Ryan Dungey to Miss Daytona Supercross Round

Ryan Dungey will skip the Daytona round of the 2012 AMA Supercross Championship following surgery to repair a broken collarbone.

The Red Bull KTM factory rider injured the collarbonein a crash during training ahead of last weekend’s St. Louis round. Dungey crashed at his training facility in Florida, landing heavily on his shoulder after sliding out in a turn.

The injury was first diagnosed as a cracked collarbone and Dungey competed in St. Louis, finishing second to Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto. Further analysis discovered the collarbone was in fact broken.

“It is often heard around the pits that Ryan needs to get more aggressive and tougher on the track; I am guilty of this prediction myself,” says Roger DeCoster, Red Bull KTM team manager. “But after what he accomplished last week racing to a close second with a broken collarbone; my doubts about how tough he is are well and truly gone. We knew he was hurting but we did not realize his injury was that extensive. His gutsy performance in St. Louis and determination to keep racing despite his injury is a testament to his dedication to the team.”

Dungey underwent surgery March 6 to have a plate inserted into the collarbone. The procedure means Dungey will be able to continue racing this season but the March 10 Daytona round is a definite no-go for the 2010 AMA Supercross Champion.

The injury comes at a critical point in the 2012 season. After nine rounds, Dungey sits second in the championship race behind Villopoto by 13 points with eight rounds remaining. A win in Daytona by Villopoto would widen that lead to 38 points, not insurmountable but a difficult challenge for a rider even at 100% health.

“This is hard for everyone on the team,” says DeCoster. “Ryan has done an amazing job adapting to a completely new bike this year. Through the process he has won two Supercross races and has finished on the podium at seven of nine races. He was well in the thick of the championship hunt at the midway point in the series.”

[Source: KTM; Photo by HoppenWorld.com]

By Dennis Chung