The American rider reflects on his 2014 AMA Supercross season.
Most riders would be overjoyed after taking the runner-up spot in AMA Supercross. But then again, most riders aren’t Ryan Dungey, who holds multiple championships in both AMA Supercross and Motocross. Just minutes after the close of the 2014 supercross season in Las Vegas, Dungey stepped off the podium with an intense, steely glare on his face and a still-uncorked bottle of Champagne hanging from his hand. His facial expression told the story of a man who was in no mood to chat, but being the professional that he is, Dungey graciously took time to talk to RedBull.com…
Well Ryan, that’s another year in the books.
We did a good job this year. We tried a few things throughout the year, the Red Bull KTM guys did an amazing job, and there were a few things that we could have done better looking back. And now that we’re done with the season, we can look at those areas where we should have been better and apply it to next year. It’s tough every single week in racing, but I enjoy it and I’m learning. Hopefully next year we can move up one more spot in the championship. That’s my goal. I know there’s a lot between now and then, but I’m willing to do it all.
You said before the race that it kills you to not be winning.
It really does. Since winning that championship in 2010 it has been very hard. We’ve had some runs where we’ve been dominant in supercross and motocross, but supercross hasn’t come easy and I feel like I’m trying to find myself out there, and what makes me tick. I feel like I learn something every week, and it’s forcing me to think about things more. This is fun, but winning is a job well done. It’s really satisfying, it fills you up. That’s what we work hard for. We don’t put in all the work for second or third place. Those are respectable positions, but winning, that’s why we’re here. We enjoy it of course, but we want to win.
What are three things you want to work on for next year in supercross?
Consistency, wins and, you know those races where you look back and know you needed to rise to the occasion? I want that. I want to rise to the occasion and take charge.
How about any new equipment?
We have the 2016 bike coming for next year, we got to test and I think we’ve got some good stuff there. We’ve been on this bike for three years and it has been a work in progress, but I think we’ve done a good job. But this next bike I think is going to elevate the Red Bull KTM team that much more. It will be a 2016 bike next year that we’ll be running in 2015. They’re going to make a replica bike and build enough of them so that we’ll be able to race it, kind of like the first year with the current bike. KTM is doing awesome, and the fans who love the sport have helped make the sales great. And KTM has put it all back into the company. They want to win and be better; they don’t go spend it and have fun, they’re really serious about winning. As a rider, that’s all you could ever ask for; new equipment and always taking that next step forward.