Dungey and his RM-Z450 Take on the Mud in Salt Lake City

-Dungey finished fourth and already has the 2010 AMA/FIM World Supercross Championship sewn up.
-The fuel-injected RM-Z450’s low center of gravity helped Dungey keep his balance throughout the shortened main event.
-Dungey is the youngest to ever win the Supercross championship, and only the second rookie to do so. He’s been riding a Suzuki throughout his amateur and pro career.

Brea, Calif. – Ryan Dungey and his RM-Z450 had their work cut out for them on Saturday night as the rain and snow pelted the track at the Rice-Eccles stadium. The 16th round of the AMA/FIM Supercross World Championship was not easy on rider or bike, with freezing rain and snow pounding the track, making it sticky and muddy. Fresh off earning the 2010 championship, Dungey battled the conditions and other racers to finish fourth in the 15-lap main (which was shortened from the usual 20 due to the weather).

The RM-Z450’s low center of gravity helped Dungey to keep balance and momentum through the tough areas of the track and negotiate the hairpin turns. “The rain really opened up and let loose, and the track got pretty tough at the end,” Dungey said after the race. “I went into survival mode and ended up fourth. Just kind of had a tough day, it happens, and we just have to move forward.” With only one practice to get the bike set up due to a shortened schedule, Dungey put his head down, used all the tear-offs loaded onto his goggles, and kept his focus on finishing the race.

“It’s OK we finished fourth because we have the championship, but it wasn’t the best ride,” Team Manager Roger DeCoster said. “We’ll talk during the week and discuss being more aggressive instead of getting pushed around. On the other end, Ryan won the championship by being cautious at times, and winning the championship is a big accomplishment. This week we need to focus on winning in Las Vegas and then working on the Outdoors.”

Dungey is the youngest to ever win the AMA Supercross Championship, and only the second rookie ever to do so. With the addition of FIM to the series, Dungey is now a World Champion, taking after DeCoster who is a five-time World Champ. Dungey has come up from the Suzuki Amateur program to the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team, and he was the Western Regional Lites Champion in 2009.

The final round of the series takes place on May 8 in Las Vegas