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/128195
finally realized that McGrath was unstoppable in supercross. Well, we all know now that he wasn't. He lost his first-ever 250cc Supercross Championship in 1997. Advantage Jeff Emig. So Emig was the new man, and McGrath's glory days were behind him, having left the Team Honda juggernaut (which had won nine SX championships in a row before he left), right? Wrong, of course McGrath came back to win three more in a row aboard Yamahas. And once again, as soon as he had people again believing he was unbeatable, along came Carmichael. Who o~ what will stop Ricky Carmichael in the stadiums this year? Only time will tell, but Carmichael has done nothing but rewrite the record books in his past, so it seems history is firmly under his control. That being said, who is going to step it up in 2003 and give RC a run for his money? Near the top of the list is Yamaha's David Vuillemin. Vuillemin won the first two rounds of the 2002 AMA series and led it until a shoulder injury ruined his chances. In addition, he's currently leading the newly formed World Supercross GP Series after going 1-2 in the first two main events in Switzerland and Holland. Now he's fully healed and ready to take on Carmichael. The other 2003-series winner coming into Anaheim I is 2002 125cc Eastern Regional Supercross champ Chad Reed. Reed is currently sitting second in the SX GP points and carries some momentum as Anaheim approaches. Not only that, but he proved he can run with Carmichael at the U.S. Open last October, which is perhaps more than anyone else can boast recently. He also shows a trait that many think Carmichael's competition has lacked - he hates to lose. After winning in Holland, Reed said, "I'm ready to win each week from here on out. I don't practice hard all week to come here and lose. I wanted this win all week, and I am ready to go back to America and keep winning." Then there's McGrath, who, just before this issue went to press, made the surprise - but not yet "official" announcement that he is going to retire, despite just signing a new twoyear racing deal with KTM and Bud Light. Apparently, a pair of crashes on the factory KTM - one resulting in a dislocated hip and the other a concussion - caused McGrath to rethink this point in his life. He came to the conclusion that he just can't give racing the 100 percent commitment he's used to giving it. McGrath was quoted on Supercross.com: "I've always told myself that when I have other things on my mind besides giving 100% and winning, that I would retire. Earlier this year I dislocated my hip, and after that I had a concussion. Ever since then, I've been tentative on the bike, and not giving it 100%." So it appears that we won't see Those who don't think Reed will give Carmichael fits think it will instead be Reed's teammate David Vuillemin, who was the only rider able to challenge Carmichael last year before getting hurt. If Vuillemin's on, Carmichael's going to have a long year. McGrath go after his unprecedented eighth supercross title after all. McGrath is expected to make his retirement announcement January 2 at the Anaheim 1 press conference at Edison International Field. It is also not yet known if anyone will step in for McGrath on the McGrath-run KTM Bud Light team. But it appears for now, in yet another strange turn of events, that McGrath Yamaha's Tim Ferry has shown his speed indoors in bursts but has yet to put together a "complete" season. He started strong in Geneva with a second, but his sixth at round two left something to be desired. He'll be determined on his big four-stroke come January. SoBe Suzuki's Sebastien Tortelli has shown good speed with two topfive finishes and a bunch of good starts so far in Europe, so don't count him out at Anaheim. Somewhat of a surprise in the European events has been Red Bull KTM's Grant Langston. The South African podiumed the first race and finished fourth in the second. His injuries kept him out much of last year, but he was always fast when he was at the races. And much like his good friend Reed, he's ultra-competitive and gets angry when he loses. Speaking of angry, Mike LaRocco won his first supercross in many years at Anaheim II last year· and he even smiled afterward. LaRocco got a third at round two in Holland this year and sits a solid fifth in points, even though he had a first-turn fall at round one. His wrist is healed, and he's hauling. The list of possible winners isn't limited to these men either. In addition to Pastrana and Tortelli, Suzuki has former ] 25cc Supercross champ Stephane Roncada in its camp this year, although Roncada may move down to the ] 25cc class for the east series if his results aren't up to par. Kawasaki's Ezra Lusk likes his allnew machines and is looking for redemption this year. Honda's Ernesto Fonseca showed bursts of speed last year and will likely do at least the same in 2003. You might've noticed that we haven't included the Canadian Blackfoot Honda squad, last year's CCEjAMA Team of the Year award recipient. The team recently announced that it won't participate in this year's supercross series but will instead concentrate on the motocross nationals in Canada with headliner Jean-Sebastian Roy. Damon Huffman, who just signed on with the team, will reportedly join Roy in the Canadian Nationals, as well as compete in the U.S. supercross series but in a more private effort. Huffman will ride a Skin Industries-backed Honda CRF450R. eN will call it a career and won't be among the 20 riders on the start line when the gate drops in Anaheim this weekend. One rider who should be there, however, will be SoBe Suzuki's Travis Pastrana, who had a year he'd probably rather forget in 2002. Still, he showed last year that he had the speed to win, just maybe not the luck. As of this writing, Pastrana is healthy and ready to go. Not too many think that James "Bubba" Stewart won't win the 125cc West Coast title, but that's what they thought last year, too, and you know what happened there. But one thing Is for sure, though: Stewart will be exciting to watch - no matter if he'. way out in front or coming up through the pack. cue I e n e _ so • JANUARY 8,2003 15