Ryan Dungey Wins At Thunder Valley

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- Ryan Dungey raced to his first AMA Pro Motocross Championship victory of the year, finishing second in the first 450 Class moto and rallying to win the second in the Thunder Valley National.

"It was good to come away with a win," said Dungey, the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki rider from Belle Plaine, Minn.. "We've been looking for one for a while this season. I never felt like anything was missing, we just needed to put it together. I try to go out and give it my all every weekend. It's not a matter of aggression. You need to be there in the beginning, or the guys will get away from you."

Ryan Villopoto, the Monster Energy Kawasaki star from Poulsbo, Wash., won the first moto and was second in the second.

"The track was tough," Villopoto said. "But that was the best second moto I've had all year. Ryan was riding well. He was strong on one side of the track and I was faster on the other. We played cat and mouse, but he gained some time on me at the end."

Australia's Chad Reed, third in both motos, has an eight-point lead over Villopoto in the season standings. Dungey is third, 21 points behind Reed.

"I was the third best guy," Reed said. "I'm happy, to be honest. This is a tough track for me and I just felt a little off today. I think you learn more on your off days when you get beat. And that's what happened today. We need to make some improvements, and I think I know where we need to make those."

In the 250 Class, Blake Baggett, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider from Grand Terrace, Calif., raced to his third overall victory in five rounds, sweeping the motos.

Jessica Patterson, the DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing Yamaha rider from Tallahassee, Fla., raced to her second Women's Motocross Championship victory of the year with a moto sweep.

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