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/128319
Lavilla For Test Riding Gig Carmichael Signs With Suzuki en-t im e AMA Supercross /Motocross National Champion Rk ky Carmichael inked a contract on Friday, April 2, that will see him switch to Team Suzuki fo r the 200S racing T j§ happen on a Thursday or a Friday. Our company, as they have always it ~ done, will make those decisions on ~ those time lines. We won't be driven ~ by another manufacturer or rider or ~ manager." Honda does have Kevi n season. b The story broke on Friday morning at the AMA Superbike race at California Speedway in Fontana, Californ ia, with Honda team manager Chuck Miller confirming that the signing had taken place . Suzuki later issued a press release, stating that Ca rmichael had indeed inked a mu ltiyear pact with the company, a deal that's effective in November. "Th is is a very exciting time for it Windham and Mike laRocco under contract for next year. "Losing Ricky Carmichael is certainly a huge element of our program, but we don't want to sell ourselves short on the riders and staff and effort that we 've put forth anyway," Miller said. "Everyo ne looked the other way when Kevin carne back, and look what he's done. And no one ever thought that laRocco would win again, and look what he's done. Now we're up to the ultimate challenge to see what we can make happen . It's exciting to me ," Carmichael said in a statemen t issued by Suzuki. "The agreement is multi face ted, and Suzuki will be extremety supportive of me from a racing. marketing and business standpoint. " Naturally, the Suzuki people are jovial over the signing. "We 're absolutely thrilled that Ricky Carmichael will be a part of Team Suzuki in the future," said Mel see what we can tum around:' In 2002, Carmichael set the motocross world on its ear when he recorded the first perfect season in AHA National Motocross history, the Floridianwinning 24 straight motos to earn dent of the Motorcycle/ATV Divisio n. "Hiring Ricky demonstrates Suzuki's commitment to putting our supercross/ motocross team back on the racing map. Suzuki team manager Roger D eCoster, who has had several frustrating seasons of to late trying to find a combination that can w in races, was also over the moon with the signing. "I am elated," DeCoster said. "Ricky is such a talented rider with a tremendous work ethic, which will be a great example for Team Suzuki's young riders. I realize it won't be easy for him to come back and win after being off due to injury, but I have confidence in Rickyand in how much effort I know that he's going to put into winning." his sixth consecutive AMA family, and we 've had a lot of success together. I think right now allwe want to do is focus National Motocross Championship. Last year, Carmichael battled for the outdoor crown with fellow Honda man Windham, but he ended up coming out on top on the outdoor season. I think there are to probably some more pieces that are going to fall into place, and I think probably when people hear what some of them are , they will be shocked." motocross crown, adding that to the 2SOcc Supercross title he'd earned earlier in the year. The Stewart/KTM rumor obviously has Kawasaki concerned, and the com pany also has to worry abo ut its "main man" being courted by Honda. "We 're still talking to him [Stewart]," Harris, Americ an Suzuki's vice presi- Carmichael's move to Suzuki increases the speculation that Honda will make an offer to Chad Reed , the man who is closing in on his first AHA THQ Supercross Series Championship. Reed is in the final year of his Yamaha contract. Honda would also be a natural fit for Bubba Stewart, but the word at California Speedway was that the phenom is on the verge of signing a deal with the Red earn his seventh consecutive AMA Kawasaki team manager Bruce Stjemstrom said on Saturday, April 3. "We haven't heard about the KTM thing." Australian Michael Byrne has another year remai ning on his Kawasaki contract. Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla is expected to be signed up as the official test rider for the rejuvenated factory Suzuki team for the 2004 season . Like most teams in the modem era of MotoGp, the Suzuki guys are looking to a third rider as someone who could advance their cause - and think they have found the perfect match. "We have a lot of help from having a test ride r who is competitive and has exactly the same feelings about the way the bike feels as Kenny [Roberts Jr.]," stated team boss Garry Taylor. "That means that Kenny is a lot more comfortable w ith Gregorio testing things and has more confidence that when he gets to ride with new settings or eq uipment, they will be what he likes." Taylor, meanwhile, claimed there was nothing new about the Suzuki since the last few tests. "The re 's nothing rad ically different to the bikes of last year, just lots of little improvements in the to lerances of things," Taylor said. "N ow we are on an upward spiral." G ord o n Ritchie "We have a plan A, Band C, like every "Ricky is such a talented rider with a tremendous work ethic, which will be a great example for Team Suzuki's young riders." - Roger DeCoster Jim McClure, Harley-Davidson Racing Icon D ies N inet e en -t ime Top Fuel HarleyDavidson Champio n Jim McClure lost Carmichael, w hose knee injury prevented him from de fend ing his AMA T HQ Supercross title this year, is set to begin defense of his 250cc National Motocross Champ io nship next month in the series opener at Hangtown on May IS. Carmichael will be riding a Honda CRF4S0 in defense of this title, in what will be his final seas on with the team. "In the next hour o r two, Ricky is going to make a pres s re lease to everybody, so that will be forthcoming," Miller said o n Friday at California Speedway in Fontana, California. ''At this point, it is inappropriate Bull KTM team. "Those opportunities [Reed and Stewart] were available be fore this as well," Miller said. "We've looked at all of those options, for us to make an official comment. We've things have to happen . Sometimes it's a Th ursday meeting, and everything has to had a great re lationship with Ricky and his 6 and some things are very pro, and some things are a bit con. We didn't even want to ever go down that road because always our first choice and foc us was to retain Ricky [Carmichael] and keep him on a red bike, but that looks like that's not go ing to happe n now, so Hon da will sit back and pull together our thoughts and figure o ut our next move and step. A lot of differe nt companies have a lot of differe nt timelines on when APRIL 14, 2004 • CYC LE N EW S other team at this point," Stjernstrom said. "Who wouldn't wa nt Bubba?" With Reed also a free agent at the end of the season, Yamaha team manager Keith McCarty also has to worry abo ut losing his "main man." Word on the street is that Reed (and Carmichael) had tested a Suzuki. "We 're negotiating with him [Reed] now ," McCarty said. "I heard the same thing [about Reed testing the Suzuki], but I don't know if it' s true." As for Carmichael signing with Suzuki, McCarty wasn't surprised. "Suzuki has had a tough few years, and if they want to win it, that's what they had to do ." 40th Anniversary Pa ul Carr ut h er s his struggle to sustain heart-replacement surgery on Apri l 2. wi th liver and pancreas failure ultimately leading to his dea th . M cClure was an icon in top fuel motorcycle drag racing, known for his frequent wins and dedicated presence but known. too, for his wa rm and gentle demeanor. H is frequent speed seemed opposite to his personality, but the gen- tle part of him q uickly disappeared on the track when it was time to wi n. Visitation and viewing was held on Monday. April 5. with his funeral scheduled fo r April 6 at 2 p.m. at Liberty Baptist Church in Lanexa. Virginia.