All Over Already?
By TMX Archives on 14th Jun 06
Bubba ends RC's win streak at 27 then crashes out handing Ricky 50 points on a plate...
Unlike last year when Kawasaki's James Stewart was onboard a two-stroke KX250 against everyone else on four-stroke 450s, the playing field is now level. This year Stewart's running his new four-stroke KX450F and Ricky Carmichael has his work cut out for him in this, his final season of full-time MX competition.
Carmichael has never lost an AMA National outdoor title. Never. He has two perfect seasons where he won every single moto in 2002 and 2004 and in 2005 he won every single overall, losing only two motos. But he has never raced a full season against James Stewart either...
Carmichael grabs the holeshot in moto one at Hangtown on his Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 but that doesn't last long as he goes down in a heap in the second turn. Carmichael remounts in last place - although he's 23rd out of 40 by the end of the first lap. Chad Reed assumes the lead and begins to distance himself from the field right away. Just after Stewart moves in behind Reed he stalls.
"I was in third I think and Chad went to the outside," says Stewart. "I could've just gone on the inside and we would've made contact so I hit the brakes real hard and ended up stalling it. It took a little bit to get it started and I think by that time Ricky was either right behind me or a couple people behind me."
Now that Carmichael and Stewart are tied together they move through the pack on the muddy track quickly until Carmichael moves by Stewart for second at about the halfway point - only for Stewart to pass him right back.
"Just the way the track was, I didn't want to be behind him and run out of tear-offs," claims James. "I just went by him. I got a good drive and I ended up getting alongside him and getting by him. I was really focusing on trying to catch Chad."
It's RC who runs out of tear-offs and he begins to fall behind James after he's forced to throw away his goggles. James sets out after Reed who has also jettisoned his goggles.
"I felt good," says Reed of his lead. "I was putting some consistent laps in and I could see these guys battling. I was just kind of staying the same and staying the same and every now and then they would catch me and then I would seem to be able to pull it back out again. In the middle part of the race I just started missing all my lines and they just gobbled me up."
With two to go Stewart's right behind Reed and with one to go Stewart is looking for a pass, only to mess up at the top of the hill and lose some time. That makes his job more difficult.
"It was a bit slippery up there and I kind of washed the front and I almost fell over and I just had to pick it up going down the downhills. I saw a few lines where I was able to make time up on Chad during the race and I hit my corners perfect that lap and when he went to the outside I was thinking he was going to cover the inside so I ended up getting inside him and making the pass."
From there Stewart takes the victory - his first moto victory in the class outdoors. Reed hangs on for second with Carmichael third.
"The last two laps I just put my head down and tried to go all the way to the end and James got me on the last lap," reckons Reed. "Those two rode great and it was kind of fun just being out there by myself and riding around in the mud at a national."
Moto two sees another Carmichael holeshot but this time he doesn't fall. He takes off leaving the field behind while Reed and Stewart battle through from the back of the pack.
Carmichael's never headed and Stewart and Reed recover for an easy second and third. That gives the overall to Stewart with Carmichael second, breaking Carmichael's amazing 27-race win streak that has lasted outdoors since 2003.
"Just after last year and the stuff that I've always had to distract me I'm really excited to get this," says Stewart. "It's such a big weight off my shoulder. The first moto I rode awesome. I put in 35 strong minutes and me and Ricky had a good battle and I was able to start closing in on Chad and I went for it on the last lap. The second moto I got kind of a bad start and I moved up into second and just kind of sat there. I knew with second I could get the overall and I didn't want to throw it away to try and catch Ricky - he already had a pretty good gap. It's good. It's a big weight off my shoulders and it's fun."
For full story don't miss the July issue of dbr - on sale now!
series standings
450F class
1 Ricky Carmichael 95 points (1 win)
2 Chad Reed 86
3 David Vuillemin 68
4 Davi Millsaps 63
5 Travis Preston 62
6 Nick Wey 60
7= James Stewart 47 (1 win)
7= Kevin Windham 47
9 Josh Summey 43
10= Josh Demuth 39
10= Jeff Dement 39