Real Talk about Ryan Dungey

jbonemalone
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jbonemalone 6/19/2022 6:31pm
6/19/2022 6:31pm
TropicPilot wrote:
I think George Foreman spent like 10 years in retirement before he re-entered the boxing ring. He ended up winning the world heavyweight title a few...
I think George Foreman spent like 10 years in retirement before he re-entered the boxing ring. He ended up winning the world heavyweight title a few years later. Man, it would be historic for the sport if Dungey pulled off something like that.
I don’t see Dungey being too much of a boxer 🤷‍♂️
McG194
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McG194 6/19/2022 6:38pm
6/19/2022 6:38pm
Dan541 wrote:
I have been a Dungey fan a long time. Like many others I expected a 5-10 range, with a maybe 3-5 in the last few rounds...
I have been a Dungey fan a long time. Like many others I expected a 5-10 range, with a maybe 3-5 in the last few rounds, considering attrition but wholly cow, High Point showed he came to play !

I can't remember the last time I've seen him hang it out that much, which was awesome to see. I'm not sure if it's the no pressure, or just gelling that much with the bike.

I think this also helps the bench racing argument of whether or not the past Champions would still win if they were to race today. I know it's only been 5 years, but as always, the bikes have evolved, but the cream always rises to the top, a champion figures it out, regardless of generation or competition.
tomlopez wrote:
Great point. In all sports debates, not just moto, so many people attribute greatness to the time period in which they competed and not the winning...
Great point. In all sports debates, not just moto, so many people attribute greatness to the time period in which they competed and not the winning DNA/mindset that the best possess. "Jordan would be average today because he couldn't shoot the 3", "Mickey Mantle wouldn't make the majors because pitchers were throwing 85mph in the 1960s", the list goes on.

Winners are not subject to the conditions of their environment. That is why they succeeded, they rose above the rest of the competition in their setting. Has professional motocross riding slightly changed since 2017? Maybe so, maybe not. But a Dungey, Villopoto, Stewart, Reed, etc. from their prime days (or in Dungey's case after 5 years of retirement) could still do what they did back then against the current field of riders because they knew how to win, they didn't luck into winning because of the circumstances.

To give more props to Ryan, this might honestly be the most impressive sports comeback ever. Has anybody ever come back from a 5 year retirement and done 95% as well as they did in their prime? I know Jordan came back after playing baseball and won three more titles, but that was only two years of retirement.
TropicPilot wrote:
I think George Foreman spent like 10 years in retirement before he re-entered the boxing ring. He ended up winning the world heavyweight title a few...
I think George Foreman spent like 10 years in retirement before he re-entered the boxing ring. He ended up winning the world heavyweight title a few years later. Man, it would be historic for the sport if Dungey pulled off something like that.
Foreman coming back was awesome, but I think Dungey's is better. They were putting a lot of tomato cans in front of George plus it wasn't really the glory days for the heavyweight class. Talent definitely not as deep as in 450 motocross.
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OleTex
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OleTex 6/19/2022 7:04pm
6/19/2022 7:04pm
Dungey, like Tony, is a legend in our sport. Any time we can see him ride is a bonus to me. Notice how he keeps improving every race. Like a Diesel.....

Thank you.
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Radical
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Radical 6/19/2022 8:28pm
6/19/2022 8:28pm
When I saw that after he settled in, Dungey stopped losing time in moto 1, and that he was mixing it up with the front runners, I expected him to come out swinging in moto 2.
I'm going to predict that he wins the next round.

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kpiper
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kpiper 6/19/2022 8:36pm
6/19/2022 8:36pm Edited Date/Time 6/19/2022 8:38pm
Yes, Dungey did great yesterday but let's not go nuts over it. I would guess other 32-year-old riders have actually won a national?

And while he has not been racing he has been riding. He is reminding us how good he was and that is awesome.

Dungey is second in all-time outdoor wins. No surprise he is still fast.
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Mavetism
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Mavetism 6/19/2022 8:42pm
6/19/2022 8:42pm Edited Date/Time 6/19/2022 8:50pm
yota wrote:
if that KTM sucks like the other team members say Dungey was not noticing the problem.
Dungey said on Pulp one or two weeks before Pala that he was immediately comfortable and blown away by the new bike which was a big factor in his decision. But he also made the comment that he can only judge about MX, he didn't test it at SX.
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Dan541 6/20/2022 2:32am
6/20/2022 2:32am
This comeback also makes you wonder about a new strategy. Let's say Dungey would of agreed with KTM to take 2 or 3 years off, to recover, then come back for another couple of years. He's proving it's possible, and as Tomac pointed out in an interview, Dungey's comeback proves riders get mentally fried, not physically.

