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Ryan Dungey announces surprising retirement from supercross

By Carly Regehr

ATLANTA, GA - FEBURARY 25: Red Bull KTM 450cc rider Ryan Dungey(1) in a turn at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross race on February 25, 2017 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Charles Mitchell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBURARY 25: Red Bull KTM 450cc rider Ryan Dungey(1) in a turn at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross race on February 25, 2017 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Charles Mitchell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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In a twist to the world of supercross, Ryan Dungey said he’s leaving the sport.

Ryan Dungey formally announced his retirement from supercross after an 11-year career on Tuesday. During that press conference, Dungey highlighted the fact that his mental endurance has hit an all-time low. In fact, the 2017 season wouldn’t be very lenient to Dungey, who had only 13 podium finishes.

That number may seem like nothing to complain about, but it’s unlike Dungey. During the 2016 season, Dungey had only one instance of being left out of the podium — once in 20 races over six months. This go-around consisted of four times in which he found himself on the outside looking in. As Dungey mentioned, the competition that Eli Tomac, a fellow 450 rider, and others presented to Dungey wasn’t a factor, stating the following during the press conference: “Not necessarily because of the battles of the track … but because I had to mentally push myself like never before.”

Now that he’s retired, Dungey leaves the door wide open for other 450 riders for seasons to come. Eli Tomac, for one, could be the sole possessor of the podium as the race at Hangtown approaches. Other 450 contenders, such as Frenchman Marvin Musquin and Ken Roczen, could rise up in the rankings. Rookies in the 450 class, like Adam Cianciarulo and Cooper Webb, who graduated from the 250 class in 2016, are the underdogs in giving 450 veterans Tomac, Musquin and Roczen a run for their money.

In terms of placement, supercross didn’t always come easy to Dungey. He would start out a career against three of the greatest SX riders on the planet in Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham and James Stewart.

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Since his slow rookie campaign, Dungey never looked over his shoulder. Mounted on a Suzuki from 2009 to 2012, Dungey graced the podium. But his best years came after he signed a deal with KTM. Despite owning the No. 1 red plate for three consecutive years, Dungey would fall victim to an injury, which benched him for a fair chunk of the 2016 season.

He would have a hard time climbing back after that nasty fall. And though he pointed out that he was in the best shape of his life, that back injury certainly defeated him.

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