Ryan Dungey Comes Out of Retirement to Contest Opening Rounds of 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

Four-Time Series Champion Rejoins the Fray with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

MORGANTOWN, WV – April 29, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – With one of the most exciting and unexpected announcements in the history of American motocross, four-time AMA National Motocross Champion Ryan Dungey will come out of retirement to contest the opening rounds of the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The Minnesota native amassed one of the most decorated careers in series history before he announced his retirement from racing just prior to the start of the 2017 summer campaign, but now, five seasons later, he’ll return to the starting gate as a member of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, with whom he captured the 2012 and 2015 titles in the 450 Class. Fittingly, Dungey’s comeback will also welcome the return of his famed No. 5 on the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition.

“We knew that the 50th anniversary season of the world’s most prestigious motocross championship was destined to be one for the ages, but nothing could have prepared us for the competitive return of two of motocross’ most prolific champions in Ryan Dungey and Antonio Cairoli,” said Davey Coombs, President, MX Sports Pro Racing. “When Ryan retired in 2017 it certainly felt like he still had a lot left in the tank, so it was bittersweet to watch him step away in his prime. While a return to action was always something we’d hoped would happen, today’s announcement is unprecedented and we cannot wait to watch two ageless legends of the sport go bar-to-bar with their younger counterparts this summer. Seeing the #5 and #222 together on the track will truly be one of the series’ landmark moments.”

Dungey’s last Pro Motocross start came at the Thunder Valley National during the 2016 season, where he suffered a season-ending injury just three rounds into the summer.
Photo: Simon Cudby

Dungey was just 27 years old when he hung up his helmet and boots in 2017, putting pause on a career that saw him capture 46 career wins, third all time, earn 91 career podiums, second all time, and prevail with three 450 Class titles (2010, 2012, 2015) and a 250 Class crown (2009). Now, at the age of 32 and just over two months after the birth of his second child, Dungey is set to continue his unprecedented journey.

Not to be outdone, Dungey can simply look next to him under the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing tent for inspiration and motivation for what’s possible past 30 years of age. Just one week ago, the Austrian manufacturer announced Italian MXGP icon Antonio Cairoli would make his Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship debut at the opening rounds, bringing his nine FIM World Motocross Championship credentials to the states at the age of 36, just five months removed from his retirement from Europe’s premier series. The two have gone head-to-head here in the U.S. just once, at the 2010 FIM Motocross of Nations from Colorado’s Thunder Valley Motocross Park, and engaged in a memorable battle for the win for their respective countries, from which Dungey emerged triumphant in leading Team USA to victory on home soil.

Combined, Dungey and Cairoli provide the single-most-successful combination of teammates the sport has ever seen as they join Cooper Webb and Aaron Plessinger, two AMA National Champions in their own right, for a historic lineup at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. They, and the rest of the star-studded international field of the world’s fastest riders, will line up for the first time together on May 28 in Southern California at the Fox Raceway National before traveling to Northern California for the legendary Hangtown Motocross Classic on June 4 in Sacramento.

Dungey returns to the same Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team with which he captured two 450 Class titles, the second coming during the 2015 season.
Photo: Simon Cudby

The 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will be bookended by the holiday weekends that serve as the proverbial starting point and finishing point of the summer, with the season-opening round over Memorial Day Weekend on May 28 and the season finale over Labor Day Weekend on September 3. The 12-round season will visit 10 different states, visiting iconic venues with decades of history like the Hangtown Classic(June 4), High Point Raceway (June 18), RedBud MX (July 2), The Wick 338 (July 9), Spring Creek MX Park (July 16), Washougal MX Park (July 23), Unadilla MX (August 13), and Budds Creek Motocross Park (August 20), as well as additional world-class venues in Fox Raceway (May 28 & September 3), Thunder Valley Motocross Park (June 11), and Ironman Raceway (August 27).

Tickets to each round of the 2022 season are now available and can be purchased by visiting the official website of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, ProMotocross.com.

For information about the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the Pro Motocross social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:

• Facebook: @americanmotocross
• Instagram: @promotocross
• Twitter: @ProMotocross
• YouTube: AmericanMotocross

Now available for download for both Apple and Android devices is the official Pro Motocross App. Fans of American motocross can have access to the world’s most prestigious off-road motorcycle racing series right at their fingertips on their mobile devices. Developed by AMA Pro Racing, the Pro Motocross App provides users with the most important information surrounding the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, from series news to schedule and ticket information, as well as broadcast schedule details and live timing & scoring. Download it now via the App Store or Google Play.

Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of seven competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, manages the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. The title sponsor is Lucas Oil, a leading producer of premium oils, greases, and problem-solving additives, all made in America. Broadcast coverage will be showcased live all season long on MAVTV Motorsports Network and the MAVTV Plus streaming service. More information can be found at www.ProMotocross.com.

Lucas Oil Products, Inc.

Lucas Oil Products was founded by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas with the simple philosophy of producing only the best line of lubricants and additives available anywhere. Since its inception, Lucas has steadfastly adhered to this corporate objective. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas has established itself as the top selling additive line in the United States. Additionally, Lucas Oil offers a premium line of motor oils, greases, fuel treatments, industrial lubricants, and problem-solving additives to help firmly establish Lucas Oil as a prominent figure in the marketplace. It has provided title sponsorship of the world’s prestigious off-road motorcycle racing series since the 2009 season. For more information, visit www.LucasOil.com.

MAVTV Motorsports Network 

MAVTV Motorsports Network is the only television network in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to motorsports. MAVTV offers an unparalleled line-up of exclusive and unique events, including unprecedented live coverage of the 50th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. MAVTV goes beyond the national mainstream motorsports events to include grassroots racing from across the globe: drag racing, sprint boats, rally cars, short course off-road truck racing, sprint cars, pro pulling, drifting, ice racing, and everything in between. MAVTV knows you don’t have to be a race fan to be an automotive enthusiast, which is why we have developed a package of automotive reality and custom build shows that are truly second-to-none. From 24/7 automotive and motorsports content on MAVTV Motorsports Network to the free and exclusive content available on MAVTV Select and the on-demand streaming service of MAVTV Plus, if it has a motor, it’s probably on MAVTV – The Motorsports Network!

MAVTV Motorsports Network is available on most cable, satellite, and digital television providers. MAVTV Plus provides worldwide live streaming for all Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship events for a yearly subscription of $99, or for $6.99 a month.

Source: MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.

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