Cycle News Staff | March 19, 2023
It’s the the halfway point of the 2023 AMA Supercross Championship, and KTM Junior Supercross Program and the Ryan Dungey Foundation together have raised $54,663 raised to date, with a goal of $75K.
The following is a press release from KTM…
Those valuable funds raised by the aspiring young competitors aged between 7-8 years old lining up in KTM Junior Supercross this year will go directly to Ryan Dungey Foundation partners, helping children to live healthy and active lifestyles, while further supporting the fight against childhood cancer.
Equipped with the innovative KTM SX-E 5 electric mini-racer, KTM Junior Supercross riders from all over the world—up to 150 per year, inclusive of boys and girls—and their families experience a once-in-a-lifetime professional ‘Factory Racing’ environment and the thrill of Supercross. It was first introduced by KTM North America, Inc. in 1997 and has played an integral part in fostering many of the sport’s championship-winning athletes over more than two decades.
This year’s KTM Junior Supercross line-up includes capable young riders from within the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, France, Sweden and Spain. There have been six girls who have participated in the program to date in 2023, including Cheyenne Hinze, who rode to a runner-up podium finish in Indianapolis this past weekend.
Multi-time AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross Champion Dungey was himself a KTM Junior Supercross participant in its inaugural year before later going on to establish a professional career of his own. He and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing enjoyed immense success together in capturing three-straight 450SX crowns between 2015 and 2017, as well as the outdoor 450MX title in both 2012 and 2015.
Beginning at the Anaheim 1 season-opener and also featured in San Diego, Anaheim 2, Houston, Tampa, Arlington, and Indianapolis so far, the next round scheduled to host KTM Junior Supercross will be Glendale, followed by Nashville, Denver, and Salt Lake City, where all 10 qualified winners will have the opportunity to contest the long-standing program’s ‘Championship Round’.
Ryan Dungey: “Our partnership with KTM has been more impactful than I could’ve ever imagined. Working with the KTM Junior Supercross program is a full circle moment for me, from being a KTM Junior myself to riding with KTM as a factory racer, to now being able to influence the next generation of kids. I am proud of these kids. At a young age, they are using their platform for the greater good and investing in the future generation of our sport. This year, being at many of the races with these kids, I can see first-hand how proud each of them is with setting and beating their own fundraising goals – their passion for the sport and making a difference is inspiring. This season again, they have exceeded their goal with four stops remaining. With their fundraising, they have donated over $35,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and funded six learn-to-ride programs at different elementary schools across the nation through All Kids Bike.”
Lauren Kennedy – Ryan Dungey Foundation Executive Director: “Supercross has been a leader in supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and this partnership is a way for these young racers to join in on that impact by raising money for the hospital like their heroes they share the track with on race day. Additionally, the valuable funds they are raising support All Kids Bike, a non-profit on a mission to teach every child in kindergarten classrooms across the United States how to ride a bike. This is a way these rad kids are sharing the joy of riding with the next generation and in some cities, they get to help build and deliver the bikes to a local elementary school.”
Registration deadlines are now closed for the 2023 KTM Junior Supercross, presented by Wells Fargo. Additional information on the program is available at www.ktmjrsx.com, while details on the Ryan Dungey Foundation can be found at www.ryandungeyfoundation.org.