Wouldn't that be awesome ? This wouldn't apply to every rider of course, but the multi time Champions in their mid 20s getting burnt out. Take a couple of years off, recharge the mental batteries, then come back for a few more years. It might prolonged careers. Or this might just be wishful thinking.
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OT
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OT 6/20/2022 2:35am
6/20/2022 2:35am
He's either a super hero, or he's proved that this sport isn't as hard as some may suggest Grinning I think he's a super hero...
OT
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OT 6/20/2022 2:38am
6/20/2022 2:38am
Dan541 wrote:
This comeback also makes you wonder about a new strategy. Let's say Dungey would of agreed with KTM to take 2 or 3 years off, to...
This comeback also makes you wonder about a new strategy. Let's say Dungey would of agreed with KTM to take 2 or 3 years off, to recover, then come back for another couple of years. He's proving it's possible, and as Tomac pointed out in an interview, Dungey's comeback proves riders get mentally fried, not physically.

Wouldn't that be awesome ? This wouldn't apply to every rider of course, but the multi time Champions in their mid 20s getting burnt out. Take a couple of years off, recharge the mental batteries, then come back for a few more years. It might prolonged careers. Or this might just be wishful thinking.
I feel like Cooper Webb could use that strategy right now..
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UpTiTe 6/20/2022 6:04am
6/20/2022 6:04am
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that never stopped training or riding when he retired.
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resetjet
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resetjet 6/20/2022 6:27am
6/20/2022 6:27am
He can win this thing. I believe kr will fade, sexton will have a mishap, Its likely he can get a race win by seasons end. Im glad he is actually going for it and not just having fun.
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McG194
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McG194 6/20/2022 6:37am
6/20/2022 6:37am
UpTiTe wrote:
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that...
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that never stopped training or riding when he retired.
Why are people surprised? Because it's never been done before.

The list of athletes that have come out of a 5 year retirement and succeeded is just as small as you would think it would be. There are plenty of stories of athletes hanging on too long and embarrassing themselves. Dungey participates in a sport where failure is a lot more serious than embarrassing himself. What he is doing is nothing short of incredible.
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UpTiTe 6/20/2022 6:49am
6/20/2022 6:49am
resetjet wrote:
He can win this thing. I believe kr will fade, sexton will have a mishap, Its likely he can get a race win by seasons end...
He can win this thing. I believe kr will fade, sexton will have a mishap, Its likely he can get a race win by seasons end. Im glad he is actually going for it and not just having fun.
No he can’t.
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UpTiTe 6/20/2022 6:56am
6/20/2022 6:56am
UpTiTe wrote:
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that...
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that never stopped training or riding when he retired.
McG194 wrote:
Why are people surprised? Because it's never been done before. The list of athletes that have come out of a 5 year retirement and succeeded is...
Why are people surprised? Because it's never been done before.

The list of athletes that have come out of a 5 year retirement and succeeded is just as small as you would think it would be. There are plenty of stories of athletes hanging on too long and embarrassing themselves. Dungey participates in a sport where failure is a lot more serious than embarrassing himself. What he is doing is nothing short of incredible.
First of, let me just say this, he was my guy, so don’t think this comes from a haters point of view, but no, it’s really not that incredible.

He’s 32 years old, the peak of fitness for all athletes. He never stopped riding or training, so his body and mind were never inactive, he kept sharp.
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TropicPilot 6/20/2022 7:14am
6/20/2022 7:14am Edited Date/Time 6/20/2022 7:18am
UpTiTe wrote:
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that...
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that never stopped training or riding when he retired.
McG194 wrote:
Why are people surprised? Because it's never been done before. The list of athletes that have come out of a 5 year retirement and succeeded is...
Why are people surprised? Because it's never been done before.

The list of athletes that have come out of a 5 year retirement and succeeded is just as small as you would think it would be. There are plenty of stories of athletes hanging on too long and embarrassing themselves. Dungey participates in a sport where failure is a lot more serious than embarrassing himself. What he is doing is nothing short of incredible.
UpTiTe wrote:
First of, let me just say this, he was my guy, so don’t think this comes from a haters point of view, but no, it’s really...
First of, let me just say this, he was my guy, so don’t think this comes from a haters point of view, but no, it’s really not that incredible.

