Press Release

Ryan Dungey Embarks on New Endeavor with Red Bull KTM in Search of Another Championship

2010 Champion Rejoins Mentor Roger DeCoster at Austrian Brand

AURORA, Ill. (December
19, 2011) – In just two seasons of Supercross Class competition, Ryan
Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., is already considered one of the fastest
riders on the planet. In 2010, the five-year pro became just the second
rookie in history to win the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM
World Championship, crown and came a mere 10 points short of defending
his title one year ago. After two strong seasons in the Supercross
Class, Dungey is making the biggest move of his young career for 2012,
joining Red Bull KTM.

Since
turning pro late in 2006, Dungey has ridden for the Factory Suzuki
effort. He was handpicked by legendary rider and team manager Roger
DeCoster to become the new face of the brand following the retirement of
Ricky Carmichael, and became an instant sensation. Following two years
of championship-contending success in the Supercross Lites Class, Dungey
captured his first title in 2009 with the Western Regional Supercross
Lites Championship, and subsequently captured three more championships
over the next year-and-a-half to claim every AMA-sanctioned title by the
age of 20.

Throughout
the span, Dungey achieved his success under the tutelage of DeCoster,
becoming a faster, smarter and more confident rider every step of the
way. Dungey’s maturation into a star was evident, and it culminated with
the most successful rookie season of all time during the 2010 campaign.

After
climbing his way to the top of the motocross world, last year Dungey
was forced to deal with the departure of DeCoster from Suzuki, a brand
that he guided and brought to the pinnacle of the sport. Dungey’s mentor
assumed the team manager role at KTM, who revamped its factory racing
efforts in America in hopes of replicating its European success, and
after seeing what he did for Suzuki, tabbed DeCoster to do so. With
DeCoster no longer in the fold at Suzuki, many wondered how Dungey would
fare. While he did not post the same numbers as his
championship-winning season, Dungey still saw success in 2011, and
ultimately was a fixture in the title fight until the final race of the
year.

While
Dungey’s one lone victory of last season suggests it was an off year
for the reigning champion, he was in fact one of the most consistent
riders in the series, posting 13 podium finishes in 17 races, the most
of any rider in Monster Energy Supercross. In fact, if not for losing a
drive chain in a freak occurrence at Anaheim 2, which resulted in a DNF,
Dungey very well could have secured back-to-back titles.

Nevertheless,
without DeCoster by his side, it appeared as if Dungey was not the same
rider of his illustrious rookie year. With his contract coming to an
end, Dungey revealed he would not return to Suzuki prior to the end of
the 2011 racing season, making him the biggest free agent in many years.
The rumor mill was in full effect almost immediately, with most
indications pointing to a reunion between Dungey and DeCoster at KTM.
Regardless of where he landed, it was sure to be the most newsworthy
move of the offseason.

News
of Dungey negotiating with the likes of Joe Gibbs Racing, American
Honda, and Chad Reed at TwoTwo Motorsports came to light over the course
of the next couple months before the formal announcement that Dungey
was heading to KTM was given at the beginning of October.

“Roger
wasn’t a deciding factor in my move to KTM, but it definitely helped,”
said Dungey. “I’ve worked with him from the beginning of my professional
career and we have four or five years under our belt. I know that if
Roger says the bike and the team are good, then it is. I guess the trust
I have in him, our friendship, and what we’ve been able to build over
the last few years has helped and made the transition in coming to KTM a
little easier. But more than anything, the level of commitment to win
races and win championships was a challenge I looked forward to.”

In
DeCoster’s first season at KTM, the team made significant strides, with
Andrew Short and Mike Alessi giving the brand moderate success. Now,
with a full year of his influence behind them, Red Bull KTM is ready to
challenge for a championship with Dungey. The new era for both Dungey
and the brand kicked off just a couple weeks following the announcement,
with an impressive runner-up showing at the Monster Energy Cup.

“I’m
really glad I raced the Monster Cup,” said Dungey. “I first decided not
to because of the amount of time I had on the bike. I just wanted to be
ready. But, to be honest, things were going really well. The bike was
coming along a lot quicker than we all thought. From that point forward,
we figured let’s go out there and race to see what we got. Although we
didn’t win, we came in second, and I think it was a great night. And,
we were able to walk away from that race knowing what we needed to
improve on. We went back to the drawing board to see what we can do, and
the next week (we) were out there testing, making improvements.”

The
chance to compete prior to the start of the Monster Energy Supercross
season could prove to be invaluable for Dungey and his team in the long
run. With a total of four past champions set to line up on the starting
gate in January, the Supercross Class field is arguably the deepest it’s
ever been in over 30 years of Monster Energy Supercross. Any and every
advantage that a team or a rider can get could ultimately be the
deciding factor in the championship next May.

“I
think for the 2012 supercross season we have our work cut out for us,
for sure,” said Dungey. “There’s a lot of great riders out there and a
lot of talented people, but I think in the long run for us, we (need to)
work hard and do what we have to do. I think we’re driven and will do
all that we can on any given night.”

“In
the amount of time I’ve been on the bike, things are moving well. Right
from the get-go, I felt like the bike was really comfortable. I adapted
to it really well. From that point forward, it was just minor changes.
You can do so many things with a factory bike that it allows you to make
something fit and work the way you want it to. I think it’s just been a
matter of finding those little spots that are going to help. It’s been
great. As we keep moving along, making more and more progress, it’s
really nice because nobody settles. Everyone is always pushing for more,
so for us, we’re digging deeper and deeper to get better and better.”

 

Even
with a new team and being saddled with so much change for the first
time as a pro, Dungey’s goal is to obviously win a championship. That
same goal is at the heart of Red Bull KTM, and with the proven guidance
of DeCoster at the helm, the 2012 season marks the brand’s best chance
to achieve success in the Supercross Class, a division in which it has
never won. No stranger to making history, Dungey eagerly awaits the
opportunity to write some more.

 

“As
a team, I think we have a great atmosphere,” said Dungey. “There are a
lot of hard-working people and everyone is 100% dedicated to win races,
as am I. That’s what (means) more for me. Throughout my career, I’ve
tried to surround myself with good people – people who are driven, who
want to get to that (next level) and are also knowledgeable. I think
we’ve got a great group of people with a lot of knowledge and it doesn’t
hurt that we all want to win, which in the long run brings success and
achievement.”

The
2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, season
gets underway in just a matter of weeks, from Angel Stadium on Anaheim,
Calif., on Saturday, January 7.

For more information on the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, please log on to www.SupercrossOnline.com. For all media requests, please contact Denny Hartwig dhartwig@feldinc.com or 630-566-6305. To follow Monster Energy Supercross on Facebook and Twitter, log on to http://www.facebook.com/supercrosslive and http://twitter.com/supercrosslive.

 

About Feld Motor Sports®

Feld Motor Sports®,
Inc. is the world leader in specialized arena and stadium-based motor
sports entertainment.  Feld Motor Sports, Inc. productions include
Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMA Arenacross Series, Nuclear Cowboyz
, and IHRA® Nitro Jam®
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a division of Feld Entertainment, the
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