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"It was really good to start in the front," Vuillemin said. "This past week, I had to catch up from the back. Chad was really fast and passed me. I was a little uncomfortable. I kind of helped Chad tonight [in the points by beating Carmichael). I will try to pick it up. I struggled the first two rounds; I am trying to get back in this season. Ricky made a mistake, and that's good for the championship, and that's good for Yamaha, and I'm looking forward to the next weekend." "Last weekend, I was so close, but I was kind of disappointed in my ride - it seemed like I just rode around and kind of waited for something to happen," Reed said. "Ricky's won a lot of races, and he ain't going to make mistakes like that. There's only a couple riders Michael Byrne (32) actually had the holeshot, but Reed (22) and David Vuillemin (left) went by him together ear1y on the first lap. Byrne ended up fourth. crash he found himself in third. By the time Carmichael got around Byrne again on lap 12, Ferry looked to be too far ahead for even Carmichael to catch, which would have made it a Team Yamaha 1-2-3 in the main event, but Ferry got out of shape in the same spot Carmichael had earlier and threw it away. "I just started it swapping from side to side and kind of doing what everyone else does - the whoops are pretty tough - and I actually saved it, but I was pointed off the track, and 1 was going to the right, and the track was going to the left," Ferry said. "I hit a bale and just crashed. Nothing major, just a little swapping in the whoops." Ferry took a while to get going again because he had to extract his big four-stroke from the Tuff Blox, but he eventually finished sixth. With Ferry's fall, the top five was set with seven laps to go - Reed, Vuillemin, Carmichael, Byrne and a very impressive Wey. "I am pissed off at myself, really, for making a stupid mistake," Carmichael said after the race. "I have been racing too long to be doing that kind of stuff - taking chances like that. I learned. I will go back home next week and try my best during the week to capitalize on what I did wrong. There was no pressure. The only thing that is beating me is the track. I have crashed three out of six races, and those three races I didn't win. I think I was trying a little too hard. I'll just back it down, and I'll be fine. "It was a hell of a weekend, with [crashes] yesterday and today, but I'm leaving California with the points lead, and that's a bonus for me. The track got me again - no big deal. I definitely know how to win the title, but you can't do it by doing that. I live and learn, and I'll be better next weekend." that can really go 20 laps. This week was a pretty funny week. Me and David, he went back to France, and I lay at home on the couch, and Timmy [Ferry] was on the couch as well. It was an interesting week, and here we are up on the podium. The Yamaha guys stuck behind us all week - they just wanted to go test, but we were not available. Ricky Cannichael (4) cut under Vuillemln (12) for second pretty ear1y in the race, but he went down in the whoops before he could go after Reed. eye I e n e _ S • FEBRUARY 19. 2003 9