Photos by Scott Hoffman.

It was the defending class champion Ryan Villopoto that made it look easy and ran away with the win at the opening round of the 2012 Monster Energy Supercross Series at Anaheim Stadium in Southern California. Are we going to see a repeat of Villopoto's domination at Phoenix and beyond? 12.2 seconds behind Villopoto was TwoTwo Motorsports rider Chad Reed who tried to minimize the gap but was not able to do so before the checkers. It was Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey that closed out the podium for the SX class after battling for the 3rd place position with Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX rider James Stewart, who crashed during lap 15 and finished the night in 6th place.

In the Lites class, it was Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda rider Cole Seely leading the Lites West race to the checkered flag. Seely didn't wait long, on lap 2 he made the move on Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Tyla Rattray for the lead and took them to the finish line; Rattray in tow finishing in 2nd place. GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac rounded out the podium in 3rd place.

Supercross Class Results: Anaheim Race 1
1. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
4. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
5. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID., Kawasaki
6. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda
8. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda
9. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki

Supercross Class Season Standings
1. Ryan Villopoto, Seattle, Wash., Kawasaki - 25
2. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Honda - 22
3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM - 20
4. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., Honda - 18
5. Jake Weimer, Wildomar, ID., Kawasaki - 16
6. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha - 15
7. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda - 14
8. Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda - 13
9. Mike Alessi, Hilliard, Calif., Suzuki - 12
10. Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Kawasaki - 11

Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Results: Anaheim Race 1
1. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
2. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
5. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, KY, Yamaha
6. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, NM, Suzuki
8. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
9. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, SC, Yamaha
10. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda

Western Regional Supercross Lites Class Season Standings
1. Cole Seely, Murrieta, Calif., Honda - 25
2. Tyla Rattray, Wildomar, Calif., Kawasaki - 22
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda - 20
4. Marvin Musquin, Murrieta, Calif., KTM - 18
5. Ryan Sipes, Ekron, KY, Yamaha - 16
6. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Kawasaki - 15
7. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, NM, Suzuki - 14
8. Wil Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda - 13
9. Zach Osborne, Chesterfield, SC, Yamaha - 12
10. Travis Baker, Temecula, Calif., Honda - 11

Story & Photos By Steve Cox

Here's what you should know about Ryan Dungey's move to KTM for the next two years.

As we reported to be "likely" back on August 15 (here), Ryan Dungey has left the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki team and has joined the Red Bull KTM team for 2012 and 2013. PR went out a couple of days ago announcing his move, which surprised no one by the time it was announced.

However, there are a couple of other technicalities that the team and Dungey are working on. The PR stated that Dungey will be competing on board a KTM 450 SX/F, but rumor has it that the 2012 incarnation of the machine has not been very well-received, and that Andrew Short's injury to both his arms (which happened during the AMA Nationals) was a result of trouble with the 2012 bike's EFI as he was testing supercross. This is impossible to confirm, but we did get confirmation today that Short will not be staying with KTM and will be going back to Honda - albeit on the new team that Larry Brooks and Jeremy McGrath have teamed up to start for 2012.

This was a surprise to a lot of people, but Short told us at Unadilla that he was looking for a place to race in 2012. KTM was rumored to want to keep him, but he apparently had other plans.

So, from what we've heard, the 2012 model year for the new KTM 450 SX/F may be short-lived, and even by Anaheim 1, the homologation standards for KTM may be met so that the company can race its 2013 450 SX/F with Ryan Dungey at the controls - and maybe one more rider, yet to be named.

One thing's for sure, the salary for Dungey - rumored to be above $5 million for two years - is enough in and of itself to demand that everything be as perfect as possible for he and KTM by the time Anaheim 1 rolls around in early January. The one thing KTM doesn't need or want is to hire a proven winner like Dungey and have him fail on their bikes - or worse yet, have their bikes fail him.

There are two reasons Dungey went to KTM specifically, instead of to Honda or any other brand: First, to reunite with the man who brought him into the pros, Roger Decoster, who is now the team manager for the Red Bull KTM team; and second, because KTM had the most money to offer Dungey. Dungey is relying on the man he trusts - Decoster - to make sure that the team and equipment is up to the standards that will be required for Dungey to make a run at both titles in 2012 and 2013.

