Ricky Carmichael and Chad Reed come into this Saturday’s (March 5) THQ AMA Supercross Series race in St. Louis with plenty of incentive.
Both riders have a chance to tie Jeremy McGrath’s record of three wins in the Edward Jones Dome: Carmichael is aiming to pick up his first win in St. Louis in three-years while Reed hopes to start another winning streak as he did there in 2003.
Carmichael provided yet another classic example of his toughness and determination in his victory last weekend in Atlanta.
RC crashed his Makita Suzuki seven laps into the 20-lap final, but the three-time AMA Supercross champ rebounded and chased down Reed to retake the lead with two laps remaining. He then rode on to his sixth win of the season. The victory pushed Carmichael’s lead over Reed in the standings to 32 points at the mid-season mark.
"I’d been having problems with my front end all night," Carmichael said of the slick Georgia red clay. "Finally the front wheel just tucked and I went down. When I got back on the bike I knew I still had a chance at a decent finish, but I honestly didn’t think I could come back and win after crashing like that."
Carmichael could win his 40th-career AMA Supercross in St. Louis. He is second to McGrath on the all-time wins list. McGrath has 72-career AMA Supercross victories and is slated to race in St. Louis for the first time in three-years in his limited return to the series.
Meanwhile, Reed comes to St. Louis hoping to erase the memory of what he described as a supremely disappointing performance in Atlanta. "I had the race handed to me and I didn’t take it," said the frustrated Yamaha ace. “I didn’t attack the track like I normally do. That’s something I’ll work on to get ready for St. Louis."
In 2003 Reed found the perfect combination at St. Louis and went on a six-race winning streak pushing the championship all the way to the final round.
Kevin Windham joins Carmichael, Reed and McGrath as a former St. Louis Supercross winner. Windham and his Amsoil Chaparral Honda team-mate Mike LaRocco are locked in a great battle for third in the series. Last weekend Windham took back the position after scoring a third in Atlanta.
