Ryan Dungey dominated the second moto at Budds Creek. Photography by Steve Cox.
Ryan Dungey captured his second overall win of the 2013 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship after sealing the deal with a start-to-finish victory in the second 450 moto. His second-moto win, combined with a second-place finish in the first moto, edged out series points leader Ryan Villopoto for the overall win. Unfortunately for Dungey, he was unable to gain any points on Villopoto with the two Ryan’s trading 1-2 moto finishes. Villopoto still leads Dungey by 16 point.
But it was a big confidence-building win for Dungey who flat-out beat Villopoto on a track that has been very good to RV over his career.
Villopoto got off to a bad start in the second moto and by the time he got into second, he trailed Dungey by almost 10 seconds, but that would be as close as he would get to the KTM rider.
Dungey, on the Red Bull KTM, just got stronger and stronger as the race progressed, and he stretched out his lead to 17 seconds by the time it was all over.
After the race, Dungey said that getting a good start and making the pass on holeshotter Mike Alessi right away were the keys to his second-moto success.
Muscle Milk Honda’s Trey Canard used consistency to get on the podium. He was never really a factor when it came to moto wins, but he took advantage of two strong starts by going 6-4 on the day for third overall.
Malcolm Stewart, on the Lucas Oil/Troy Lee Designs Honda, was one of the beneficiaries of a fall by his big brother, James, in the second moto. After finishing ninth in the first moto, Malcolm, inherited third when James went down and he stayed there the rest of the way, his 9-3 giving him fourth overall for the day.
Muscle Milk Honda’s Justin Barcia couldn’t advance from his first-moto fourth in the second moto. A bad start in the second outing had him fighting for positions the whole race and couldn’t do any better than eighth, but his 4-8 gave him fifth overall.
JGR Yamaha’s Justin Brayton had a good day, going 7-7 for sixth overall, and RCH Suzuki’s Broc Tickle also had a promising ride, his 10-5 giving him seventh overall.
Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer, N-Fab’s Phil Nicoletti and BTO/KTM’s Andrew Short rounded out the top 10 overall.
After a day filled with falls, James Stewart ended up 12th overall with an 11-13 showing.
Chad Reed was unable to take advantage of the two-week break in the series. The Honda rider, who has been dealing with an illness since the series started, finished 14th overall with a 13-12. He got off to a good start in the second moto but couldn’t maintain the lead pace.
Fast starter in both motos, Mike Alessi, crashed out of the second moto but was credited with 10th overall after his impressive third-place finish in the first moto.
Tyla Rattray did not start the second moto after crashing out of the first moto.
RESULTS
450 O/A:
1. Ryan Dungey (KTM) 2-1
2. Ryan Villopoto (Kaw) 1-2
3. Trey Canard (Hon) 6-4
4. Malcolm Stewart (Hon) 9-3
5. Justin Barcia (Hon) 4-8
6. Justin Brayton (Yam) 7-7
7. Broc Tickle (Suz) 10-5
8. Jake Weimer (Kaw) 8-10
9. Phil Nicoletti (Yam) 15-6
10. Andrew Short (KTM) 12-9
