Dungey out for 6-8 weeks. The news hit the motocross community with a thud on Tuesday night. Mr Consistency, the Diesel himself, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey would be forced to miss several rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series as a result of an injury suffered in Colorado last weekend.
The injury, a cracked C6 vertebra will require 6-8 weeks of recovery, effectively ending Dungey’s 2016 outdoor season. At the minimum Dungey would miss Mt Morris (PA), Blountville (TN), Red Bud (MI) and Southwick (MA). Add Millville (MN) and Washougal (WA) if he rests the full 8 weeks.
What does this mean for the title chase? Well for 1 thing, RCH/Soaring Eagle/ Jimmie Johns’s Suzuki rider Ken Roczen effectively has a 29 pointy lead over now 3rd place Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac going into the next round in Pennsylvania. More importantly Dungey was the only rider on the same level as Roczen during the first 6 motos of the season. Can Tomac step up and challenge Roczen and close the gap in the points chase?
Or will it be someone else stepping up and challenging Roczen’s championship hopes. The Honda duo of Trey Canard and Cole Seely are 4th and 5th. Canard is 46 points back and Seely is 54 points back after the first 3 rounds. Can they challenge Roczen consistently enough?
One thing for sure this title is now Roczen’s to lose and the way he’s been riding the first 6 motos of the season, I don’t see that happening.
Either way it’s going to be an interesting summer on the national tour.
Press Release from Motocross Press
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