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/1477536
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 35 AUGUST 30, 2022 P123 thought of that [going undefeat- ed]. He's all about winning, and I've never seen anyone take los- ing so bad—I can't really explain it. Ricky also feeds off the right things and people. One time, after winning the Daytona Super- cross when he was with Kawasa- ki, Bob Hannah came up to Ricky and congratulated him. Ricky said, 'Hannah came into my truck and shook my hand!' Bob doesn't do things like that to anyone, and Ricky knows what Hannah meant to the sport." And what did Hannah have to say about Carmichael's perfect season? "He's totally dedicated," Hannah said. "He is willing to give up the rest of his life to be an MX superstar; he's willing to do that. There are guys that have talent but don't have the heart—you have to be dedicated to beat him. It's not the dinner the night before [a race]—you can't eat three baked potatoes and win the next day. You have to train and work at it. If it's raining on Tuesday, you can't not train because you don't want to get the sniffles—Car- michael will be out there." Aldon Baker, Carmi- chael's trainer at the time, said, "I believe that no one else out there trains as hard as he does. My deal is that I look at what he is doing, look at his weakness and work on that. We do have to be careful because there's a fine line between doing too much, and it's not an easy program I've got for him. I also have to watch the mental part of it because the mind runs the body. He has a very tough mind, almost like a hawk that never says die, never gives up. Ricky always gives it 100 percent, some guys think they do, but he never gives up." "Carmichael rides every lap like it's the last," said Jeff Ward. "I mean, I'm pretty amazed he stays on the bike sometimes—he's not out of shape, but his style's pretty aggressive." David Bailey said, "He wants it more than everybody else, all the time. Before he goes to bed, when he's trying to go to sleep, he thinks about it. When he wakes up, he's thinking about it. When he's riding and training, he's thinking about it." "Ricky puts in more work and more effort than anybody else out there, of course," said Broc Glover. "He's a well-trained ath- lete. You know, he practices a lot and trains a lot, and he's talent- ed. It's like watching a gymnast, or someone repeats something over and over and over, and it's like, 'God, it's amazing how many times they can do that in a row.' Well, Ricky's the same way. He goes and practices consistently, over and over and over, and he's a really talented rider." Rick Johnson said it was all about confidence. "I think he's had many benchmarks that have built his confidence over the years," Johnson said. We even asked Carmichael himself. "I have to credit my bike," he said. "I mean, my bike was excellent, really, really fast, want to get the sniffles—Car- want to get the sniffles—Car- want to get the sniffles—Car michael will be out there." Aldon Baker, Carmi- chael's trainer at the time, said, "I believe that no one else out there trains as hard as he does. My deal is that I look at what he is doing, look at his weakness and work on that. We do have to be careful because there's a I've got for him. I also have to watch the mental part of it because the mind runs the body. Carmichael backed up his first perfect season in motocross in 2002 with another perfect season in 2004. "If it's raining on Tuesday, you can't not train because you don't want to get the sniffles— Carmichael will be out there." — Bob Hannah