Truthfully, there is no other racer more prepared to do it right now who didn't already have a team in 2012, so it's up to the team to prove its mettle now.

Ryan Dungey (right) works things out with Roger Decoster (left) before the race at the MXoN. They've always worked well together.

The Battle of the Ryans
Ryan Villopoto (left) and Ryan Dungey (right), as represented by these fans, were also battling on the track all day. (Photo: CoxMX.com)
Ryan Villopoto went 1-2 on the day for second overall. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Ryan Dungey went 2-1 for first overall. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Chad Reed, here in practice, went 3-3 for third overall but still holds the points lead going into RedBud next weekend. (Photo: CoxMX.com)The first 450 moto gets going (Photo: Sheryl Crawford/CoxMX.com)Tommy Hahn (12) was down in the first turn in the first 450 moto, but came from way, way back for 11th place in the moto. (Photo: Sheryl Crawford/CoxMX.com)
Hahn returned in moto two for his best moto finish of the season with fifth place and grabbed sixth overall. Here, in practice, he throws a whip for bonus points in front of his Motoconcepts Yamaha hauler. (Photo: CoxMX.com)After a stint filling in at the JGR/Toyota/Muscle Milk Yamaha team, Les Smith signed on with the Rockstar Energy Suzuki team. Going from a 450 to a 250F at altitude must've been quite an adjustment. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Jimmy Albertson returned to action at Lakewood and went 12-12 for 12th overall. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Christian Craig (144) led the first 450 moto for a while before falling back to sixth. He went down on the start in moto two with Jake Weimer and still caught back up to 15th. He finished eighth overall and is currently 10th in the points standings. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Josh Grant (right), in his second race back for Honda, ended up injuring his formerly healthy knee at Lakewood. An MRI is upcoming, but it's possible he may be out injured again. (Photo: CoxMX.com)The second 450 start saw Chad Reed (22) grab the holeshot. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Craig (144) and Jake Weimer (32) were down in turn one but came back to 15th (Craig) and 16th (Weimer) in the moto. (Photo: CoxMX.com)It was a very tough day for Weimer. Here, in the first moto, he gets up from his second fall in the opening two laps, where he lost his balance in a very long, very deep rut. The crash took about 50 yards from first bobble to fall. He likes RedBud, though... (Photo: CoxMX.com)A lot of the teams are running tanks that run over stock capacity. Here, Chad Reed's bike sports a carbon-fiber tank with an increased capacity. Ryan Dungey's bike also has about a liter more fuel capacity than it did when the outdoor season started. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Erin Bates jokes with Lars in the TwoTwo Motorsports pits. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Hello. Is your phone number "30"? (Photo: CoxMX.com)Kevin Windham was supposed to be in his final race for Honda at Colorado, but if Josh Grant is hurt too bad to race RedBud, we could see Windham keep going. He went 4-4 for fourth overall. He's very competitive at 33. (Photo: CoxMX.com)A Muscle Milk-sponsored racer won the Muscle Milk Recovery Award, as Davi Millsaps was down a lap early in the first 450 moto and finished 24th, but was sixth in moto two. (Photo: CoxMX.com)The 450 podium. It's a common trio. (Photo: CoxMX.com)In the 250 class, most of the battles out front were between these two: Blake Baggett (57) and Dean Wilson (15). (Photo: CoxMX.com)Baggett went 1-1 on the day for yet another win. He has won three nationals of the five run so far. He's dangerous. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Tyla Rattray lost the points lead to Dean Wilson in Colorado after going 5-5 to Wilson's 2-2. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Eli Tomac laying it flat in the second 250 moto. Tomac went 3-3 for third overall. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Baggett celebrates his second-moto win. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Baggett's second-moto victory was helped significantly by grabbing the holeshot. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Kyle Cunningham was up front in the first 250 moto before his bike suffered a mechanical. And because he finished 40th due to the failure, he got the last gate pick for moto two. Still, he pulled off an eighth place in the second moto. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Lance Vincent, a fill-in rider for the GEICO Honda team, was having the moto of his life in the second 250 moto, running second and falling back to fourth five laps in when his bike reportedly gave up the ghost, which is very rare for that team. (Photo: CoxMX.com)The 250 podium. (Photo: CoxMX.com)The podium was slanted at Lakewood. The girls are standing upright - or at least attempting to. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Darryn Durham was impressive at Lakewood on his way to 4-6 moto finishes for fourth overall. He's a hot commodity in silly season now, with rumors putting him at Rockstar Energy Suzuki, although other rumors have him going to the GEICO Honda team as well. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Blake Baggett celebrates his 1-1 performance at altitude. (Photo: CoxMX.com)Eli Tomac and Dean Wilson do battle on the podium. (Photo: CoxMX.com)She's going to have funny tan lines. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey had an amazing year in 2010, resulting in a 2011 racing season that sees him running the number-one plate for the entire year. Now entering his second title defense of the season, he started out with a bang, winning the opening moto, and then leading moto two, only to give way to Chad Reed and finish second in the moto, and overall. Still, he's tied for the points lead heading into Texas, where he was absolutely dominant last year in the heat. Here's what he had to say after the race at Hangtown.

