Kit Palmer | January 8, 2016
Rain or moonshine tomorrow night, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey says he can’t be any more ready than he is now for tomorrow’s opening round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series at the open-roof Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. According to current forecasts, some rain could roll in about the time the starting gate drops tomorrow night, but he told Cycle News that he really isn’t worried if the race is a wet one.
Ryan Dungey is one of those riders who could benefit in adverse racing conditions. Photography Kit Palmer
“We’re all in the same position as riders and teams, and what the track is going to be is what it’s going to be,” he said. “The most important thing is that we’ve done everything we can up to this point. We’ve prepared in the dry conditions and we have ridden in the wet to prepare ourselves for a mud race if that’s what happens. Actually, that can happen at any moment in the season, so you have to be ready for that. Whatever happens we’ll make the most of it.
“It [wet weather] could throw a bit of a curve ball but at the same time our plans won’t change,” he added. “Either way, we have to go out there and get the job done and do the best you can. Sometimes that is to survive; mud really isn’t that bad, it’s just more slippery. We’re hoping it’s going to be a dry day, but whatever it is, we’ll make the most of it.”
At Anaheim 1 last year, Dungey finished fourth. It was the only time all year that he didn’t finish on the box, so he knows that a less-than-ideal start to the series doesn’t mean a complete disaster. He certainly proved that in 2015, but a good start, he says, certainly doesn’t hurt.
Dungey shows of his 2015 Supercross championship ring that was presented to him at Thursday’s Anaheim 1 Pre-race press conference. Photography Kit Palmer
“You always want to perform but you have to be careful about your expectations, that’s where you can really get yourself into a bind,” he said. “I think the best thing you can do is just get out to the best start that you can and do the best you can lap by lap, corner by corner. If you do your job right, you just might find yourself with a win.
“You have to break it all down, yeah, you definitely can’t win it [the championship) at the first race but you can’t really lose it [barring an injury] either, but you don’t want to start off with a 25-point deficit, then you really have your work cut out for you. It’s the first race and everybody likes to go wild, so you almost have to watch out for everyone going crazy, you don’t want to do something stupid, but a lot of guys get ahead of their selves, so it’s important not to do that.”
