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"When he [Stewart] went down, he was just going to the front - he wanted to get there - maybe a little too qUickly," Reed said. "The track was really slippery, and you really had to bide your time and be patient, and I don't think he was patient enough tonight." "I was kind of riding around, because, I don't know, just maybe the way the track was, those guys weren't going that fast," Stewart said. 'J\nd I didn't have a problem staying with them. Then my front end just washed out. It wasn't because I was pushing it, it just washed out. I got back going, I got back to fourth, [but] it was too late then." That effectively knocked Stewart out of the hunt for the win, but Carmichael and Reed set sail for Windham. Windham, however, was enjoying a rather comfortable lead. "I honestly thought Kevin was gone," Reed said. "We all know what Kevin can do with a small lead." This time, though, Windham couldn't capitalize on his lead, as Carmichael and Reed slowly but surely inched closer to the Honda rider. Carmichael, however, was haVing trouble staying smooth and kept making mistakes, and Reed could see that. On the 12th lap, in a section that many riders said was the most challenging, Reed passed Carmichael. "He made the pass after the tunnel," Carmichael said. "I had kind of been struggling there all night and that was really the weak point for me. I went up outside to jump up on top of that elevated turn, and he snuck on the inside." Reed closed the door on the I I-time National Champion and began to pressure Windham. Pretty soon, Reed was right on Windham, and the two diced for the lead, sometimes side by side, until the I6th lap when Reed finally made a pass stick. "We could hear the fans, but I guess we could kind of hear each other, too," Windham said. "We were kind of yelling back and forth. It got pretty close, but we kept it clean, and that's the important thing. We put on a good show. It feels good. It was a great race, and I think that this track was a track that was going to keep us pretty tight, and it did, and it was good for everybody." Once into the lead, Reed rode off and left Windham to fend off Carmichael. But that didn't last for long, when RC executed a perfect block pass on Windham and took off. Meanwhile, Stewart was qUietly riding around all alone in fourth, but 13 seconds behind Windham. At the finish, Reed took the checkered flag 1.774 seconds ahead of Carmichael, who was eight seconds clear of Windham. "I tried to make a little push there on the last couple of laps, but it wasn't enough," Carmichael said. Windham was content to finish third, while Stewart was disappointed to finish a distant fourth. "I could have won," Stewart said. ''I'm not saying that just to be cocky. Who knows, a lot of things could have happened, but the way 1was riding and how easy I was riding, I didn't have a problem. I thought for sure I was going to win." But Reed was the man of the hour. "I think at the beginning I learned that 1 was trying to push really hard, in the heat race, and I was going backwards doing that," Reed said. "I think that I just kind of calmed myself down and rode my lines, my race, and that's what got it done. I just was a lot smoother and a lot more consistent." eN 51LVERDOME PONTIAC, MICHIGAN RESULTS: APRIL 9, 2005 (ROUNDS 13/14 OF 16/17) HEAT I (8 laps 1-4 transfer): I. Kevin Windham (Hon); 2. Chad Reed (Yam); 3. Emesto Fonseca (Han); 4. Tyler Evans (5U2); 5. Sebastien Tortelli (5uz); 6. Kyie Lewis (Han); 7. Jason Thomas (Han); 8. Damien Plotts (Hon): 9. Eric.k Vallejo (Yam); 10. Damon Huffman (Han); I I. Joe Oehlhof (Han): 12. Jlri Dostal (Han): 13. Doug Dehaan (Han); 14. Matt Shue (5u1:); I S. Derek Leist (Han); 16. Thomas Kelley (5uz): 17. Brandon Butler (Hon); 18. Scott Mea. (Han): 19. