Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

run back to his bike, get it started, bang the clutch lever back into place and get going without losing a position. Suddenly, Carmichael found himself with a comfortable 1O-second lead, which grew to 20.751 seconds by the time the checkered flag came out. Reed crossed the finish line alone in second. The vvin by Carmichael marked the first time that Suzuki had won back-to-back AMA Supercross races since Mark Barnett did it in 1983, and it also puts Carmichael into the AMA series lead by three points over former leader Windham, 70 to 67. Despite finishing 16th at Anaheim I, Reed, with 47 points, is tied for third with Sebastien Tortelli but is still 23 points behind Carmichael. "It's just the same as last week, just trying to handle the pressure and not make any mistakes," Carmichael said. "I had fun racing with Chad. It's a shame that he fell. I don't like to get it [the win] that way, but, you know what, we're going to have a lot of battles this year, and I'm looking forward to the challenge." For Reed, it was another disappointing night at Angel Stadium. "I made the mistake," Reed said. "It sucks not to win, but it's okay to finish second vvith the crash, that's not too bad. Briefly... Noticeably absent from the Anaheim II pits was, of course, Team Kawasaki's James Bubba" Stewart. Stewart, who broke his arm the previous week at Phoenix, was recuperating at home in Florida after having the broken bone plated. As of now, it is still uncertain as to when Stewart will return to action. "We'll know more after he gets Xrays next week," Jeremy Albrecht, Stewart's mechanic, said. "It's going to be one of those things where we keep checking the X-rays and see how he's coming along, but as soon as he gets the okay from the doctor, he'll start racing, even if it's halfway through the Supercross season." II Sean Hamblin did not enjoy the best start to his race day at Anaheim II. The Monster EnergylPro Circuit rider first guy to the actual tum, and I kind of snuck in there. I went extremely on the inside to protect myself in case I didn't get a good jump. I didn't get a good jump... but that inside line worked out for me," Carmichael made a couple of nice moves right away and opened up a few bikelengths over Reed, Byrne and the rest of the pack. Windham, who was in that pack, rounded the first tum deep in the 20-rider field and was still feeling a little dazed from an earlier hard crash in his heat race, which resulted in him having to qualify through the semi and take a less-than-desirable pick on the gate for the final. "I didn't have the best of gates," Windham said. "The top guys lined up both left and right of me, so everyone left that gate open for a reason, but I took the best one I could get. Iactually got out pretty well, [but] two guys in the first turn kind of hooked and stood up, and being a little bit on the outside, Igot tangled up into that and was back a long ways. I heard 17th, and I heard tied for last - but whatever it was, it wasn't where I needed to be." And that was vvith Carmichael and Reed up front. Carmichael made a few nice moves right away and opened up a few bikelengths on Reed, but the defending champ quickly found his groove and started chipping away at Carmichael's modest lead despite Carmichael reeling off his quickest lap time of the race of 56.028 seconds on the second lap. On lap three, however, Reed countered by posting the quickest lap time of the night with a 55.910, and he soon had his number22 Yamaha allover Carmichael's number-4 Suzuki. Reed continued to push Carmichael hard on laps four, fIVe and six, but it was during the sixth lap that Reed perhaps pushed a little too hard. When the two where charging through a whoop section, Reed mistakenly let the front end of his yz drop in between whoops, which ultimately sent him flying over the handlebars. "I don't know," an obviously upset Reed said about the crash afterward. "I was just... there was kind of one spot that I was trying. In the heat race, I didn't feel like I was that great there and just was trying to change up my line and push a little harder. It seemed like I was able to come under the back of Ricky there; I don't know if I went over the front or just kind washed the front, I'm not sure." Carmichael said that he heard the crowd gasp when Reed went down. "Gh yeah, I felt his pressure, Carmichael said. "Chad was riding great, he had some good lines. Where he tipped over there, he was bowling that turn a little bit better and could carry a little more speed through there. I didn't like that particular line, because it was all chewed up there. He definitely was on my tail. I felt I had some good parts of the track and he had some good parts of the track." In those first 5 1/2 laps, Carmichael and Reed had gapped the rest of the pack enough that Reed still had plenty of time to "Me and Ricky really haven't been around each other [on the track] this season, you know," Reed continued. "I was just kind of sitting there trying to work out my lines. They did a lot of work to the track, so both of us were kind of chasing lines in some sections and were figuring out the track, letting the laps go by. I felt like I was in a great position to capitalize but just made a small mistake - a costly one." Carmichael said that he expects more battles with Reed down the road. "I know my abilities," Carmichael said. "I want to race the track, and that's exactly what I did tonight. When Chad was behind me, I wasn't getting caught up like maybe I would've in the past. I just tried to put in solid laps, and if he passed me he passed me. It never really got to that. Once he fell down, I just tried to put in solid laps the whole time, so when that 20-lap race arises, I'll be ready. It's far from over. We've still got 13 races, and the battle has just begun." Despite getting off to a horrible start and still feeling the effects of his earlier heat-race crash, Windham, on the Amsoil/Chaparral/Napster Honda CRF450R, miraculously found his way onto the podium with an impressive ride of his own. "The track today was pretty chewed up by the night program," said Windham, who described his crash in the heat race. "I was feeling good and was just trying to make up time on Chad and battle with crashed during his second practice session. "I just had a guy cross over on me, and when I landed, I clipped him." Hamblin said. "It happened in a little rhythm section after one of the triples." Hamblin suffered a small laceration on the left side of his abdomen, but he also had to have his left elbow wrapped in ice. "I'm still going to try and ride," Hamblin said. "We'll see what happens." Hamblin won his preliminary qualifier easily, but finished I Ith in heat one before opting to sit out the rest of the evening. Even though Jeremy McGrath has enjoyed improved performances and better results with each passing week. the Honda superstar will be sticking to the plan of a limited race schedule on the THQ AMA Supercross tour. "I want to take at least a week off and train hard so that I can make those extra laps I need," McGrath said. "If I keep beating the hell out of myself during the week trying to ride, it's a slower process. So if I take a week off, maybe I'll gain the strength I need then rest for a week, get back in the rhythm and race Anaheim III or, I don't know." McGrath will be appearing at round four in San Francisco, but he will not be racing. "It's a tough choice to make," said McGrath, who is really enjoying his exposure to supercross fans, who have welcomed his return with open arms and Continued on page 17 CYCLE NEWS • FEBRUARY 2, 2005 15

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