He’s 32 years old, the peak of fitness for all athletes. He never stopped riding or training, so his body and mind were never inactive, he kept sharp.
I think that it's easy for us, in hindsight, to see the reasons why he can still perform at the top level. He didn't let himself go in retirement and he is still young enough to physically do the job. But that's exactly what makes this comeback an outlier.

If I've got 7 or 8 figures in the bank, a beautiful wife, a growing family, and my health, I'm going to get fat for a while, enjoy life and thank God that I don't have to huck the Fly 150 this weekend. That's what almost all retired factory stars do, even the ones that we've placed on our Mt. Rushmore.

Dungey stayed sharp,and that makes this comeback special.
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kpiper
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kpiper 6/20/2022 7:47am
6/20/2022 7:47am
TropicPilot wrote:
I think that it's easy for us, in hindsight, to see the reasons why he can still perform at the top level. He didn't let himself...
I think that it's easy for us, in hindsight, to see the reasons why he can still perform at the top level. He didn't let himself go in retirement and he is still young enough to physically do the job. But that's exactly what makes this comeback an outlier.

If I've got 7 or 8 figures in the bank, a beautiful wife, a growing family, and my health, I'm going to get fat for a while, enjoy life and thank God that I don't have to huck the Fly 150 this weekend. That's what almost all retired factory stars do, even the ones that we've placed on our Mt. Rushmore.

Dungey stayed sharp,and that makes this comeback special.
Were you talking about RV2? Dungey does not seem the type to drink a lot of beer and let himself get fat.
jnickell
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jnickell 6/20/2022 7:49am
6/20/2022 7:49am
UpTiTe wrote:
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that...
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that never stopped training or riding when he retired.
McG194 wrote:
Why are people surprised? Because it's never been done before. The list of athletes that have come out of a 5 year retirement and succeeded is...
Why are people surprised? Because it's never been done before.

The list of athletes that have come out of a 5 year retirement and succeeded is just as small as you would think it would be. There are plenty of stories of athletes hanging on too long and embarrassing themselves. Dungey participates in a sport where failure is a lot more serious than embarrassing himself. What he is doing is nothing short of incredible.
UpTiTe wrote:
First of, let me just say this, he was my guy, so don’t think this comes from a haters point of view, but no, it’s really...
First of, let me just say this, he was my guy, so don’t think this comes from a haters point of view, but no, it’s really not that incredible.

He’s 32 years old, the peak of fitness for all athletes. He never stopped riding or training, so his body and mind were never inactive, he kept sharp.
I hear you but riding and staying fit does not equal gate drops and 30 + 2's against the elite. It's even tough for guys to come back after a long injury. Shoot, people were saying the 1.5-year WADA penalty is a career-ender because of such a long layoff. (I suppose getting rehired was also a concern)
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kpiper
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kpiper 6/20/2022 7:50am
6/20/2022 7:50am
UpTiTe wrote:
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that...
I really do t see why anyone is surprised by his results, he’s a 4 time outdoor champ and the second winningest 450 outdoor rider, that never stopped training or riding when he retired.
Truth. Trey Canard could do the same thing Dungey did Saturday if he got in good enough shape.

Not trying to diminish what Ryan is doing...it is great. But the only surprise to me is maybe it happened in round four and not round six or seven.

People forget how great he was outdoors.
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TropicPilot 6/20/2022 8:04am
6/20/2022 8:04am
TropicPilot wrote:
I think that it's easy for us, in hindsight, to see the reasons why he can still perform at the top level. He didn't let himself...
I think that it's easy for us, in hindsight, to see the reasons why he can still perform at the top level. He didn't let himself go in retirement and he is still young enough to physically do the job. But that's exactly what makes this comeback an outlier.

If I've got 7 or 8 figures in the bank, a beautiful wife, a growing family, and my health, I'm going to get fat for a while, enjoy life and thank God that I don't have to huck the Fly 150 this weekend. That's what almost all retired factory stars do, even the ones that we've placed on our Mt. Rushmore.

Dungey stayed sharp,and that makes this comeback special.
kpiper wrote:
Were you talking about RV2? Dungey does not seem the type to drink a lot of beer and let himself get fat.
RV rightfully took some time off in retirement and slowed down a bit. Good for him - he earned it! So did RC, James, Windham, etc. That's the normal progression of things.

