Dungey brings home third Monster Energy Supercross win of 2015 in Atlanta – Musquin becomes first two-time winner in Eastern Regional 250SX Class competition…
Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey became the first three-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, race winner of the season tonight at the Georgia Dome before 53,537 fans. Red Bull/KTM’s Marvin Musquin led wire-to-wire en route to his second Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship win of the season. This is the second time this season that KTM swept both Main Events.
NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, who is a six-time champion and winner of 70 Cup races, served the Grand Marshall at tonight’s race.
Autotrader.com/Toyota/Yamaha’s Weston Peick won his first SupercrossLive.com Holeshot Award of the season when the gates dropped on the 450SX Class Main Event. Discount Tire/TwoTwo Motorsports’ Chad Reed, who won last week’s race, followed Peick in second place with Dungey in third.
Reed made a pass on Peick during the opening lap, but Peick answered back and took over the lead. Reed crashed on Lap 2 and remounted in 13th place. Team Honda HRC’s Trey Canard took over the number-three spot on Lap 5, and on the same lap, Dungey passed Peick for the lead.
On Lap 6, Canard moved into second place, and on the next lap, GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac moved into third place. Tomac passed the fellow Honda ride on lap 16, turning in his best finish since the third race in Anaheim. Canard finished third, his fourth consecutive podium finish. Reed went on to finish in seventh place.
In six of seven career starts in Atlanta, Dungey has six podium finishes and three wins. He now has 17 career wins and holds a 30-point lead in season standings.
“I was there on the start,” said Tomac. “Just to be here on the podium is huge for me. Second place is great, and I will go after the number-one position.”
Dungey’s second place at the first race in Atlanta and his win tonight earned him the inaugural “Duel in The Dome” trophy.
“With Marvin’s win [Musquin], it was perfect execution,” said Dungey. “The Honda boys were breathing on me, but I was able to put some distance between us as the race went on. Winning the Duel in the Dome is icing on top of a great race.”
Musquin captured the Supercrosslive.com Holeshot Award in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class Main Event with Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy on his rear wheel. As Savatgy ran into traffic, his teammate Arnaud Tonus took over the number-two position.
Harley-Davidson/Trail Jesters/SOB MX’s Jimmy Decotis quickly moved into third place on the opening lap. On Lap 3, last week’s winner, Jeremy Martin, advanced to second place, passing Tonus. Defending Eastern Regional 250SX Class Champion Justin Bogle put his GEICO Honda in third place on Lap 4.
Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Martin finished second, while Bogle finished third for the second consecutive weekend.
Musquin gave KTM their first-ever win in Atlanta and the sixth win of his career. Musquin now leads the championship by seven points.
“I made some passes in the early part of the race to get up front,” said Martin. “I tried to run Marvin [Musquin] down but he was the better man tonight.”
“Once again, the start was key to getting up front,” said Musquin. “I proved in my Heat Race that if you don’t get a good start, you can’t win. I was bummed with my second-place finish last weekend, so I am really happy to get this win tonight.”
Racing continues next Saturday at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
