Another AMA/Chevy Trucks National Motocross round, another record. Ricky Carmichael once again won both 250cc motos today at the Washougal, Washington, outdoor National, taking the overall win and setting the mark for most 250cc overall wins in a single season. (Bob Hannah’s record was eight, and Carmichael’s mark, very possibly soon to be extended, is now nine.)
The Team Honda rider didn’t get either holeshot, and he didn’t lead every lap, but he was once again dominant, turning the fastest lap times and riding flawlessly all day (Carmichael was even fast after the race, leaving in his rental car before the press conference in order to make a tight flight schedule.) He also has the distinction of not having lost a National in one year, since the last time he was defeated for an overall was last year at Washougal, when Kevin Windham scored the win.
Finishing second overall was Team Yamaha’s Tim Ferry, who notched 3-2 finishes on his YZ426F. Ferry didn’t get the greatest of starts, but he did a good job of passing on the slick track. Completing the podium was none other than Moto XXX/Yoshimura/DGY rider Kyle Lewis, whose 4-3 placings impressed pretty much everyone on hand. Needless to say, Lewis was also the top privateer.
The top five were rounded out by Team Honda’s Nathan Ramsey, who finished second in moto one but crashed in moto two and placed sixth, and Planet Honda’s Robbie Reynard, another impressive privateer.
In the 125cc division, Chevy Trucks Kawasaki’s James Stewart Jr. once again took the overall, though he didn’t win both motos. Stewart started poorly and was third in moto one, in which Washington native Larry Ward turned in a popular victory, but he came back out and won moto two despite another bad start. Ward was second overall after finishing third in moto two, making it two Moto XXX/Yoshimura/DGY riders on the podium for the day. Third overall went to Blimpie Suzuki’s Branden Jesseman, who led much of moto two but eventually finished second both times out. (Don’t send e-mails; Jesseman was indeed third, and not second, because the AMA goes by championship points scored on the day.)
Completing the top five in the class were Team Honda’s Ernesto Fonseca and Pro Circuit/Kawasaki/Chevy Trucks’ Matt Walker.
