Muddy conditions at the Anaheim AMA Supercross season opener combined to rob the sell out crowd of a 'true' clash between the likes of Ricky Carmichael, Chad Reed and James 'Bubba' Stewart – but the climate controlled surroundings of Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix, means Saturday’s round two should be the real deal.
The 2005 AMA Supercross Series has been described as the 'Perfect Storm', due to the convergence of talented riders racing together for the first time, but no one guessed the perfect storm would come in the form of a massive low pressure system that parked over Southern California and dumped inches of rain on Anaheim making last week’s season opener a mud bath.
In a race, which saw nearly every rider crash on the slippery, slimy racing surface, Honda’s Kevin Windham faltered only once and quickly recovered to take the victory. Windham was somewhat overlooked in the pre-season prognostication that naturally focused primarily on Reed, Carmichael and Stewart.
"I wasn’t written about much during the off-season," said Windham. "I was fine being in the shadows. My wife and I had our second daughter and I was sort of tucked away at home practicing and not racing in the off-season events."
Windham, who is the defending winner in Phoenix, is bolstered by his round one victory. "It’s huge to win in terms of points," he said. "There’s a lot of talent in the series this year and a lot of races so it’s a little early to make too much out of winning Anaheim, but it’s a great way to start off the season.
"Everything went great in pre-season testing and I feel really confident right now. Honda has given me a very good motorcycle and it makes you feel good to know that you have a great bike every time you line up."
