Al has been for three years Ryan Villopoto the dominant factor in it World Supercross Championships. In 2007, Ryan claimed his first supercross title, the then Kawasaki-riding American became West Coast champion in the 250cc class that year. Due to the switch to the 450cc class, it took a while before he could clinch an indoor title again. But he became world champion in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and for the time being he is the only one to take home the 'Monster Million'. In this short series in preparation for the Supercross World Championship, we will take a look at who can get in the way of the only 25-year-old Villopoto this season.
The first opponent we take a closer look at is Red Bull KTM rider and namesake, Ryan Dungey. Dungey is the person who made the last move to beat Villopoto. Even though Dungey only competed in his first year on a 450cc. That year Dungey was more than dominant, in addition to the supercross title he also clinched the outdoor title and the motocross of nations title. It doesn't get any better than that.
Red Bull KTM… that's another story. While Dungey has tons of experience in America, the KTM is not even ready for kindergarten. But just like in Europe, in America they are very busy with their profession. It seems like KTM can do just that little bit more than everything else. The backlog they had in supercross, especially over the whoops, has been completely eliminated. In any case, by bringing in Roger De Coster they fill the gap of inexperience. In short, with the structure and resources the team has now, and Dungey working on his 3e years of KTM, this seems to be a formidable customer for eternal Kawasaki pilot Villopoto.
What will Dungey need this year? The answer to that is very simple, REGULARITY!!! The 24-year-old American can go fast, very fast. Just like a robot, he will do the same thing for 20 laps and bore or amaze everyone with his flawless driving style. This won't put him in the record books, but as an opponent you can be sure that every mistake you make will be fully punished. This became clear in 2010 when Villopoto injured himself, partly under pressure from a faultless Dungey. Is 2014 the year of the orange knight again?
In any case, we are looking forward to the new supercross season. Where Villopoto will not only have to compete against Dungey, but also against names like James Stewart, Chad Reed, Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac and many others…
Tekst: VePix.be