Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128140
AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series Round 4: Bank One Ballpark the only rider who posted lap times faster than Carmichael in the earlier heat races, had followed R.C. around McGrath, as well, and settled into a rather intimidating second place. But Carmichael proved that be had complete control of the situation, by circulating the track just fast enough to keep Pastrana at bay. Carmichael never had much more than a few seconds on Pastrana for most of the race, finishing out the 20-lap main event, on his Chad Watts-tuned Honda, 2.660 seconds ahead of the Suzuki rider. "He had good lap times and speed: Carmichael said of Pastrana. "But I was able to turn it up in the main event." "I tried: said Pastrana, who rode with a sore knee that he injured earlier in the day. "I felt like I was pretty much on the pace, but I made a few mistakes a little early in the race. It's tough, there are a lot of guys going the full 20 laps at a hundred percent, and we're all going fast." Pastrana also had a lot of incentives to ride fast in the main event, because, not only did he want to get his first 250cc Supercross win out of the way, but he had series points leader David Vuillemin breathing down his back for the last 14 laps. By KIT PALMER PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN PHOENIX, AZ, JAN. 26 1V)icky Carmichael is back. The ~ Team Honda rider appeared completely recovered from his Anaheim I crash, and showed the same form and speed that earned him the 2001 AMA/EA Sports Supercross title to win the Phoenix Supercross in front 49,124 spectators at Bank One Ballpark. ""II tell you, it's finally good to get one [a win] under my belt: said an obviously relieved Carmichael. "I mean, damn, it feels like it's been a long time. Everyone is riding really good, and' know I have what it takes to win. I've just got to get on a roll here." And Carmichael was on a roll at Phoenix. The defending champ got off to a third-place start, moved into second on the fourth lap (after passing teammate Ernesto Fonseca), and then went after early leader Jeremy McGrath. Carmichael ran McGrath down, chased him for a couple of laps before cutting underneath the Yamaha rider in a turn and taking over the lead for good, but Carmichael could not relax too much. Team SoBe Suzuki's Travis Pastrana, a _ FE.BRUARV B_ 2002. C _ II!:! • _ _ .... J!E: Pastrana could never really shake Vuillemin, who was right there to pounce in the event of a Pastrana mistake, but that mistake never came. Vuillemin finished out the Phoenix race in third, and is the only rider to have finished on the podium in all four rounds. A distant fourth went to previousround winner Mike LaRocco, on the Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Factory Connection Honda. LaRocco was hampered by a heat-race crash that left him with a hurting right (throttle side, mind you) wrist and a horrible start. LaRocco rounded the first lap of the main in 10th, pretty much ending his bid for repeat victory. But LaRocco made some slick moves and had control of fourth by the 10th goaround, only to find that Carmichael, Pastrana and Vuillemin had already checked out. "I didn't gate very well, but the first couple of laps I just had no finesse," laRocco said. "Luckily, I loosened up." Nathan Ramsey, on the factorybacked Honda CRF450R four-stroke, had a strong ride. He started off in seventh and eventually found himself mixing it up with McGrath and Ernesto Fonseca for much of the race. Ramsey eventually got around both riders to finish fifth, just ahead of Jeremy McGrath (2) jumped out to an early lead in the 250cc main event at Phoenix. He eventually dropped back to sixt~ for his best finish so far this year. McGrath' appears to have gotten an upper hand on his arm-pump problem. McGrath (sixth) and Fonseca (seventh). Even though it appeared that McGrath, on the Bud Ught Yamaha, fell into the same trap as the previous three races, starting up front and then fading back, the Phoenix race was, in fact, a big positive for the seven-time champ. Struggling with severe arm· pump the first three races, McGrath felt no such pain in Arizona, but did find it a bit difficult to maintain a winning pace after not having really "raced" for the lead with the top guns in quite some time (since the U.S. Open in Las Vegas in mid-October). McGrath jumped out to an early lead in the main event and Jed for over five laps until the pace to keep Carmichael behind just got too hot for him. Pastrana also got him on the same lap, as did Vuillemin, Fonseca, LaRocco and Ramsey shortly thereafter. "' felt a thousand times better," McGrath said afterward. '" felt today