Ryan Dungey (born December 4, 1989) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2006 to 2017 and again in 2022. Dungey is notable for being a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross and four-time (1-250, 3-450) AMA Motocross national champion.
Achievements
Statistics
Dungey has won every major title in American motocross and supercross. He won the world's largest international motocross race, the Motocross des Nations three times. He has seven major AMA championships. Dungey is tied for sixth place in all-time 450 Supercross race wins (33) and sixth place in all-time Supercross combined wins (44). He holds the record for consecutive podium finishes in Supercross at 31. In all-time 450 motocross overall wins, Dungey is second with 39 to Ricky Carmichael and ahead of Bob Hannah. He is third place in all-time combined (250/450) motocross overall wins (46). Finally, he fourth place in all-time combined Supercross and Motocross wins with 80 total race wins.
Early life
Ryan Dungey was born in 1989 to Troy and Michelle Dungey in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. He has one older brother, Jade and one younger brother, Blake. Dungey's brothers and father were amateur racers as well. Dungey, who attended Guardian Angels Catholic School in Chaska, Minnesota, routinely expresses his Christian faith in interviews.
In 2006, at the age of 16, Dungey auditioned for and was signed to a pro contract.
AMA Supercross & Motocross career
Amateur
As an amateur Dungey did not shine in the mini classes. Once on the full size bikes he started to improve to the point of winning races. Dungey capped his amateur career by winning the 2005 Loretta Lynn's Amateur Championship and was expected to repeat the following year.
2006
Ryan Dungey began the year in the amateur 250cc ranks. Despite being a "B" rider and generating mostly 10th-place finishes he attracted the attention of Suzuki team manager Roger De Coster. Dungey entered his first professional race at his home track of Spring Creek in Millville, Minnesota. Dungey, number 142 on his plate, finished an impressive 8th in Moto 1 and 8th in Moto 2 for a 7th in the overall at one of the muddiest outdoor nationals on record. Dungey would show that this result was no fluke finishing with 13-13 results for 15th in the overall the next week in Broome-Tioga, NY. Dungey did struggle the last 4 rounds, only finishing above 20th place 2 times in the final 4 motos. He finished with 50 Points total and 28th in the overall 250 MX standings.
2007
His first full year in the professional ranks started in the 250 East Supercross. No one expected much from the No. 62 factory Suzuki rider, and it wouldn't be the first time he would be underestimated. Right out of the gate, Dungey schooled the field and won his first-ever professional Supercross race. He would struggle the rest of the Supercross season, either winning or going down trying. He bounced back at Round 5 with his second career win. He finished third in round 6 and won the final round of the Supercross East series for fifth overall. At the season finale Dave Coombs East–West Shootout in Las Vegas Ryan won by 4.7 seconds over second-place Jake Weimer. Ryan was named 2007 Supercross rookie of the year.
In his first full season of AMA Motocross, Dungey would place 3–3 in Round 1 for his first professional career podium. Showing his consistency, Ryan would place a 4–4 in round 2, 3–3 in round 3 and 5–4 in round 4 and wind up on the podium a total of 4 times. Despite leaving the series due to an injury, he finished fifth for the season.
2008
Dungey was expected to win the 2008 Supercross West title in his second pro season. Throughout the early half he built a sizeable points lead, but by mid-season his advantage had dwindled and dropped to a two-point deficit behind his rival, Jason Lawrence who took the championship.
2009
In his final year in the 250 class he dominated the 250 West Supercross while battling Kawasaki’s Christophe Pourcel for the AMA Motocross Championship. The US was not expected to be competitive in the 2009 Motocross des Nations due to A-list riders James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto being out with injuries. Dungey, having never raced a 450cc bike was nominated as team captain and entered the premier MX1 (450) class. In a contest that came down to a battle between the US, powerful French and host Italian teams, Dungey took 1st in the final moto and secured the USA’s 20th MXoN victory.