Another KTM Milestone: Double Victory in Rd. 5 of US SX
OutdoorHub 02.03.13
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ryan Dungey won his first 450SX Supercross race of the season in front of a packed Anaheim crowd at Angel Stadium. Dungey’s win marked the second KTM win of the night after his teammate, Ken Roczen, took the victory in the 250SX class for the second weekend in a row.
Dungey’s day started well with him turning fast lap times in the afternoon qualifiers but then a mechanical issue at the start of his heat caused him to not finish the race and he had to contest the Last Change Qualifier. Then in the LCQ, Dungey got caught in a first turn pile up and had to work his way into qualifying position. He passed into the final qualifying spot on the last lap to transfer into the main event.
But the American’s luck changed when the gate dropped for the main event. Dungey leaped out to second behind Mike Alessi. He slipped into the lead on the second lap of the race and he never looked back. Dungey pulled away out front while the others battled behind him to take his first win of the 2013 Supercross season.
Roczen extends lead in 250 SX Championship
Meanwhile Roczen picked up his second consecutive 250SX win of the season at a packed Angel Stadium and stretched his points in the championship standings to carry forward the red plate into the next round.
Roczen rode strong all day long, turning fast lap times and eventually qualifying into the main event with a second place finish in his heat to give him a good gate pick for the main event.
The German rider got off to a good start in the main and rounded the first corner in second place. He moved into the lead before the end of the first lap and began to focus on pulling away from the pack. Roczen held on to lead all 15 laps of the main event to capture his second straight victory of the season. Now five rounds into the series, he holds a 20-point lead in the championship standings.
“It is so great to get up here and have my hard work finally pay off,” commented Roczen. “My team and I have been working really hard this year to put our KTM’s up front and in the championship hunt and I feel like we are in a good position. I can’t wait for the next race.”
Dungey and Roczen’s win marks KTM’s first-ever sweep of both Supercross classes. “Tonight has been a great night,” remarked Red Bull KTM Team Manager Roger DeCoster. “We are so proud of both our rider’s and the entire work our team has put in to get to this point. Now we just need to work harder to stay here.” KTM and DeCoster have just recently announced an extension to the US team manager’s contract through 2016.
