Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Kevin Windham has been threatenlilg to end Rick)' Carmichael's win streak most of the year. He finally did It with a 1·1 showing at Unadilla. Windham bookends the longest streak in MX history By JERRY ATHEY PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN NEW BERUN, NY, JULY 20 veryone, including Team Honda's Ricky Carmichael, knew it had to .JJappen eventually. During the last few seasons, the champ himself has repeatedly said that he believes, in essence, that a rider only has so many wins in him, and what that number is could be anyone's guess. Unfortunately for Carmichael, his ever-growing win streak came to an abrupt end at round seven of the AMA/Chevy Trucks 250cc U.S. Motocross Championship, and, to no one's surprise, the rider who ended his streak was the same rider who beat him 22 races ago - Kevin Windham. In what has to be considered one of the finest rides of his career, No Fear/Factory Connection/Lee Dungarees' Windham piloted his factorybacked Honda CRF450R to a commanding 1-1 win in front of the roaring crowd of die-hard fans on-hand at the famed Unadilla Valley Sports Center in scenic upstate New York. In each of the 30-minutes-plus-two- E 6 JULY 30,2003' cue I e lap motos, Windham blasted to the holes hot and never looked back, despite intense pressure from his archrival, Carmichael, throughout the final and deciding moto. Unadilla marks Windham's seventh career 250cc National win, which ties him for 12th place on the all-time-winners list. "Today was just unbelievable," Windham said. "I had good lap times all weekend - Saturday and even today. It was weird, because in the situation that I'm in, I actually felt pressure from that - I knew that today it was possible for me to win. It's been such an unbelievable run for Ricky. It really became apparent to me when I was doing my victory lap, just exactly what he had accompished. It's just a phenomenal thing. He's a great competitor, and, like I said on the podium, I learned something from him even today. Whether I beat him or lose to him, I learn something from him. I could almost hear it in his voice that he knew that I was going to be tough today, but yet, you kick him while he's down, and he just gets up and goes and goes and goes. That's why he's a good champion." nevvs Windham (14) got the jump in both motos, but in moto two he was chased closely by Carmichael (4), Chad Reed (22), David Yuillemin (12) and the rest of the pack. A poor start in the first moto certainly contributed to Carmichael's loss at Unadilla. While Windham got the holeshot in the race and enjoyed clear sailing out front, Carmichael was mired in the pack, completing the opening lap in eighth. The defending champion quickly moved past Crossroad Powersports/ RRP's Damien Plotts and Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ezra Lusk to take over the runner-up spot, but Windham was already long gone, pulling out to a lead of almost 20 seconds during the later laps of the race. Carmichael started the second moto right where he needed to be on the heels of Windham - before being temporarily dropped to third by Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin. A quick pass on the Frenchman put Carmichael back into second, about four seconds behind Windham. Carmichael dogged Windham for the duration of the moto and, at one point, almost looked to be able to make an attempt for the lead, but the "new and improved" Windham responded by staying strong and turning up the pace even further. Carmichael was forced to finish out the moto in second, about four seconds behind Windham. Gracious in defeat, Carmichael took the loss and the end of his incredible win streak in stride. "Everything's good," Carmichael said. "Of course, I'm disappointed that I didn't win, but, as far as the streak goes, everyone out here knows you can't win forever. We're out hete to do one thing, and that's to try to win a championship. If we win races, that's great, but everybody remembers championships, not so much race wins. Out of the last two years,

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