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THQ U.S. Open MGM Grand Garden Arena One thing that did become clear is that 2002 should offer some aggressive, intense competition. Both Carmichael and McGrath had more fire in their eyes than is normal for an off-season race, and block-passes and singed tempers were the norm for many of the riders (Pastrana, Mike LaRocco and Nick Wey each angered McGrath on different occasions, while Carmichael was on the receiving end of the wrath of Tim Ferry, who in tum perturbed LaRocco). It's always dangerous to count one's chickens before they hatch, but if the Open is any indicator, Anaheim I is going to be one heck of a summit. FRIDAY 'Carmichael's Honda debut proves that eight is enough. on the holeshot, and I got about everyone." The race had been touted as somewhat of a preview for what is fast becoming one of the most highly anticipated EA Sports Supercross Series ever, and that plug both did and didn't come true. In addition to witnessing Carmichael on a Honda, the Vegas fans got a sneak shot at some other 2002 developments: Jeremy McGrath (wearing his new number two) rejuvenated following a summer of training for 2002 redemption; Arenacross champ Buddy Antunez mixing it up with the SX boys again; former U.S. Open champ Damon Huffman back on a Suzuki; Ron Heben managing for KTM Red Bull; and Travis Pastrana recovered and back on a 250. But at the same time, the biggest question of all - "Who will be faster, Carmichael or McGrath?" was pretty much left unresolved: Thwarted by poor gate-pick draws for his heats, the Yamaha rider got pushed outside on nearly every start, denying him the opportunity to ever By CHRIS JONNUM PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN LAS VEGAS, NV, OCT. 12·)3 aving put in only eight supercross practice sessions on his new fac· tory Honda, Ricky Carmichael made the call to defend his THQ U.S. Open title less than a week before race day, but despite the low· preparation approach and a newfound apparent unpopularity among the Vegas fans, the Floridian's performance was at least as impressive as last year's, with Carmichael leading start-to-finish almost every time he put tire to dirt. It was a feat worth $]00,000 (plus bonuses for heat and main wins), but more important in Carmichael's mind was the fact that he did well in his first race on the Honda. Though not yet completely comfortable in the comers, Carmichael was rocket-fast on the red bike, starting flawlessly and blitzing the whoop section so quickly that he began utilizing its fmal third to set up an intentional drift for the following tum. "I kind of surprised myself," Carmichael said. "This track is based H 6 OCTOBER 24, 2001 • cue I • n e ... s This photo might look familiar In black and white, but that number·four bike on which Ricky Carmichael leads the pac:k is a Honda. The Florlcllan was perfec:t In his Honda debut at the THQ U.S. Open, winning both his heat races and both main events. go head to head with Carmichael. Making the early tapping of an '02 champion even more difficult is the fact the two riders' lap times were extremely close all weekend. "A lot of stuff happened on the start· or didn't happen, in my case," said McGrath, who was still able to cobble together a second-overall finish. "You just can't give a guy like Ricky a head start. I wanted to race with him, and I never even saw him." "As a gauge, I think it's going to be me and Jeremy [in 2002]," Carmichael said. "I will always have respect for Jeremy. Every single weekend I went to a race this year, I was worried about him .. .! really wish Jeremy would have got a start with me because I know he's been preparing, and I wanted to race with him." After Carmichael walked away with his heat and Windham passed LaRocco to take the second one, Carmichael snared his first mainevent holeshot on his new CR250. LaRocco and Pastrana were next, and McGrath had pulled a fourthplace start from a poor gate spot, though he was back to last by the end of lap one. "I actually got a great start, but Travis made a mistake back in the tunnel and fell. over the front of his bike," McGrath said. "I guess I got a little over anxious and ran into him." Ferry took advantage by passing the duo and hounding LaRocco, showing him a wheel at the beginning of lap four and then tripling by into second in a rhythm section that LaRocco doubled. "I think I made him ride protective lines," Ferry said. "I'd have done the same thing. He made a mistake, and I got by." LaRocco stayed on him, while behind him Suzuki teammates Pas· trana and Windham were going at it. McGrath was up to ninth at the one· quarter mark. The top few positions stayed unchanged until just before the halfway mark, when Pastrana went down outside. "LaRocco was taking this line right when we went outside," said Pastrana, who earned a few choice words (actually, a whole sentence) from a passing McGrath as he remounted. "I tried it and jumped up to the top of the berm. It was all powdery, and I just blew through it." McGrath was now up to sixth, behind Carmichael, Ferry, LaRocco, Windham and Mike Brown. The Californian then used lap 13 to put a block pass on Brown and overtake Windham outside the stadium, but the gap up to LaRocco was too great for him to do anything with. The top five were quite spread out, so nothing much happened until Carmichael took the checkers, celebrating with an uncharacteristically razzle-dazzle fist-pumping session.