Solid start for KTM in Anaheim
By Team TMX on 10th Jan 16
Red Bull KTM factory rider Ryan Dungey opened his account for another title bid on Saturday night at Anaheim1 at the Angel Stadium when the 2016 AMA Supercross season got underway with an impressive second place in the 450 class opener.
Ryan Dungey, the reigning champion had a rough start to his day after failing to transfer from his heat race into the main event. He was sixth out of the gate and quickly moved into fifth on lap two before crashing just before the finish line jump. He then rebounded from eleventh place, tried to make up positions before the end of the heat but failed to make the top four. He then had to contest the semifinal.
Dungey's teammates, Dean Wilson and Marvin Musquin also struggled in their heat race. Wilson in the third lap while battling for the top spot and dropped to tenth and Musquin also fell short of the top four finishers and had to contest the semifinal. The French rider then took second in the first semifinal and easily qualified into the main event. Dungey and Wilson were in the second semi race. Dungey nailed the holeshot and stretched out to an early lead while Wilson was in second place and they finished the race in those positions to easily transfer to the main.
Dungey was in a solid fourth at the start of the main, Wilson was eleventh and Musquin, contesting his first 450-class event, was back at 20th. Dungey began to close on James Stewart in third place as early as the second lap but on the third lap the two riders collided in a corner. Stewart crashed and the race was red flagged and restarted.
Dungey again had a top five start while Wilson was eleventh and Musquin outside the top twenty. Dungey began to pressure the top riders on the opening laps before washing out in a corner and dropping back to eighth. Wilson would battle around the top ten for most of the race and went on to finish ninth overall to finish in a group of KTM riders including Davi Millsaps in eighth, Justin Brayton in tenth and Broc Tickle in eleventh.
Musquin advanced from a near last place start to 14th overall. Meanwhile Dungey had moved up from eighth into the top five by the halfway point and now had his sights on the podium spots. He passed into third with a couple laps remaining and then closed in on Cole Seely in second, managing to move up to second in the final lap.
"I'm really happy to earn a second place result here at Anaheim,” stated Dungey. "I had a small tip over that cost me tonight but to charge back into a podium spot is a good way to end the first round. I was able to earn some valuable points in the championship and I am very satisfied with this result.”
The 250 class opener (West Coast) also saw a second place finish for Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider Jessy Nelson, now the official KTM factory team, to kick off his campaign impressively. Teammate Mitchel Oldenburg also took a top 10 finish.
