Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki’s Ricky Carmichael bounced back from a tumbling heat race crash to extend his winning streak to 10, and 11th overall, leading every lap on his way to winning round 13 of the AMA/EA Sports Supercross Series before a Pontiac Silverdome record crowd of 61,728.
“I pulled my groin muscle when I crashed and things weren’t looking too good for me,” Carmichael said, “but I put my head down in the main event and got it done.”
American Suzuki’s Kevin Windham grabbed the holeshot, but marginally. Carmichael scooted by in the next corner and checked out. Windham held second for the first six laps before American Honda’s Ezra Lusk fought by.
Carmichael kept about a five second margin on Lusk, who pushed until the final few laps, when he backed off. Carmichael’s margin of victory was 10.90 seconds.
“It really feels good to win with this weekend off, it makes it nice,” Carmichael said.
Nicer still is his championship cushion. With three races remaining, he holds a 46 point gap on Mazda Yamaha’s Jeremy McGrath.
The reigning champion suffered a rare mechanical failure. A bolt in his front motor mount came loose, causing excessive vibration and killing his drive. McGrath took fourth behind Amsoil/Doc Martens/Competition Accessories/Honda’s Mike LaRocco. LaRocco sits third in points with 233.
American Suzuki’s Travis Pastrana became the second youngest rider ever to win a Supercross title (Damon Bradshaw was the youngest) when he clinched the 125cc Eastern Regional Supercross Championship by finishing second to Yamaha of Troy’s Nathan Ramsey in the 125cc main.
“Man, I couldn’t be more excited,” the 17-year-old from Maryland, who won five 125cc mains, said. “I’d love to have won the race as well as the championship, but like I said, Nathan (Ramsey) was flying out there. I was happy with the second place finish and first overall.”
Pastrana had gated badly and had to work his way to the front, moving into second on the fifth of 15 laps. Ramsey held a lead of about four seconds for much of the race, Pastrana gently cutting into it before sliding out with less than four laps to go. That secured Ramsey’s win, but Pastrana was in a strong enough position that the title was his.
He finished the season with 154 points, eight more than Ramsey.
Splitfire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Michael Brown, fourth today behind Yamaha of Troy’s Nick Wey, finished third in points with 135.
Pastrana said that the 125cc East-West Shootout at the Las Vegas season finale will likely be his last 125cc Supercross.
“I’d definitely like to go 250,” Pastrana said. “I’m sure some of the 125 guys will be moving on. Hopefully I’ll be out there with the 250 class next year.”
250cc Main:
1. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw); 2. Ezra Lusk (Hon); 3. Mike LaRocco (Hon); 4. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 5. Kevin Windham (Suz); 6. Tim Ferry (Yam); 7. Robbie Reynard (Yam); 8. Stephane Roncada (Kaw); 9. Michael Byrne (Kaw); 10. Damon Huffman (Yam); 11. Heath Voss (Hon); 12. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 13. Casey Johnson (Kaw); 14. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Hon); 15. Jason McCormick (Suz); 16. Pedro Gonzalez (Kaw); 17. Jeffrey Baker Jr. (Yam); 18. Kevin Crine (Hon); 19. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 20. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon)
AMA/EA SPORTS SUPERCROSS SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 13 of 16 rounds): 1. Ricky Carmichael (317/11 wins); 2. Jeremy McGrath (271/2); 3. Mike LaRocco (233); 4. Kevin Windham (217); 5. Ezra Lusk (2160; 6. Tim Ferry (163); 7. David Vuillemin (135); 8. Stephane Roncada (121); 9. Sebastien Tortelli (109); 10. (TIE) Damon Huffman/Michael Byrne (107).
125cc MAIN:
1. Nathan Ramsey (Yam); 2. Travis Pastrana (Suz); 3. Nicholas Wey (Yam); 4. Michael Brown (Kaw); 5. Brock Sellards (KTM); 6. Chris Gosselaar (Hus); 7. Kelly Smith (KTM); 8. Steve Boniface (Hon); 9. Travis Elliott (Hon); 10. Ben Riddle (Suz); 11. Danny Carlson (Suz); 12. Matt Walker (Hon); 13. Johnny Marley (Hon); 14. Matt Shue (Suz); 15. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam); 16. Charles Dunaway (Suz); 17. Isaiah Johnson (Yam); 18. David Oettel (Yam); 19. Thomas Kelley (Suz); 20. Mark Burkhart (Yam); 21. Michael Campbell (Yam); 22. Tallon Vohland (Kaw).
125cc EASTERN REGIONAL SUPERCROSS C’SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 7 of 7 rounds):
1. Travis Pastrana (154/5 wins); 2. Nathan Ramsey (146/2); 3. Mike Brown (135); 4. Nicholas Wey (123); 5. Tallon Vohland (86); 6. (TIE) Kelly Smith/Brock Sellards (82); 8. Travis Elliott (71); 9. Matt Walker (69); 10. Ben Riddle (65).
