A rookie no more, Dungey is heavyweight among Lites -ozzy go- San Francisco Chronicle

Ryan Dungey knows exactly where he's going - which is a big plus in
motocross racing.

But the 18-year-old second-year pro rider sees beyond the whoops and
jumps and hairpins and hole shots and all the other facets that make up
motocross racing.

"My purpose in life is to be the best," Dungey said Thursday as he prepared
for Saturday's annual Supercross event at AT&T Park. "My goal is to be that
guy on top."

Right now, that's where he is, sitting in first place in the Western Regional
Lites class after three races on the winter AMA Supercross tour. With wins in
two separate stops in Anaheim sandwiched around a second-place finish in
Phoenix two weeks ago, Dungey has 72 points in the rider standings, 22
points ahead of Broc Hepler of Kittanning, Pa.

"It's good to be in the driver's seat," he said. "If I keep riding smart and don't
let down, I'll keep on top of it."

And Dungey doesn't think it can or will be any other way.

"I started riding (an off-ride motorcycle) when I was 5, and (a pro racer) is all
I wanted to be all my life," he said. "I've dedicated myself to it; I eat, drink
and sleep riding. ... I believe I can be the best because if I don't, there's no
reason to do that. I don't want to finish second or third; I just want to win."

Dungey burst out of Belle Plaine, Minn., and the amateur ranks last year,
competing on the East Coast circuit in the winter and the main AMA motocross
tour in the summer. He finished the year in fifth place in both the Supercross
and Motocross Lites categories and earned rookie of the year honors. full
story on sfgate.com - pic from racerxill.com