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/128345
o years ago, Ricky Carmichael did what many peo ple thought was imposs ible: He won all 24 motos of the AMA2SOcc National Motocross Championship to finish the season with a perfect 600 points. Many believed that luck played a big role - and it proba blydid - but no one is saying that now. Carmichael repeated that amazing feat again this year, and he did so after having reconstructive knee surgery that kept him sidelined during the entire supercross season . He also rode a heavier and morepowerful CRF4S0R four -stroke in the championship, proving once again his versatilityand pure dominance . But Carmichael has made some radical changes to his racing program: He announced midseason that he would be leaving Team Honda for Team Suzuki, and that created a lot of buzz. His move also played a pivotal role in the high-priced game of musical chairs among fellow superstars James "Bubba" Stewart and Chad Reed, both T 40 OCTOBER 13, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS of whom re negotiated the ir contracts this past season . Without quest ion, Carmichael is the greates t mot ocross rider in history, having won an amazing 107 AMA events. Heading into the 200S season, however, there are a lot of new variables. The last time Carmichael race d supercross, he lost in the final six races to Yamaha's Reed. And the Floridian is still bitter about the way the season ended - even though he won the championshi p. And with Reed staying put at Yamaha - and staying in good health - the Australian w ill certainly be a force to be reckoned with in January. Stewart's move to the 2S0cc class also has a lot of people talking about the upcoming title fight. His innovative and highly aggressive riding style has a lot of people wondering just who is the fastest rider. This past season, Stewart kicked Carmichael out of the number-one spot on the all-time win list for AMA 12Scc Supercross and 12SccNational Motocross victories. Although Carm ichael 40th Anniversary reminds us that Stewart only has two championships to his I I, few will argue that Stewart should be a co nsiste nt podium finis her when he makes his 2S0cc debut . We recently spent some time one-on-one with Car michael in Southe rn Calif ia, and the n spent the orn next day with him at Suzuki's private test track. He's told us why he left Honda , why fans are so supportive of the switch , when he's going to ret ire and wha t he's going to do once he calls it a career. He's truly a fascinating character w ith the most intense work ethic o f any motocross rider, past or present. Were you surprised at how strong you came back aft e r knee surge ry this past year? In a way I was. My knee still gets pretty sore a lot, ~nd I haven't had much time to rest it. As Soon as I finished rehab, and I was able to ride, I rode a lot to get my base speed back. But I am surprised at how well I Q A