Ryan Dungey qualified second overall in the morning’s combined qualifying sessions, where he was seeded into 450SX Heat 1. In the heat race, Dungey grabbed a decent jump off the start and eventually settled into the second place position behind Jason Anderson.
Main Event
In the 450SX Main Event, Dungey shot off the line in a battle for the holeshot on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, where he quickly took over the lead position on lap one. With Ken Roczen close in tow, Dungey maintained a steady pace while navigating through a hectic path of lapped traffic.
With four laps to go, Roczen jumped past Dungey through the rhythm section but soon made a mistake over the finish line that allowed Dungey to reclaim the lead. Dungey kept his composure in the final laps to earn his seventh victory of the 2016 season, thus extending his points lead over Roczen in the 450SX Championship.
Dungey’s teammate, Marvin Musquin, did not race in Indianapolis due to a practice crash that occurred at the previous round in Santa Clara. Musquin is expected to return to racing soon.
Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM’s Shane McElrath shows consistency in Indy
After a small break in action for the Eastern Regional 250SX Class, the riders were back with Shane McElrath and Alex Frye representing Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Picking up where he left off, McElrath claimed another top finish in fourth on the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, while Frye finished 20th.
The track was treacherous for the fifth round of the season, with ruts forming early in every lane. Both McElrath and Frye qualified well out of their heat, putting them in a good spot for the Main Event.
McElrath started near the front, coming across the first lap in seventh. He kept the riders in front of him close and was able to make a few late-race passes to move into fourth.
“I’m still working my way back (after the off-season injury) and it’s nice to see some consistent results,” said McElrath. “Tonight’s track was pretty brutal and challenged everyone physically and mentally. I’m really looking forward to St. Louis. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back on the podium.”
Frye had his work cut out for him after getting a 15th-place start and unfortunately the track collected him early and was unable to continue, being credited 20th.
Next Race: April 16, 2016 – St. Louis, MO (USA)