Yamaha hopes Josh Hill is the next Ryan Villopoto.
Tony Gardea
Public Relations Man to the Motocross Gods
Half of me says, "Hurray, let's throw a party!" because the races are over, but after only a few weeks I will be ready to come back again. At this point, I have had my fill of racing, because it's pretty much year-round racing now. This season was good, though; before James got hurt, he and RC were really dicing. After James crashed at High Point, the season fizzled a bit, but it was still exciting. The Lites class has been very entertaining, with [Ryan] Villopoto taking it to the last round to seal the championship. We get a little break now with no races, but I am still looking forward to everything in the future. Next weekend, I'm actually going to Vegas for a guy's trip, and I don't have to go to the MGM Arena or Sam Boyd Stadium because my trip has nothing to do with motorcycles!
Kevin Windham: second in the standings, only 132 points behind RC...
Broc Glover
Dunlop Tires/MX Hero
It's kind of funny how the cycle for us tire guys is a little different than the average racer. The end of the Nationals is actually the beginning for us! Supercross testing begins, and it is a whole new year for us. I manage the supermoto efforts as well, so we still have another few races to go. It's nice to see a conclusion come to the series, because I know that a lot of people in the paddock are going to get some much-needed time off. For the tire guys, though, it doesn't really work that way. We are now focusing on the supercross World rounds, where tire situations can be just as difficult.
Steve Bruhn
Mototalker/Motonewser/TFS'er
The Nationals in 2006 were a pretty important year. [Ricky] Carmichael's and [James] Stewart's careers finally intersected to the point where we really didn't know who was going to win at some of the races. Their bikes were matched, and as Ricky has said when he wrapped it up, nothing was left on the table. Even though Ricky won it, James rode really well and Chad [Reed] put in solid rides as long as he lasted. The moto of the summer was the first one at High Point, because we really didn't know where anyone stood. James ended up looping it and partially ruining his summer, but the racing was still incredible. When the Suzuki guys were packing up their truck that day, I mentioned something about RC and Bubba battling. Ricky's mechanic said to me, "You know, I really don't think any two guys have ever ridden their motorcycles on dirt any faster than that." That pretty much sums up the season.