IN
THE
WIND
P28
Carmichael, Suzuki End
Long-Time Relationship
R
icky Carmichael, a
12-time 250/450cc
Supercross and MX
champion, says he is
ending his relationship
with Suzuki after 15 years.
RC won four AMA Cham-
pionships with the Suzuki
brand and has remained
as an ambassador for the
company since retiring
from professional racing
at the end of the 2007
season. Carmichael made
the announcement via the
open letter below.
To all of my fans and
everyone in our motor-
cycle community,
After 15 years with
Suzuki, I wanted to take
this time to say thank
you and express my gratitude
to the entire staff at Suzuki of
America, Suzuki Japan and to
all of the other regions I have
been fortunate enough to work
with over the years. We were
able to accomplish some great
things together, both as a rider,
and as a team owner and I am
very fortunate to have made
many great friendships along
the way.
As times change, I have
been looking at other oppor-
tunities within the motorcycle
industry and exploring options
where I feel my experiences
can best be applied to help
grow our great sport. As every-
one knows, I also enjoy chal-
lenges and seeing what a team
of people can do to produce
a great result when working
together on new projects. As
I continue to build upon my
years of experience as a racer,
I am now transitioning to enjoy
other aspects of the motor-
cycle community.
This hasn't been an easy
decision, but the future is excit-
ing for me. My love of bikes has
grown beyond just off-road rid-
ing and I am looking forward to
exploring those opportunities
more in the future. I will forever
work to promote our sport and
continue to give back to the up
and coming riders who hope to
see their dreams realized, just
as I did many years ago.
With that, I want to wish
everyone at Suzuki continued
success in the future. Friend-
ships go well beyond working
relationships, I am fortunate to
have many of you as friends,
and look forward to seeing you
at the races and on the road!
My warmest regards,
RC
After 15
years, Suzuki
and Ricky
Carmichael
part ways.
