Ryan Dungey is yet to beat Ryan Villopoto straight up in a moto this season. Image: Simon Cudby.

Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey is trying to find an extra edge in a bid to remove Ryan Villopoto from the top of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, 450 Class standings.

Although Dungey has earned himself two overall wins out of the first five rounds, both wins have come at a time when the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider has made mistakes.

The defending premier class champion feels he needs to focus on himself and work towards finding the extra speed needed to beat Villopoto outright on any given day.

“I can’t worry about how I’m going to beat him all the time, I’ve got to focus on myself, on the track and apply myself,” Dungey told Racer X. “It’s tough. It’s like if you had a duplicate of yourself out there, and you were racing him. You can’t ever get that little extra edge.

“I feel like it’s the beginning of the motos; if he gets a bad start it separates us. And if I get a bad start it sets the tone for the whole moto. He’s doing everything right, and I’m doing everything right.”

Dungey admits that Villopoto has the bar raised to a high level and his raw speed is a notch above his own, forcing himself to ride at 110 percent.

“So I’ve got to ride at 110 percent if he’s riding at 100, which means I’m using a lot more energy and stuff just to catch him,” he added. “And even if I do that, then I’ve got to pass him and try to win. So it’s tough racing. That bar is so high.”

Dungey currently trails Villopoto by 16 points in the championship chase with seven rounds remaining on the 12-round schedule.