Team Honda’s Ricky Carmichael looked like the Ricky Carmichael of old after winning round four of the AMA/EA Sports Supercross Series at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona. Carmichael took the lead away from Jeremy McGrath on the sixth lap and rode away with the win in front of over 49,000 spectators. Carmichael, however, could never really take easy, as Team SoBe Suzuki’s Travis Pastrana, who passed McGrath on the same lap as Carmichael, kept the Honda rider in his sights through out the 20-lap race, but he couldn’t quite get close enough to mount a serious challenge.
Team Yamaha’s David Vuillemin, the winner of the first two rounds, also got around McGrath and kept close tabs on Pastrana, but he too could not get close enough to attempt a pass, finishing a close third. Fourth place ended up going to last week’s Anaheim II winner Mike LaRocco, on the Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Factory Connection Honda. LaRocco got a 10th-place start, took over fourth on the 10th lap, and that was as far as he could get, since the leaders had pulled out a comfortable lead on him. Rounding out the top five was Team Honda’s Nathan Ramsey on the CRF450R.
As for McGrath, the Bud Light Yamaha rider grabbed the holeshot and led for over five laps until getting passed by Carmichael and then slipping back. This was by far McGrath’s strongest showing of the year, as he did not suffer the severe arm pump that he experienced the first three races. He did admit he got a little tight but mainly from leading a race for the first time in “forever,” he said.
Honda’s Ernesto Fonseca, Amsoil/Dr. Martens’ Michael Byrne, and Chevy Trucks Kawasaki’s Ezra Lusk and Stephane Roncada rounded out the top 10 overall.
Vuillemin still leads the points race with 92, followed by LaRocco with 85, Pastrana with 66 and Carmichael with 62.
In the 125cc main, James “Bubba” Stewart was simply awesome. The Chevy Trucks Kawasaki rider jumped out front early on and quickly opened up a commanding lead over Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Factory Connection/Honda’s Travis Preston and Boost Mobile Troy Racing’s Rodrig Thain. Before long the question wasn’t so much, would Stewart win, but by how much? Stewart was putting at least two seconds a lap on the pack and had built up a nearly 15-second cushion when he slid out and fell. He still had plenty of time to pick up his bike, retain the lead, and then start building it back up again. After slowing down a little on the last lap, Stewart took the checkered flag 4.370 seconds ahead of Preston, and then Thain.
Chris Gosselaar and Brock Sellards rounded out the top five overall.
Stewart increased his series points lead over Ivan Tedesco (who finished sixth), 94-69. Preston is third with 67.
125 MAIN: 1. James Stewart (Kaw); 2. Travis Preston (Hon); 3. Rodrig Thain (Yam); 4. Chris Gosselaar (Hon); 5. Brock Sellards (KTM); 6. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 7. Michael Brandes (Suz); 8. Craig Decker (Yam); 9. Erick Vallejo (Suz); 10. Travis Elliott (Hon); 11. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam); 12. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 13. Shane Bess (Suz); 14. Keith Johnson (Yam); 15. Billy Laninovich (KTM); 16. Turbo Reif (Suz); 17. Danny Smith (Suz); 18. Michael Young (Yam); 19. Josh Coppins (Hon); 20. Justin Buckelew (Suz); 21. Casey Lytle (Yam); 22. Levi Reid (Yam).
250 MAIN: 1. Ricky Carmichael (Hon); 2. Travis Pastrana (Suz); 3. David Vuillemin (Yam); 4. Mike LaRocco (Hon); 5. Nathan Ramsey (Hon); 6. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 7. Ernesto Fonseca (Hon); 8. Michael Byrne (Hon); 9. Ezra Lusk (Kaw); 10. Stephane Roncada (Kaw); 11. Nick Wey (Yam); 12. Heath Voss (Hon); 13. Damon Huffman (Suz); 14. Kevin Windham (Suz); 15. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 16. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Hon); 17. James Povolny Jr. (Hon); 18. Ryan Clark (Yam); 19. Ted Campbell (Suz); 20. Ryan Terlecki (Suz).
