When the red plate was first introduced in Monster Energy Supercross, it actually was assigned to the defending champion rather than the points leader after each round. That's because ten years ago the top riders very seldom wore the #1 plate they had earned as series champion. Ricky Carmichael preferred to race with his signature #4 while defending titles in 2002, 2003, 2006, and 2007, and Chad Reed stuck with his #22 in 2005. The idea was that fans could ID the defending champion by the red plate since they weren't wearing #1, so in 2007, the defending champion, Carmichael, was assigned to wear red behind his signature #4. Then came James Stewart with a red background behind his #7 in 2008. In 2009, the AMA decided to make it mandatory that series champions wear the #1, so it was Chad Reed had to switch from his trademark #22 to #1 as the defending SX Champion (something he did not do in 2005). The red plate stuck with the champ, too, which is why Reed had a red #1 in 2009, Stewart a red #1 in 2010, and Ryan Dungey ran red in 2011.

Starting in 2012, the champion started running the #1, and the red plate now goes to the rider who is leading the points after any given round. That's the rule as we know it today. So far this season we have had two different points leaders: Ken Roczen and now Ryan Dungey.  

Watching the red plates switch between Kenny and Ryan this year got us to thinking: During this four-year span of the points leader running red, how many riders have reached that mark? Fewer than you think. Here's the entire list of 450SX points leaders (and red plate holders) since 2012.

2012