Ryan Dungey is always on an even keel. Always approachable, and always willing to extend his time—even when he doesn’t have any. He’s also never one to say anything negative about his bike, his team, or another rider, and is always flashing his signature movie-star smile. Saturday night’s smile seemed different, though. He seemed more candid. More open.
A true sense of accomplishment hovered over every word he spoke Saturday. It was like he finally breathed after gasping for air for five long years.
“You’ve got to understand, there’s a lot of tough times that grow your character and there’s a lot of times that I got seconds and thirds and it was awesome—it’s great—but it’s hard to accept when all you want to do is win,” he said.
Winning at this level is not easy. The difference is just a few tenths of a second here, and tenths of a second there. And that's it! Not much more. Some have made it look easy: McGrath and RC among others. But it's not. And to do what Dungey has for so long while rarely missing a race is incredible. Yet, for all his accomplishments and race wins, there always seemed to be the same over-hanging questions: Will he do it again? Can he do it again?
Dungey always reminded me of NFL quarterback Dan Marino. Hall-of-Fame career, signified by the what-ifs. Marino reached the Super Bowl in his second season with the Miami Dolphins.
He lost.
Marino was so talented, though, that he’d assuredly go to one, or two, or maybe even four more Super Bowls. He never returned. For Dungey, who reached the pinnacle of the sport his rookie year—and won—he never seemed to get the credit he deserved. “Oh, well, RV got hurt,” they would say. “It was a fluke; he hasn’t gotten it done since,” others would shout. And as much as Dungey may have sheltered himself from such talk, it’s inevitable some of it reached him.
Even now, after a dominant season and a second title, there are some that will sit here today and wonder what may have happened if RV was here? Or Stewart. Or, what if Roczen didn't get hurt?
Instead, let's take the time to appreciate Dungey’s artistry. There will be a time and place to ask the what-ifs. It's in our inherent nature to do so, and it’s fun bench racing fodder. That's for another day and time. For now, it’s better to take a cue from Dungey himself and just enjoy this title for what it is: a huge accomplishment that no one can take away from him.