Motocross.com: Having experienced the pressure of defending a title once already, what was it like coming into your second title defense of the year?
Ryan Dungey: Well, I think in a way it is different. You are carrying the number-one plate but at the same time there's a job at hand to do and that's to go out there to win races; and overall, the big goal is the championship. But I think it's important that we execute our game plan, just like we did last year. What's done is done and what we have accomplished I'm very thankful for, but at the same time I feel like it's important to progress, move forward, and win races. You know, you're only as good as your last race and a lot of people tell you that. It's a new season, a new year, and I'm excited. The competition is tough. It's going to be a challenging year but I'm looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity. But I think overall I'm just trying to really focus on our deal and see where we can keep making improvements, because that's key.

I think people perceive you as a supercross specialist because of how many races you won in the Lites class while getting beaten outdoors for the first couple years...
I'd like to think I'd be both [supercross and outdoor specialist]...

Right, of course.
I definitely grew up riding Outdoors; everybody did. And you don't ride Supercross until you're pro...

Right. That's what's always funny about that. But my point is that your critics wanted to write you off before the season started in SX, and now they're doing the same outdoors, but you went out and won the opening moto anyway. Do your critics motivate you?
I think at the end of the day I'm not really worried about the critics. People are always going to have an opinion. People are always going to say stuff. And I'm not going to lower myself to that level to think that. I mean, I go out there every race and the goal is to win the race, whether everyone is there or not. You've got to be there all year long, and being healthy is definitely key. You've got to be smart. So, I'm really thankful for that.

Yeah, health is key, and it seems some people forget that the racer has an amount of control over whether or not he stays healthy...
Absolutely. Some years are going to be tougher than others. Some championships are going to be harder than others. It's just the way racing is; sometimes there's one guy, sometimes there's five guys. You know, it all plays a factor. But I just try to prepare the best that I can so that when I show up for any given season I know I did everything I could whether they were there or not. It's going to be what it's going to be and it's up to me to execute my game plan and go out there and get the job done. Does it make it harder when there are more guys there? Yeah, absolutely, but that's what racing is about. It's a challenge in many different areas whether it's the track, the other riders putting you under pressure behind you, or so many different variables that play a factor to winning a championship. And it's a long season. It's 24 motos and I'm excited for the challenge. So, I think today was a great start to the season. Obviously, second overall, not too bad; 1-2 on the day. And I think from this point forward we can just keep building. And it's a long season. Some races are going to be hotter than others, too...

Yeah, you did well in the heat least year, in Texas. It makes sense coming from Minnesota because it's so hot in Minnesota...
[Laughs] Yeah, it's blistering hot in the winter time, too.

