Meanwhile, in the premier Motocross class, Glen Helen will mark the final full time race appearance for recently re-crowned champion Ricky Carmichael who will retire from full time racing after the 2006 season - marking the end of an unbeaten Outdoor
Carmichael is looking to win his sixth AMA Motocross at Glen Helen. The Floridian has won every Glen Helen event since 2000, with the exception of 2001, when Tim Ferry took the victory. He also earned three wins in the 125 class there in the late 1990s.
"Glen Helen is always a challenge," said Carmichael, who had a spectacular crash at the circuit in 2001. "There have been times that I haven’t had the best luck at that track, but I’ve also had some really good races there and I’d like to go out on a winning note."
Carmichael will also use the race as preparation for the upcoming Motocross of Nations in England, where he will team with James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto to try to make Team USA the all-time wins leader in MXoN history.
The battle for second in the Motocross championship will be settled this weekend. Kevin Windham leads fellow Honda rider Davi Millsaps by 13 points coming into Glen Helen.
Upgrades abound at Glen Helen this year. Bud Feldkamp and his crew have invested more than $300,000 in track improvements into the popular Southern California facility.
As part of the recently completed renovations to Glen Helen Raceway, this year’s race track utilizes the facility’s elevation, giving fans the ultimate viewing perspective. For the first time in history, the track will traverse the hill behind the scoring tower and race to the top of the ridge dubbed Mt. Whitney.
