BY SHAN MOORE
PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN AND MOORE
P
erhaps Ricky Carmichael saved the best for last. The six-time
and defending AMA Motocross Champion turned in arguably
his most dominating performance to date when he lapped the
entire field en route to the second-moto victory at round nine
of the AMA Motocross Championships held at Spring Creek
MX Park, near Millville, Minnesota. To top it off, a come-from-behind win
in the opening moto gave the Makita Suzuki rider his seventh overall win
of the season and his seventh straight win at the Spring Creek facility.
Carmichael's two moto wins, however, were claimed under vastly differ-
ent circumstances.
The first moto was held in conditions that were ideal for motocross:
temperatures in the mid-70s, with overcast skies and just a light sprinkling
of rain to keep the loamy soil moist.
The second moto was quite the opposite.
Between motos, the skies opened up, turning the second moto into an
absolute quagmire. It was under these conditions that Carmichael was
head and shoulders above the rest. Every other rider found a hole or a rut
to get stuck in at least once, while Carmichael seemed to float on top of it
all, building a three-minute lead halfway into the race. Carmichael turned
lap times that were, at times, eight seconds faster than those of anyone
else on the track, and by the final lap he had lapped all 39 of his competi-
tors. This was the type of race that people will talk about for years and no
doubt will become legend.
Spring Creek MX Park
Millville, MN
Round 9
August 13, 2006
AUGUST 23, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S
20
2006 Toyota AMA Motocross Championship Presented by FMF
Ricky Carmichael (4) lapped the entire field in
the second moto.
Carmichael could wrap
up the 2006 MX title
at the next round.
