LAKEWOOD — Death was a wake-up call for Ryan Dungey.
Dungey watched his grandmother fight cancer for 14 years before she passed away in March 2005. The light bulb turned on at the age of 15 and over the past five years, Dungey has kept his grandmother’s example in his back pocket.
“It really shocked me and woke me up,” said Dungey, whose grandmother traveled with him during his amateur years. “Life doesn’t last forever, so if you’re going to do something, do it to the fullest.”
Dungey, 20, has been racing dirt bikes since he was 5, and the rookie is getting his full dollar’s worth, winning his fourth consecutive 450 class event in the 2010 Lucas Oil Motocross Championship.
“To win every race from here on out is the goal,” said Dungey, who won at Thunder Valley on Saturday afternoon. “It’s always been the goal. From there, it’s just not to get to far ahead of ourselves and prepare hard during the week. But a big part of these races is enjoying it.”
Dungey couldn’t enjoy a second-place finish in the first moto but was glad to make the necessary adjustments to cruise to a first place in the second moto. He added 47 points to his total of 218.
There is no secret behind his success. All of the work the Belle Plaine, Minn., native puts into his passion is paying off. Dungey began his preparation for his first season in the 450 class in December. Not even his favorite homemade cookies can derail his dreams.
“I make him chocolate chip cookies, which is one of the things he likes,” said his mother, Michele. “He’ll eat a plate and go right downstairs and work out on the elliptical.
“Really, for somebody who is 20, his life is pretty boring.”
Sorry, Mom; he disagrees.
“I love what I do and I want to be the best,” Dungey said. “I really try to put in my time and try to be all that I can be.”
The major time commitment, according to Dungey, comes in the offseason. Although he doesn’t live the typical 20-year-old lifestyle, Dungey loves riding his Suzuki RMZ 450 dirt bike two hours a day, five times a week. Off the dirt track, Dungey loves cross training, which includes running, biking, swimming and weight-lifting. His leisure activities away from the track qualify as boring.
“I like to golf,” Dungey said. “That’s where the boring part comes into play.”
Andrew Short experienced a day of ups and downs in the 450 class. The Colorado Springs native led after the first lap in the first and second motos but finished in eighth and third places, respectively. Short started ahead of Dungey in the second moto, but a wide turn on the third lap allowed Dungey to take an inside lead he never surrendered.
“He’s done really well this year,” said Short, who also acknowledged that he would like to be the one to break Dungey’s streak. “It’s going to take a perfect race. He’s going to be a hard guy to beat.”
Christophe Pourcel, who entered the day leading in points standing by 25, won the 250 class championship after winning the first and second motos for the first time this season. Pourcel was the only rider in his class to win at least one moto in all four events, and Saturday’s two-win performance increased his point standings total to 219.
“I wanted to make it happen,” Pourcel said of placing first place in both races. “I kind of screwed up my first few races. I just wasn’t good on my second moto.”
The competition moves to Buchanan, Mich., next Saturday for the Red Bud, where Dungey hopes to win his fifth consecutive event.
“Red Bud is an all-around track,” Dungey said. “The dirt’s awesome. The fans are great. Really look forward to it. It will be a fun race.”
Shemar Woods: 303-954-1609 or swoods@denverpost.com
