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/128629
A M A/C h e vyTru c k s U .S. M o t o cro s s C h a m p ions h ip S e r ie s Round 1 1 : Broome -Ti o g a sports C e n t e r S T O RY B y J ERRY A T HEY P HOT OS BY STEVE B RU HN BINGHAMTON, NY, AUG. 27 om ina nce . Th at se ems to be the o nly wo rd to a cc urate ly describe Ri c k y Ca rm icha el 's s t ella r 200 0 Nati on al S e rie s c a m pa ign . Whi le h is m a in title - r iva ls , T eam Ho nd a ' s S ebasti en T o rt e lli a nd Ke vi n Win d h a m , alo ng wi t h T eam Yama ha ' s Dav id Vu ill e m in h a v e s t r u g g le d throug hout the s eason with inju ries , c ra s he s a nd/ or me ch an ical p roblems , t he T ea m C h ev y Tr uck s / Kaw asa ki r id e r h a s ca lm ly an d s tea d ily tro unced his competito rs wee k in a nd week out , giving up o nly th ree ov e rall wins t o hi s afore me nt io ne d riv a ls. Round 1 1 . h el d a t t h e b e aut if u l Broom e -Tioga S po rts Cente r, was to be no d iffe ren t , as Carmichael p iloted hi s C had Wett s -p re pa re d fa c to ry KX25 0 to the c om m a nd ing 1- 1 overall wi n in front of a record -setti n g c rowd of c heering fans . Carm ic ha e l's win - h is e ighth of the outdoor series comb ined with a first-moto c ra s h a nd DN F fro m Torte lli, p rovi ded Ca rm ic hae l with th e po ints c ushion he need ed to wrap u p his firs t -e ver 2 50cc Na tiona l Motocross Cha m pi o ns hi p. F o r t hose cou ntin g. t ha t m a ke s 33 career wins and four con secutive National Motocross Titles for the 20-yea r-o ld fro m Ha vana , Florida . "This fee ls gr eat, « sa id Ca rmic hael. "It ' s been a long sea s o n . Afte r Mt. Morris. I just worked m y bu tt off and the te a m did to o . T h ings re all y got rolling her e the la st five race s . It fee ls exce llent to wra p up the title ea rly. Now, I'll be a ble to s leep this we e k." Ca rm icha e l sta rte d the firs t m ot o o n the heels of Vuillemi n, taki ng over t he early le ad j ust be fore Bro om e Tio ga 's m a ss ive downh ill a nd ra c ing steadily to th e checkers . In the se c ond moto , Ca rmichae l ha d to , on ce agai n , deal with Vu illem in early o n , div ing u nde r t he Yam ah a pil ot in a slick le ft-ha nd e d approac h to a la rge step -down jump. Once out in front. Ca rm ichael ste adil y pulled away fro m his wo uld -be com petito rs, e ve ntua lly finishing out the moto with a lea d of mor e tha n twe nty secon ds . "This tr ack is kind of s lip pery, so you c a n ' t rid e it t o o h ard o r it will throw yo u down ," sai d Carmich ael. "I ju s t tr ie d to stay smoot h a nd keep Dav id from pre s suring me ." Fo r To rt e lli, Bingh amton was the battle t hat nev er m at eria lized. Th e 21 -yea r-o ld Frenchman , who a lready ha s two World Ch amp ions hips to his c re d it , started th e fi rs t moto just ins ide t he to p 10 a nd lo o ke d to be m o v ing t h r ou gh t he p a c k be fo re D Chevy Trucks/ K awa sa ki ' s Ricky Cannichael c linched t h e 2000 250cc National MX Championship w ith one round to spare. At Binghamton , Cannichael went 1·1 for his eighth win of t h e ye ar. 6 S EPTEM BER 6 . 2000 ' cue • e n e _ s