Ryan Dungey does not miss races. Period. That’s why the announcement from KTM last night that the reigning 450 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Champion would miss multiple rounds due to a cracked C6 vertebrae shocked so many.
Since moving to the 450 Class in 2010, Dungey has missed just five races. Total! Those five races came during the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross season when Dungey sustained a broken collarbone. He returned later in the year—although he didn’t have to; Ryan Villopoto had already put the 450SX championship on ice at that point—and won two straight races to end the season. He then went on to win the 450MX title in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross. Further, Dungey has not missed an outdoor national since the 2007 season—then in the 250 class—when he missed the season finale at Steel City. He has never missed a 450 outdoor national!
In the press release sent out last night, the team said the injury requires “a minimum of 6-8 weeks healing time.” The C6 is found at the base of the neck between the C5 and the last cervical vertebra, the C7, and plays an important role in supporting and protecting the structures of the head and neck as well as anchoring the muscles that move and support the neck. Without knowing the severity of the injury, it’s hard to forecast if Dungey will need the maximum eight-week recovery period or not.
Dungey actually was injured in his second-moto crash on Saturday at Thunder Valley. He got back up and rode back to fourth in the moto, keeping him on the overall podium for the day.
You just don't expect this type of thing to happen to Dungey. When he misses the High Point National next weekend, it will end an 75-race start streak in 450MX, and a whopping 99-race start streak in the Nationals between two classes, dating back to the start of the 2008 season. Simply incredible.
Intrigued, we dug through his results in both Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross since moving to the 450 class in 2010. We found an interesting trend: not only does Dungey not miss races, he generates practically the same results in those races every year! Read on and marvel at one of the most reliable riders to ever throw a leg over.
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
| Year | Overall Finish | Points | Moto Wins |
| 2010 | 1 | 543 | 19 |
| 2011 | 2 | 514 | 6 |
| 2012 | 1 | 580 | 18 |
| 2013 | 2 | 507 | 5 |
| 2014 | 2 | 518 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1 | 547 | 13 |
Monster Energy Supercross
| Year | Overall Finish | Points | Wins |
| 2010 | 1 | 363 | 6 |
| 2011 | 3 | 328 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 | 257 | 4 |
| 2013 | 3 | 337 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 | 304 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 | 390 | 8 |
| 2016 | 1 | 391 | 9 |
Races Missed
| Year | Races Missed |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 (through SX) | 0 |
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 450 Stats
Career Starts: 75
Races Missed: 0
Career Wins: 39; second all-time
Career Podiums: 69; second all-time
