Three former winners prepare for Pontiac.

Honda's Ricky Carmichael, Kawasaki's Ezra Lusk and Jeremy McGrath of Bud Light Yamaha have all tasted victory in the Pontiac Silverdome and tomorrow night [Saturday 13 April] will take to the challenging track for round 13 of the 16-race AMA EA Sports Supercross Series.

Defending champ Carmichael is having another stellar season in AMA Supercross. The 22-year old Floridian has won eight of the twelve rounds leading up to Pontiac, including six straight, and leads the championship. Only David Vuillemin has been able to keep Carmichael in sight in the race for the title, but the French-born 24-year old Yamaha rider needs some luck to catch RC.

Vuillemin has done an admirable job of riding through injury to at least keep it a two-rider race for the title and, with three wins already under his belt, knows he can beat the reigning champion head-to-head, but Carmichael, who won in the Silverdome last year en route to his 14 of 16 victory sweep, shows no signs of overconfidence.

"I want to just keep rolling," Carmichael said after winning last Saturday in St Louis, "I'd like to win the final four races if possible. I don't want the championship to come down to the last race in Vegas."

Kawasaki team-mates Lusk and Stephane Roncada, along with McGrath, are locked in a great battle for third place in the championship. Lusk leads the way just three points ahead of McGrath, while Roncada sits another five points back from the Yamaha man. These three, who round out the top five in the series standings, are the only ones who still have at least a mathematical shot at the 2002 title.

Lusk and McGrath are both former winners in the Silverdome. McGrath, the all-time wins leader in AMA Supercross history, has won six times in the indoor stadium. Neither rider has managed to earn a race win this season, however, and both would love to do so in front of the always enthusiastic Silverdome crowd.

The top 250 riders might also get a visit from the first AMA champion of 2002 - Chad Reed. The 20-year old Australian Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy rider wrapped up the AMA 125 Eastern Region Supercross Championship last weekend in St Louis, having won the series in commanding fashion, taking six wins in six rounds.

Now Yamaha will make the decision if Reed is to race in the final 125 East round in Pontiac, or move up to the 250 class in an effort to possibly help Vuillemin catch Carmichael. If Reed does ride in the 125 event in Pontiac, he could become the first rider since Carmichael in 1998 to make a clean sweep the 125 East championship.