2007 Supercross - Anaheim I - Race Report

The opening round of the 2007 AMA Supercross season got started in Anaheim, California with the promise of some intense racing. Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, and Chad Reed had all shown flashes of greatness in the two recent World SX rounds in Canada. The twists coming into this round - Reed had injured his shoulder a week prior in a practice crash, Carmichael was making his last appearance at Anaheim, the only round (Anaheim I) in all of AMA supercross and motocross he'd never managed to win, and the whole night would be broadcast LIVE on Speed. The skies were clear, the track was challenging, and the seats were filling as 2007 - a week after that silly Times Square ceremony with the dropping ball - really got started.

James Stewart set the fastest lap time in practice, with over a full second on Carmichael's fastest. Lap times now play a role is supercross racing. Where formerly they were used for riders to gauge where they stood in the field - and often providing a psychological edge for the holder of the fastest time - now the lap times actually are part of the racing. Riders go out in groups throughout the day. Each rider gets two timed practice sessions to score his best lap. The top forty riders, based purely on their fastest single lap, advance into the night program. The new race format also changes up once the riders have earned their way under the lights. In the new qualifying program the supercross class (okay, the 450s) no longer races semi-finals. Like the Lites (250Fs), they race only heats and an LCQ. The idea is to make the SX format more live-TV friendly so in the future perhaps all rounds could be broadcast live. Think about that for a second, then cross your fingers. Okay, stop thinking about it now, you'll drive yourself crazy.

The new format certainly affected Chad Reed. Injured last week with a stress-fractured and chipped shoulder, Reed might normally sit out practice. This time he couldn't. Chad opted to ride the opening practice only, and apparently felt his times would be good enough for an invite into the night show. They were good enough, but not impressive. At five seconds behind Stewart's best, Reed had the 20th fastest lap time, and was into the night program.