Dungey, Webb lock in AMA Supercross championships

After the AMA Supercross race in Houston on Saturday, Ryan Dungey was crowned the 2015 AMA 450SX Champion, while Cooper Webb took home the 250SX West Championship. The following are news releases from the AMA and KTM.

AMA congratulates Ryan Dungey and Cooper Webb on AMA Supercross No. 1 plates

The American Motorcyclist Association congratulates the two riders who locked up AMA Supercross championships in Houston on Saturday, April 11: Ryan Dungey, who won the 2015 AMA 450SX Championship, and Cooper Webb, who secured the 250SX West title.

Dungey, who races for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, finished second in Houston, earning enough points to ensure he’ll end the season with the championship. Star Racing Yamaha’s Webb finished first in the 250SX West class to claim his title.

“The 2015 season is another great year for AMA Supercross,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Ryan and Cooper were stellar against the world’s best to confidently earn their AMA No. 1 plates. Congratulations on a great performance.”

This is the second AMA Supercross premier-class championship for Dungey, who also won the title in 2010. Dungey, from Tallahassee, Fla., displayed remarkable consistency in 2015 with six wins through the Houston round. He finished off the podium only once, at the season opener in Anaheim.

Webb, from Newport, N.C., had five wins, a second and a seventh through Houston. This was Webb’s first AMA Supercross title. In 2014, Webb finished the season fifth in the 250SX West class and won the 2014 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Rookie of the Year Award.

Three rounds remain in the 2015 AMA Supercross season, with the 250SX East title still undecided.

Ryan Dungey seals KTM’S first-ever 450 Supercross title

Red Bull KTM Factory Team rider Ryan Dungey on Saturday sealed the first ever 450-class Supercross title for the Austrian brand when he put himself in an unbeatable points position with a second place in Round 14 at Houston.

Winning the title marks a milestone for KTM and Dungey succeeded with three rounds still in hand. He has been on the podium for 13 of the 14 rounds so far this season, including six wins. A fourth place in the opening round was his worst result in this hotly contested championship.

All eyes were on Dungey throughout the day as he has consistently proven to be the man to beat in the championship series. He was placed in heat one where he earned a second place start, made an easy pass into the lead on lap two and stayed out in front throughout the race to pick up a top gate pick for the main event.

Then when the gate dropped for the main event, Dungey, a Red Bull athlete got pinched out on the start and came around the first corner outside the top ten. He quickly began making passes to move his Red Bull KTM 450 SX-F through the pack and was up to sixth place at the halfway mark. He then went on the charge and rode aggressively through the pack to move into the podium position and up to second place. Once in second he maintained his pace and cruised across the finish line to be acclaimed the 450 Supercross Championship, the first-ever for the KTM brand.

“The team and I worked so hard to get to this point,” remarked Dungey on the podium. “There are hardly words to explain how good this feels. There were a lot of ups and downs along the way, but my team stood behind me through it all and provided me the best bike. I am so excited for this championship but am looking forward to the next goal. We aren’t done yet.”

KTM CEO, Stefan Pierer, commented, “To win any World Championship is an outstanding success and is of immense importance for KTM. But the US Supercross title is very special and highlights our huge commitment in the worldwide motocross sport. With tenacity we made it to the top in this sport, which releases a vast amount of emotions. I would like to thank all those that have been involved and helped to push forward this extremely important project, and of course, I’d like to thank Ryan who has had a great season in 2015.”

Head of KTM Motorsports, Pit Beirer, stated, “One of my personal dreams came true today. We started our Supercross race department completely from scratch in 2011, and what has been achieved in this very short time is outstanding. The key to everything, and I call it the best trip of my life, was my first meeting with Roger De Coster in the summer of 2010. Together with Roger we have formed the best and strongest team you can imagine. From there our worldwide race network has become stronger and it has been a 24-hour effort each day. With the full commitment of our R&D and Motorsports departments in Austria and the USA, we managed to create the best bike in a short time. However, we cannot perform without the best riders on our bike, which is why we are thankful to Ryan. He trusted us at a very early stage of the project. Ryan has set some major milestones for our company; first 450 SX win, first professional Motocross Championship title and now he has brought our final goal of the 450 Supercross title. I would like to say thank you “team” and thank you Ryan.”