Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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mounted a challenge, picking off a rider each lap to take over second on the ninth lap. At that point, Reed had nearly 11 seconds in hand - a margin Carmichael couldn't erase. Part of that was because he'd bent his exhaust pipe, but mostly it was Reed. "I mean, I smashed it about halfway through the main," Carmichael said. "You always want to win. That's the goal. I felt like I had the speed. I was riding behind him, and I was on his tail. I felt comfortable behind him. If I was behind him and didn't feel comfortable, that's a whole different deal. I definitely didn't want to settle for second." As the lone representative of Yamaha, Reed feels a certain duty to perform. That, and having turned 21 made him feel more like an adult; he said, "maybe I should start riding like IRight and below) Carmichael 14) and Reed 122) were this close for most of the first sii laps of the race before Carmichael landed on a Tuff Block in order to miss Reed and fell. Carmichael still finished second. without making any dumb mistakes, and it all worked out in the end." Never did he think it would take him until the 11 th race of the year to mount his first podium. "It's been rough," he said. "( crashed a lot. I have crashed enough for the next couple of years already this year. I am glad ( got on the podium. It has been a long time. Hopefully, 1 can keep it going for now on. Ricky and Chad are riding really well. They are a little bit ahead of everyone else." Fonseca, like some of the others, one. I am the only team rider left at Yamaha. I felt good, like I could pull one off for the team." Fonseca had to work for his podium. Sixth on the first lap, he moved into third when Carmichael crashed, then fell back to fourth after battling with Danny Smith before taking the spot for good on the 14th of 20 laps. "I remember being behind Danny Smith for a while," Fonseca said. "It seems like he was riding really well. I got by him and tried to pull away a little bit, then made some mistakes and Larry Ward got behind me. After that, I just kept it at a good pace IAbove) Danny Smith 129) got the $1500 SXGP.com Holeshot Award In the 250cc main. followed by Reed 122). Heath Voss 128), Brian Mason Ibehlnd Voss). Sean Hamblin Ibehind Reed), Emesto Fonseca 124) and Carmichael Ifender on far right). ILeft) Emesto Fonseca finally got the podium he has been after all year. cue I admitted a certain amount of supercross rust. With a weekend off and the race in Daytona more of an outdoor-oriented affair, Fonseca said he wasn't immediately up to speed. "It took me a little time to adapt this weekend," he said. "In the first few practices, I was off the pace." I:I1II • n e _ S • APRIL 2. 2003 9