Catching Up With Ryan Dungey

swapmoto

• July 25 2009
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Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey is fresh off a 1-1 sweep at Millville, and the 20-year-old is hoping to carry that momentum into today’s Washougal National. We chatted RD up just before the start of the first moto of the day.\r\n\r\n\r\nSo fresh off a dominating win last weekend at your home state track, what do you think you can do this weekend here at Washougal?\r\n\r\nYeah, Millville was great with a 1-1. I’m just trying to carry the momentum, and this place is special to me after winning here for the first time last year. I always look forward to coming here, and the track is tough and takes some getting used to, but it’s worth it.\r\n\r\nIs it tough to go in and out of the shade and hit all the tricky obstacles that lay in the dark?\r\n\r\nYeah, definitely. They have lots of sections that take some patience, and the shade hides things like holes and ruts when the sun is at a certain angle. So you have to be careful something you may not even see.\r\nGetting back to last weekend, how sweet was it to win in Minnesota?\r\n\r\nIt was great, and for the second year in a row I was able to bring them a win. I really enjoy seeing everyone I grew up with, and that’s the only time they see us racing. I’m just glad that all the people that made it out were there and we got to give them a win. The team was solid all week and we had things clicking all week to make sure things went right. I’m just really pumped on how things went.\r\n\r\nWith that win, you slimmed down Christophe’s lead more, and there’s only three points between you. You feel good for the last rounds?\r\n\r\nYeah, hopes are high and we are doing everything to get back into the lead. We are picking away and taking it one race at a time, and things are playing out like we need. We know what we have to do on the track and we are setting ourselves up for the best outcomes.\r\n\r\nOn the podium last week, did “super pumped” slip out? It’s basically a catchphrase now.\r\n\r\nI’m pretty sure I said it. (Laughs) I mean, I was thinking it the whole time, and it probably came out somewhere (Laughs).\r\n\r\nWe did an interview with Scott Champion today, and he said “super pumped” more than a handful of times. It’s getting thrown around by a lot of guys now.\r\n\r\nI mean, if someone is using it, we all know where it came from (laughs). I heard it a couple times this week myself, so people are using up my words. Actually, I got it from Ricky, so all credit goes to him. I just got it in my head, I have no idea why.