But for a former elite rider to still have the fire in the belly to compete after more than 5 years off? Beyond impressive.
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#RZRNick
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#RZRNick 6/20/2022 9:24am
6/20/2022 9:24am
Watching Dungey is inspiring for all of us, what an amazing addition to the series, now we just need Ferrandis back.

He will crush it at Washougal (always had Villopoto's #) and of course Millville.

He is also dealing with a brand new bike that looks to be getting better each week, I really think he will get at least one overall this season and 3-4 podiums, after last weekends performance.
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kpiper
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kpiper 6/20/2022 10:31am
6/20/2022 10:31am
#RZRNick wrote:
Watching Dungey is inspiring for all of us, what an amazing addition to the series, now we just need Ferrandis back. He will crush it at...
Watching Dungey is inspiring for all of us, what an amazing addition to the series, now we just need Ferrandis back.

He will crush it at Washougal (always had Villopoto's #) and of course Millville.

He is also dealing with a brand new bike that looks to be getting better each week, I really think he will get at least one overall this season and 3-4 podiums, after last weekends performance.
If Dungey beats Eli at Washougal I will be shocked. Not going to happen unless ET3 crashes.
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sam hain
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sam hain 6/20/2022 10:55am
6/20/2022 10:55am Edited Date/Time 6/20/2022 10:55am
lumpy790 wrote:
Will KTM sign RD5 for the 2023 SX and Nationals????
I doubt he has any interest in returning to SX, if this summer goes well I could see them offering him something for MX '23.
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McG194
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McG194 6/20/2022 11:02am
6/20/2022 11:02am
Yes Dungey has kept himself fit but there is a huge difference between civilian fit and professional athlete fit. Not to mention that when guys miss a half a season or so they will always say that they were fit but you can't match the fitness of getting gate drops. How many times have we heard "I've still been working out and staying fit but now I have to get into race shape."?
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loftyair 6/20/2022 11:32am
6/20/2022 11:32am
How did dung lose a 4-second lead over rockzen on last lap? I missed it?
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NotCore
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NotCore 6/20/2022 11:39am
6/20/2022 11:39am
loftyair wrote:
How did dung lose a 4-second lead over rockzen on last lap? I missed it?
I'm curious about that too. It was hard to see on broadcast, and i was surprised at the result.
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davistld01 6/20/2022 11:52am
6/20/2022 11:52am
resetjet wrote:
He can win this thing. I believe kr will fade, sexton will have a mishap, Its likely he can get a race win by seasons end...
He can win this thing. I believe kr will fade, sexton will have a mishap, Its likely he can get a race win by seasons end. Im glad he is actually going for it and not just having fun.
UpTiTe wrote:
No he can’t.
Yeah, man...I'm a HUGE RD5 fan, and although I feel certain that he'll get some podiums, and maybe get a win before the season is over...

But, no...Dungey can't win this thing.
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kpiper
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kpiper 6/20/2022 11:55am
6/20/2022 11:55am
sam hain wrote:
I doubt he has any interest in returning to SX, if this summer goes well I could see them offering him something for MX '23.
Why? He wanted to come back for SX a few years ago, not outdoors.
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kpiper
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kpiper 6/20/2022 11:57am
6/20/2022 11:57am
McG194 wrote:
Yes Dungey has kept himself fit but there is a huge difference between civilian fit and professional athlete fit. Not to mention that when guys miss...
Yes Dungey has kept himself fit but there is a huge difference between civilian fit and professional athlete fit. Not to mention that when guys miss a half a season or so they will always say that they were fit but you can't match the fitness of getting gate drops. How many times have we heard "I've still been working out and staying fit but now I have to get into race shape."?
That is not Dungey you are talking about. He is the second all-time winning rider in the Nationals only behind RC4.

If RC4 had come back when he was 32 years old he would have won the title.
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sam hain
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sam hain 6/20/2022 12:01pm
6/20/2022 12:01pm Edited Date/Time 6/20/2022 12:10pm
sam hain wrote:
I doubt he has any interest in returning to SX, if this summer goes well I could see them offering him something for MX '23.
kpiper wrote:
Why? He wanted to come back for SX a few years ago, not outdoors.
Pretty sure he said in a pulp mx interview a couple weeks ago when asked if he'd return to SX and he said no.
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Dan541 6/20/2022 12:06pm
6/20/2022 12:06pm
loftyair wrote:
How did dung lose a 4-second lead over rockzen on last lap? I missed it?
I think lappers came into play. He mentioned in a post race interview he got heated and owed a few privateers some apologies.
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