The Great Outdoors in the 250 class...Thank again Jason
Not baggin' on Dungey a bit as i'm a fan of his also (along with JS of course, hurry back James), but i see Preston's point even if he was kidding around.........Ryan Dungey said himself at the beginning of the year that racing someone like James will only make him better!! I'm also not saying that RD is going to lose anything with those guys all out either, BUT he is aware of the fact that racing with those guys could only improve his own riding........same goes for the other guys if they were having to race RD every week.....being pushed makes you better, no?? Good story!!
I agree that it was a great write up and a deserving one for RD5. Say what you want, when you think about Dungey the way Weege describes it, his racing style is a patented recipe for Success.
Fo all of you who want to keep saying he is not fast, he is not flashy, he is boring, you are looking at a younger version of a Kevin Windham who so many have grown to love.
The difference is Dungey wins more and wins titles and is faster. I love K-Dub but you people that hate on Dungey are in for a long time of misery if this guy stays healthy. I am not saying RV won't come back and win his share of titles AND I WANT HIM TOO.
I do think CR's winning days have to be falling out the low end of the hour glass and JS7 continues to show me he is not about the championship fight as much anymore and the injury/crash bug is a chronic problem. He is starting to get long in the tooth as well and when the talent pool is this deep, it is hard to muster the sac to give your all, to come from last and only get a 6th when you used to do it and get 1st. IMO If James does not think he can win he does not really want to race. While that spirit is admirable it is in no way conducive to CHAMPIONSHIPS.
RD5, RV1 and the incoming crop of freshman are the future of the 450 class and it seems it would be very obvious to anyone just willing to analyze SX and MX numbers for the last 4 years.
BRAVO Jason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I absolutely can not wait until 2013 when we have the FAB 5 plus Wilson and Barcia going at it. I just hope RV and JS don't kill themselves trying to win EVERY race and TC doesn't try to override before he's ready this time. If they don't, we are no doubt in for the best year ever!
Great article Weege. NIce going. Thanks for mentioning the defending national 250 champ too.
Go Dungey, Go Deano!
I know Barcia is in the 250 title hunt, but he could be the one to give Dungey fits on the 450s.
If I was JS7 I would come back and finish the nationals. Only I would race to get top 5's and build up to his racing speed over the remainder of the year. I feel that JS7 is trying to run a pace that he has not ran for the last 4 seasons due to injuries. I will never know what it takes to run at James pace, but I would think slowing down a little for a few races and working up to the pace would result in less crashes and less injuries. Just my opinion, I am not nor never will be on the level of JS7.
Are you serious Red54m?? You do understand that he only came back to 5th (not 6th) most likely because of an injured wrist don't you?? You act like he was at 100% and still could only "muster" a 5th (not 6th)!!! Not sure where you are coming from with that one!!
@ mit12, my take was that James was riding calm, not pushing it too hard on the new bike. Even in the 1st moto in CO it looked to me like he was being patient. Methodically picking off riders, but not going all out. What sucks, is he crashed anyways.
Dungey might not be racing the fastest guys right now, but IMO, racing at all gives him an advantage over the guys who are not.
That was a great read, J. Wei... Thanx.
Readers (RD5 fans or not) would do well to ignore/not respond to pizzacorner's asinine comments directly... His enjoyment of baiting people into idiot arguments concocted by his lack of intelligence and immaturity are as comical as his pre-school IQ. With any luck at all maybe he'll smash his index fingers in the garage and lose the ability to type, consequently forcing him to shut his pie-hole, go back into his padded cell and start taking his meds again.
I believe it when Blake or Tomac say they don't know what was different.
@pizzacorner.......The negative attitude that you write here is beyond immature. You are a total disgrace to the human race. With that said, your karma that you put into the universe will come back to you 10 fold at some point in your miserable, pathetic life. I only wish I could be there to see your demise.
Do the world a favor, grow up and then STFU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ryan Dungey: The Vanilla Killa'
Perhaps a future article could FOCUS on a particular topic of discussion. And hopefully this topic will be the 250 class and the 250 class alone.
Any mention of the 450s will confuse the readers and cause them to lapse into typical 450 banter about a season that was over before it started.
Look at the Stewart fans now doing exactly something they would copmplain about with all this talk about how Dungey not having anyone to race right now is going to hurt him going into 2013.
Really? What a problem to have. Stewart will be back soon, so he'll have him to race. Dungey is what he is and I don't think he needs to be pushed to stay sharp. Seriously though, you guys always complain about the "haters" focusing on the negative instead of just watching the races and there you go being negative with Dungey's domination right now. Anyway, as good as he is, I do think it would have been shocking to watch RV go outdoors this year, for James and Dungey lying in his wake......but you gotta be out there to take care of business......and Dungey is most definitely out there and most definitely taking care of business.
I like the comparision of the 450's to the old skool 500's. There is a reason why that class and motorcycles died. I could do a local track in 2nd and 3 rd gear and still clear everything ! Those things were brutal on the body and made this years injury list look small. Yes Stewart hauls the mail along with all the other top guys who are out but his go for the W all the time, maybe doesn't work for a championship now. Check his lap times at Thunder Valley after he got the lead, he was trying to check out. He wanted to pull as far away from Dunge as fast as he could. Was it a bad idea ? Only in hindsight. Roczen tried the same and Tomac ran him down. I still want to see more Dungey vs. Stewart, just to see if the 5 can pass and hold off the 7.
@ WHATEVER, you are reading what you want into my post. I gave last to 6th as an example, really a supercross example. I know he got 5th at Highpoint and he was also never in last. So you may have concluded that since neither thing I said applied to Stewart this weekend, I likely was not talking about his sore wrist race.
I will continue to say IMO there is just something very different about James. Yes the competition has gotten deeper, the crashes remain the same, the speed is still there, it just seems the head is different.
Any one that thinks Dungey is not one of the fastest men in the world must have been living under a rock the last five years. You do not win races and championships with luck. The man is FAST, consistent and hard working. He represents the sport well.
Reed- ten years 3 ama 450 titles 0 records.
Stewart- eight years 3 ama 450 titles 1 perfect season.
Villopoto- four years 3 ama 450 titles 0 records.
Canard- two years 0 ama 450 titles 0 records.
Dungey- three years 3 ama 450 titles 1 record.
So far the Dunge has it under control.