Every once in a while there comes a moment in sports when you realize you're witnessing something special. Suffice it to say that Ryan Dungey's rookie season in the 450 division was just such a moment.

In addition to having the most successful rookie season ever in American Motocross history, the 20-year-old added the 2010 Supercross title to his resume and then capped off the year by leading Team USA to a sixth straight win in the Motocross of Nations. That's the Cliffs Notes version of a year that saw the likable and mild-mannered Minnesota-native mature into the dominant force of the 2010 season.

However, after winning a Lites title in both Supercross and motocross during the 2009 season, Dungey came into the 2010 season somewhat underappreciated as a 450-class competitor. Many still felt that he had yet to prove himself on the track and was a long shot for both Supercross and motocross titles. But Dungey addressed those doubts at Anaheim I, the first race of the season, when he battled head-to-head with pre-season favorite James Stewart and finished the race with a solid second-place finish.

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