It grinds away at chains, gears and bearings, it saps the horsepower from motocross bikes and the strength of the riders, it gives fans the opportunity to watch some of the most extreme lean angles riders will experience all season and the deep and loamy ruts it forms make for perhaps the roughest track in America.
We’re talking about the infamous sand of Southwick, the principal feature riders will face this Sunday, June 12, when round three of the AMA Motocross Championship Presented by FMF rolls into the scenic wooded setting of Motocross 338 - the track named for the American Legion Post that owns the property on which it sits.
Considered one of the most unique racing circuits in all of motocross, Southwick is a track that some riders thrive on, while others simply try to endure. Being 100 percent fit is a prerequisite if a competitor expects to do well at Southwick and the skills required to ride fast in Southwick’s rugged sandbox have provided surprise winners over the years.
Local New England heroes Doug Henry and John Dowd have both won AMA nationals at their home track. Danny Smith and Craig Anderson scored their one and only victories in surprise wins in the 125 class at Southwick. But of all the great riders who have raced at the famous motocross circuit in its 30-plus year history, none have mastered the Southwick sand like Ricky Carmichael.
Carmichael has won a record five consecutive AMA 250 Motocross Championship races at Southwick dating back to 2000. He also scored a pair of 125 wins there in the late 1990s. Carmichael comes into this year’s race with a solid points lead and he’s looking to extend that lead even further with an unprecedented sixth win at 'The Wick'.
"I really enjoy racing at Southwick," said Carmichael, who will attempt to give Suzuki its first 250 win at Southwick in 24-years. "I grew up in Florida racing on a lot of sand tracks so it doesn’t bother me. It’s definitely one of the toughest tracks we race on and it really shows who’s been doing their training."