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 20. Shawn Clark (Kaw). Time: 6 min., H.CHO sec. HEAT 2 (8 laps 1-4 transfer): I. James Stewart (Kaw): 2. Ricky Carmichael (Suz); 3. Travis Preston (Hon); 4. David Vuillemin (Yam); 5. Heath Voss (Yam); 6. Mike laRocco (Hon); 7. Ryan Clark (Hon); 8. Keith Johnson (Yam); 9. Cole 5eibler (Suz); 10 Isaiah Johnson (Yam); II. nmmy Ferry (Yam); 12. Clark Stiles (Suz); 13. Michael Young (Hon); 14. William Browning (Suz); IS. Pedro Gonzalez (Yam); 16. Ricky Jurado (Hon); 17. Brian Mason (Hon); 18. Barry Carsten (Suz); 19. Matthew Maximoff (Suz): 20. 1Y Conne' (Yam). Time: 6 min., 32.450 sec. SEMI I (6 laps 1-5 transfer): I. Sebastien Tortelli (Suz): 2. Kyle lew;s (Hon): J. Doug Dehaan (Hon): 4. Damon Huffman (Hon); 5. Jiri Dostal (Hon); 6. Jason Thomas (Hon); 7. Scott Men (Hon); 8. Matt Shue (Suz); 9. Joe Oehlhof (Hon): 10. Shawn CIaO< (Kaw): II. Kev;n Johnson (Yam); 12. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 13. Derek Leist (Hon); 14. Damien P10ttS (Hon); 15. Brandon Bulter (Hon); 16. Thomas Kelley (Suz). Time: 5 min., 10.970 sec. SEMI 2 (6 laps 1-5 transfer): I. Heath Voss (Yam); 2. Mike laRocco (Hon); 3. Clark Stiles (Suz); 4. Timmy Ferry (Yam); 5. Ryan Clark (Hon); 6. William Browning (Suz); 7. Isaiah Johnson (Yam); 8. Michael Young (Hon); 9. Cole Siebler (Suz); 10. Keith Johnson (Yam); II. Barry Carsten (Suz); 12. Ty Conner (Yam); 13. Ricky Jurado (Hon); 14. Matthew Maximoff (Suz); 15. Pedro Gonzalez (Yam); 16. Brian Mason (Hon). Time: 5 min., 16.510 sec. LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER (6 laps 1-2 transfer): I. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 2. Jason Thomas (Hon); 3. Isaiah Johnson (Yam); 4. Damien Plotts (Hon); 5. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 6. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 7. Joe Oehlhof (Hon); 8. Matt Shue (Suz); 9. Cole Siebler (Suz); 10. Shawn Clark (Kaw); I I. Brian Mason (Hon); 12. Pedro Gonzalez (Yam); 13. Scott Men (Hon); 14. Brandon Butler (Hon); 15. William Browning (Suz); 16. Barry Carsten (Suz); 17. Derek Leist (Hon); 18. Ty Conner (Yam); 19. Ricky Jurado (Hon); 20. Michael Young (Hon); 21. Matthew Maximoff (Suz); 22. Thomas Kelly (Suz). Time: 5 min., 14.45 sec MAIN (20 laps): I. Chad Reed (yam): 2. Ricky Carmichael (Suz): 3. Kevin Windham (Hon); 4. James Stewart (Kaw); 5. Mike laRocco (Hon); 6. David Vuillemin (Yam); 7. Heath Voss (Yam): 8. Travis Preston (Hon); 9. Timmy Ferry (Yam); 10. Emesto Fonseca (Hoo); II. Tyler Evans (Suz); 12. Kyle Lewis (Hon); 13. Jason Thomas (Hon): 14. Ryan Clark (Yam); 15. Damon Huffman (Hon); 16. Keith Johnson (Yam); 17. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 18. Jiri Dostal (Hon); 19. Sebastien Tortelli (Suz); 20. Clark Stiles (Suz). Time: 16 min., 13.530 sec. Margin of victory: 1.774 sec. THQ AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 13 of 16 rounds): I. Ricky Carmichael (305/7 wins): 2. Chad Reed (27714 wins): 3. Kevin Windham (224/1 win); 4. Mike laRocco (213); 5. David Vuiltemin (196); 6. Emesto Fonsee.a (171); 7. Sebas6en Tortelli (164): 8. Heath Voss (122); 9. Tyler Evans (106); 10. Michael Byrne (103); II. Travis Preston (99); 12. Damon Huffman (93); 13. Timmy Ferry (86); 14. James Stewart (79/1 win): 15. Nick Wey (73): 16. Jason Thomas (70): 17. Je,emy McGrath (61): 18. Joe Oehlhof (60): 19. (TIE) Ryan CIaO< (SOVKyle lew;s (SO). CYCLE NEWS • APRIL 20,2005 27