Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Supercross team, fresh off a spectacular second-place performance by Ryan Dungey at Anaheim 1, is busy preparing for the upcoming Phoenix round of race action that takes place on January 16th at Chase Field.
And Team Manager Roger DeCoster feels particularly positive about Dungey’s chances after his Anaheim performance. “I think Ryan has the potential to be on the podium on a weekly basis,” DeCoster said. “If the right circumstances are there, and if he rides like he did at Anaheim 1, he’ll be solid.” Dungey led for 17 laps of the Anaheim 1 race, and made a charge at the end of the race to almost overtake first place. “We will meet to discuss how the riders felt about the bikes’ performance during the A1 race and see if there’s anything we can do to make improvements. Then we’ll practice and get ready for Phoenix.”
Both Dungey and team mate Austin Stroupe pulled massive holeshots aboard their fuel-injected RM-Z450 Suzukis at the season opener in Anaheim. On his first go-round on a 450, Stroupe grabbed the holeshot in his qualifier and finished a strong fourth to make it to the Main Event. Dungey got the holeshot in the Main and kept the lead for most of the race, putting himself well ahead of his competitors. Heading into Phoenix, the team is busy practicing and testing to make the already-great RM-Z450 even better.
As the riders prepare for the second race of the season, Dungey is analytical in his approach. “I feel like I have room for improvement going into Phoenix,” Dungey said. “We’re going to put in a solid week of practice and testing, and I think with a little fine-tuning, we’re going to be good. I want to take it one race at a time and be consistent, be smart, and have fun.” Dungey is second in overall points for the season so far, and he wants to continue to collect points.
Stroupe is also excited about round two: “I’m looking forward to Phoenix, now that I have those first-race nerves out of my system,” Stroupe said. “I never thought I’d be on the 450 this year, but it feels good. I’m definitely ready to do some work this week and get out there and race.” Stroupe is slated to contest the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites class on the RM-Z250 but is racing the first few West Coast 450-class events in place of team mate Matt Moss, who will return to the series in a few weeks.
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