After a shaky start to the 2002 season, Team Honda’s Ricky Carmichael is now officially back on track. He posted his first win last week in Phoenix, and last night at the third and final Anaheim round, the defending champ scored a come-from-behind win that seemed to indicate he is capable of performances like those he turned in last year.
“I feel like I’m getting in my groove,” Carmichael said. “A good start is what it takes to get a win out here. Everything is going great right now, and the competition has really stepped it up. If you’re not out front early, it’s game over. I’ll go home this week, where I feel comfortable. I hope I have an advantage on the East Coast.”
The Floridian was sixth after one lap, but he steadily worked his way up until taking over the lead at the midway point. From then on in, he was never seriously challenged, although Stephane Roncada, who ran second nearly the entire race, kept him honest to the finish. It was the best-ever finish for the Chevy Trucks Kawasaki rider, and he was happy, to say the least. Roncada has been riding more confidently and aggressively lately, and it seems to be working well for the Frenchman. Speaking of Frenchmen, third on the evening was taken by David Vuillemin, the Team Yamaha rider keeping his untarnished podium streak alive. Vuillemin was riding with bruised ribs following a practice crash on a YZ125 earlier in the week, but he still managed to recover from a mediocre start and keep his points lead intact.
Fourth was the property of steady Mike LaRocco, the Team Amsoil/Dr. Martens rider slowed slightly by a scary mistake in the whoops. He continues to hold second in the points, nine behind Vuillemin and 16 ahead of Carmichael. Team Honda’s Nathan Ramsey was next on the CRF450R, getting by Jeremy McGrath late in the race.
As for McGrath, the Bud Light Yamaha rider matched his sixth-place finish of last week, but he seemed happier with his ride. The seven-time champ finally snared the holeshot in the main, and he looked like his old self for the first half of the race. At that point, a battle with Roncada caused his arm-pump problems to return, and he slowly faded back. Still, McGrath says he is working on the problem and was happy to finally race for the win for a while.
Travis Pastrana was next, the Sobe Suzuki rider crashing in his heat race and the main event (the former while leading).
Chevy Trucks Kawasaki’s James Stewart has had problems with crashes at Anaheim, and this week was no different. Two different tumbles negated some brilliant riding, and the rookie finished back in 11th, his worst finish yet. Just like the last Anaheim round, it was a KTM Red Bull rider who took the win, only this time it was Brock Sellards, who led every one of the 15 laps.
“Last week I was riding good and Stewart took me out, which was frustrating, but this weekend I turned it around and won my first event,” Sellards said. “I could hear everyone cheering out there, even though it may not have been for me.”
Sellards was challenged by Amsoil/Dr. Martens rider Chris Gosselaar, but small mistakes prevented him from making a successful bid. Billy Laninovich finished a close third, making it two out of three for the Austrian manufacturer.
Kevin Johnson was fourth on an LCR Racing Yamaha, with Amsoil/Dr. Martens Honda’s Travis Preston completing the top five.
125 Main: 1. Brock Sellards (KTM); 2. Christopher Gosselaar (Hon); 3. Billy Laninovich (KTM); 4. Kevin Johnson (Yam); 5. Travis Preston (Hon); 6. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam); 7. Keith Johnson (Yam); 8. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 9. Craig Decker (Yam); 10. Michael Brandes (Suz).
125 Points: 1. James Stewart (104/2 wins); 2. Travis Preston (83/1 win); 3. Ivan Tedesco (82); 4. Brock Sellards (77/1 win); 5. Christopher Gosselaar (76); 6. Rodrig Thain (64); 7. David Pingree (62/1 win); 8. Keith Johnson (59); 9. Travis Elliott (55); 10. Craig Decker (48).
250 Main: 1. Ricky Carmichael (Hon); 2. Stephane Roncada (Kaw); 3. David Vuillemin (Yam); 4. Mike LaRocco (Hon); 5. Nathan Ramsey (Hon); 6. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 7. Travis Pastrana (Suz); 8. Michael Byrne (Hon); 9. Ernesto Fonseca (Hon); 10. Ezra Lusk (Kaw).
250 Points: 1. David Vuillemin (112/2 wins); 2. Mike LaRocco (103/1 win); 3. Ricky Carmichael (87/2 wins); 4. Travis Pastrana (80); 5. Ezra Lusk (68); 6. Nathan Ramsey (65); 7. Stephane Roncada (63); 8. Jeremy McGrath (61); 9. Michael Byrne (56); 10. (TIE) Kevin Windham/Nicholas Wey (48).
