The second to last supercross of the season almost turned into abrawl after the main when defending champion Ricky Carmichael felt likeYamaha’s Chad Reed and Tim Ferry singled him out for some team tactics. Reedwon the race after making an aggressive pass on Carmichael that sent Carmichaelto the ground, but Carmichael’s biggest complaint seemed to be Reed’s teammateTim Ferry, who was back for the first time since Daytona.
The weekend started with Carmichael just 13 points ahead of Reedfor the championship, and Carmichael with plenty of bike changes since the lastround, and worries that Ferry’s appearance might result in some team tactics.
Ferry got the holeshot and led two laps of the main, then Reedtook over, with Carmichael trying early to take the lead too. Both Reed andCarmichael had to get around Sean Hamblin and Nick Wey early on.
At one point Ferry, Reed, and Carmichael went over a triple closetogether and Ferry ended up on the ground, then right after that Reed made anaggressive pass on Carmichael that knocked him down. An angry Carmichael gotback up and caught up to second, but Reed cruised in for his fifth win in arow. Fonseca was third.
"I am just happy that I got third," said Fonseca,"I have done better here before (when I was in 125 class). I amconcentrating on getting closer to these guys every week. Tonight I got alittle bit better. Hopefully I can do better in Vegas. The track will be dry,which is pretty much conditions like I practice every day. I think that will help.I had a really bad start and had to work my way up. My bike was working prettygood. The whoops were the toughest section of the whole track. I got caught upbehind Sean Hamblin there for a little bit but finally got by him. After thatRicky and Chad had a pretty big gap and that was the whole race for me. Rickyis faster than me right now. We both get the same treatment at Honda. I amhappy to be in the spot that I am. I get to learn from one of the bestguys."
"We came together and I fell," said Carmichael of theincident with Reed, "I am not going to dwell on it but I defiantly won’tforget it. I am in a tough position. There are things that I think about, andthings that I have to protect. Chad is going to do that and hope for somethingon my side to go wrong. He is not just going to come in there and pass me fairand square and blow me away. He is going to have to come in there and take meout and hopefully I fall down and smash my pipe or something so I can’t finish.The thing was he (Ferry) kind of let Chad by there, when he looked back and sawme I saw he was going to try and cut in front of me. Luckily I got in front ofhim. Then I was about to make a move on Chad at the time, and then I lookedover to my left and I saw Timmy do a double and just grab a handful. He wasgoing for me in the turn, no matter what he says, I just find it funny how heis here this weekend. They have to make something happen, any way you look atit. We would do the same thing if we had to. As far as that goes there is a lotof jealousy and bitterness with Timmy. He has had a hard time with my success.He was always better than me as an amateur and older, then I came up andstarted doing really well. Ever since then things have changed since I havebeen winning. All that stuff adds up. You won’t see me next week going in anddeliberately trying to take someone out and knock them in the cheap seats.
Reed explained his side of what went on, and denied there were anyteam plans to knock Carmichael around. "Tonight was somewhatinteresting," he said, "It started in practice yesterday. The guys atYamaha really worked hard on my bike. It was my first time riding at Salt Lake.Everyone told me how slow the bikes were here. I really didn’t think they wouldbe that slow. They did some hard work and we had the best bike out there. Mystarts were definitely down this weekend. I came together with Ricky on thestart. From there it was trying to get to the front as fast as possible and winthe race."
Tempers flared after the main, Carmichael had to be restrainedwhen he confronted Ferry, and when he went to the podium to make his case, thecrowd booed. Reed tried to play it down in the post-race press conference."I think everyone is just blowing this out of proportion. It’s the heat ofthe moment. Ricky seems a little pissed right now. That’s his deal. Everyoneseems to be thinking Timmy is out here to help me. The real truth is myrelationship with Timmy right now isn’t that great either. Whatever he andRicky have going on is up to them. I did my job tonight. I won the race andonce I got out front I put some times together and I feel I was the fastest guyout there. Timmy is in a difficult situation. He got sick. His contract is up.We will work things out. The nationals are coming up. I will go back and rideon his track in Florida and works things out as professionals. It seemed likeall three of us went together on the triple. I was off to the right and out ofthe way. The next thing I saw was a red bike go flying across and then a bluebike flying through the air. I looked around and Reddog (Ferry) was on theground. Basically it messed Ricky up and I and a good run on him down thewhoops. I put it in there. I made an aggressive pass and he went down."
After the press conference, Carmichael and his team manager ChuckMiller met with Ferry and Yamaha’s team manager Jim Perry in a motorhome andthey exchanged apologies and made peace.
250cc AMA Supercross Series Event Results
1. Chad Reed, Corona, Ca. Yamaha
2. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla., Honda
3. Ernesto Fonseca, Canyon Lake, Ca, Honda
4. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha
5. Sean Hamblin, Sun City, Ca., Suzuki
6. Ryan Clark, Corrales, NM., Yamaha
7. Tim Ferry, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
8. Josh Demuth, Haslet, TX., Yamaha
9. Keith Johnson, Albuquerque, N.M., Yamaha
10. Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Yamaha
250cc AMA Supercross Series Season Standings
1. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla., Honda, 345
2. Chad Reed, Corona, Ca,Yamaha, 335
3. Ernesto Fonseca, Canyon Lake, Ca, 205
4. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha, 187
5. Tim Ferry, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha, 177
6. David Vuillemin, Corona, Ca, Yamaha, 169
7. Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Yamaha, 166
8. Ezra Lusk, Bainbridge, Ga., Kawasaki, 149
9. Larry Ward, Florence, S.C. Honda, 149
10. Keith Johnson, Albuquerque, N.M., Yamaha, 137
125cc Western Regional AMA Supercross Series Event Results
1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki
2.Billy Laninovich, Escondido, Calif., KTM
3.Eric Sorby, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
4.Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., Suzuki
5. Shane Bess, Riverside, Calif., Suzuki
6.Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Yamaha
7.Christopher Gosselaar, Corona, Calif., Honda
8.Kevin Johnson, Albuquerque, N.M., Yamaha
9.Steve Mertens, Sonoma, Calif., Yamaha
10.Tiger Lacey, Wolf Creek, Ore., Yamaha
125cc Western Regional AMA Supercross Series Final Standings
1.James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 197
2.Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda, 138
3.Andrew Short, Colorado Springs, Colo., Suzuki, 128
4 Billy Laninovich, Escondido, Calif., KTM, 123
5.Matt Walker, McRae, Ga., Kawasaki, 110
6.Eric Sorby, France, Kawasaki, 101
7.Christopher Gosselaar, Corona, Calif., Honda, 95
8.Josh Hansen, Elbert, Colo., Yamaha, 91
9.Danny Smith, Middleton, Idaho, Suzuki, 81
10.Tiger Lacey, Wolf Creek, Ore., Yamaha, 68