A lot of the guys who have ridden the factory Suzuki RM-Z450 have raved about how good of a bike it is. Having that kind of baseline must help you, right? Coming in with settings from last year, when you were obviously very fast...
Absolutely. You know, building off the last couple years with that bike, it does help that when you only have so much time from Supercross to Outdoors that you don't have to be at the track all day doing nonsense. You've got to do your testing, get the job done, which definitely makes it a little bit easier for getting prepared for this, but, like every other team, they've been building on their bikes for the last few years. I know the Factory Honda, Kawasaki, everybody has that... So, I just look at it like it's good to have a base setting from last year but at the same time every year seems like you change suspension, you change here, you like this better...
Despite his critics, Ryan Dungey is once again in the middle of the championship fight. (Photo: CoxMX.com)

Well, yeah, you want to get better...
Right. So, at the same time it is nice to have a base setting, and I think it's important not to reinvent the wheel, but also I think it's important to, if there's an area you feel like could be better, that you try to address it.

Like, keep an open mind about it.
Open-minded, exactly...

Good job today, Ryan.
Thanks.

Let's start clearly and concisely here: We learned a lot at Hangtown. This column could take any form, including the confidence a racer like Blake Baggett gets after winning an AMA National at the opener the way that he did it, coming from behind in both motos; or the return of Chris Pourcel and what seems to be his need to race himself into shape; or how smart it was of Ryan Villopoto to not try and force anything since he was so sick for the last couple weeks; and on and on.

But for the purposes of this column, what really happened at Hangtown was that we once again saw that, under the right conditions, there is no adequate substitute for experience.

Chad Reed hadn't ridden a single day of outdoors on his or any other CRF450R all year until the Tuesday after the Las Vegas SX. And while in interviews he was always talking about how he needed more funding to go outdoors - and that was true - his biggest need that had to be addressed in order for him to race outdoors was factory suspension. There are a lot of reasons for this, but in talking to Reed, chief among these reasons was that he didn't want to have to start from scratch with his own testing. He knew two things:1) that Honda had done a bit of outdoor testing with Trey Canard, who was going really fast, so he could hopefully jump right into something that was very well-developed already, and 2) that both of Honda's official factory racers (Canard and Josh Grant) were hurt, and they were going to need riders on red bikes in the 450 class.

Honda gave him the suspension, and along with their notes from every race they race in a year, Honda also took him testing quite a bit to get the factory stuff working the way he wants, and it showed on the very, very rough and demanding Hangtown circuit.

"While the Ryans battled it out, Chad Reed was perfectly content to wait them out. (Photo: CoxMX.com)"

So, reason one why experience won out at Hangtown was that Reed knew he wanted to compete for wins, and knew what the most realistically way for him to do it from the start was going to be to be on the factory stuff.

The second reason experience paid off for Reed was that Reed showed patience in both motos and let the races come to him. It's not his first rodeo, and Reed has a knack of knowing when a pace is sustainable or not for 35 minutes. He's a great judge of this. In the first moto, he lost a spot to Villopoto early in the race, but then seemed content not only to stay behind RV, but to even let him pull away a little bit - perhaps to stay out of Villopoto's roost. But then, four laps later or so, he snuck right back up on RV and snatched third place away. It was too late to catch Dungey, but second is as good as first in the first moto, as they say. In the second moto, Villopoto and Dungey went at it out front tooth-and-nail for seven laps while Reed just sat back in third as if he was watching. But once that battle sorted itself out, he put the hammer down and went after Dungey. It was like watching a fresh fighter fight another fighter who just went six rounds. Reed made short work of him, then took off.

And the final reason experience paid off for Reed was that Reed's line choices were amazing at Hangtown. With a track that rough, it's difficult to find any sort of rhythm, but where Dungey and Villopoto seemed to be going after the track like they were mad at it, Reed was reasoning with the track. He found where he could slow down and take an alternate line that would result in more time gained in the next section, and he exploited these lines to find his way by the Ryans out front in the second moto.

Reed won't win every weekend, because sometimes youthful exuberance also pays off, but at 29 years old, Reed owes his cunning and racing savvy - both products of experience - for his win at Hangtown.