Carmichael, Pastrana Take Southwick

Paul Carruthers | June 10, 2001

Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki’s Ricky Carmichael posted his first overall victory of the season in the 250cc class today, turning in a perfect 1-1 performance in Southwick, Massachusetts, to take over the championship points lead.

Carmichael topped Amsoil Honda’s Mike LaRocco and KTM-mounted John Dowd to win the first moto before coming back to top Yamaha’s Tim Ferry and Dowd in the second moto.

Dowd’s two thirds gave him second overall on the day with LaRocco’s 2-5 landing him third overall. Ferry’s 7-2 put him fourth in the overall standings with Suzuki’s Kevin Windham fifth overall via his 6-4 tally.

World 500cc Champion Joel Smets made his AMA debut and finished sixth overall with his 8-7 moto finishes on the factory KTM.

Carmichael’s perfect day moved him into the lead in the series point standings. The Floridian has 162 points to Ferry’s 152. Honda’s Sebastien Tortelli, seventh overall today, is third with 148 points.

In the 125cc class, Travis Pastrana rode his factory Suzuki to a 2-1 moto tally to capture the overall. Pastrana finished second to Kawasaki-mounted Mike Brown in the first moto, but came back to win the second moto over KTM-mounted Brock Sellards. The championship points leader going into the Southwick round, Grant Langston, ended up sixth overall via his 9-4 moto tally.

Pastrana now leads the title chase over Langston, 169-161.

Paul Carruthers | Editor

Paul Carruthers took over as the editor of Cycle News in 1993 after serving as associate editor since starting his career at the publication in 1985. Carruthers has covered every facet of the sport in his near-28-year tenure at America's Daily Motorcycle News Source.