OCT 13–LAROCCO UPSETS CARMICHAEL!

The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas clashed with the noise and reverberating sound of motorcycles at the critically acclaimed U.S. Open of Supercross on Friday and Saturday night for one of the most sought after events of the year (at least for the racers).

With $100,000 up for grabs, it was anyone’s race to win within the 30 second lap time track confines, especially if a top rider were to crash out (hint, hint). Going into the event, defending champion Ricky Carmichael was head and shoulders above everyone on the betting tables, and was looking to steal the money and notoriety away from all that challenged. So did Ricky win? Is he really unstoppable? Was there an upset? Read on and find out how the treasured U.S. Open unraveled.
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A strange and unusual thing happened Friday evening in front of a mere 5,651 spectators, something that has only happened approximately two times this whole season…Ricky Carmichael crashed during a main event.

Warm up the presses, tell CNN, and call your family because a bobble by Ricky doesn’t happen that often. Two years ago Carmichael could have easily made the television show “World’s Funniest Bloopers,” but not so in 2002. Ricky cleaned up and changed his riding style, no longer riding over-anxious and over his head. At Sin City, lady luck dealt Ricky a poor hand, and Ricky folded. While jumping out to the early lead, Carmichael threw it away and handed the lead to fellow Honda rider Mike LaRocco.

While RC was wallowing towards the back of the pack, LaRocco jumped at the surprise present from Ricky and charging the course like no one else. Ricky began cutting through the pack until he hit the freshman 250 rider Chad Reed. An exciting race turned even more exciting when Reed and Carmichael battled, with Reed trying with all his might to keep Ricky behind him. RC pinned it through the whoops, slammed on his brakes, and peered back at Reed showing the Yamaha rider who was the better rider.

Amazingly, Chad retaliated and snuck by “the 24 moto man” and repassed him. Ricky once again tapped out his CR250 and this time pushed Reed nearly out into the hay bales, thus proving a valuable lesson to the rookie that RC is clearly the faster rider right now. That wasn’t the only on-track altercation Carmichael had on Friday night, he also mixed it up with Ezra Lusk. Ricky took the position from Lusk, and as a result Ezra took a fresh soil sample of the MGM Grand dirt.

Carmichael could only muster up a fifth place after passing Chad Reed, putting the defending champ in terrible position to win the title. Mike LaRocco powered his CR250 to the win over a somewhat distant Tim Ferry.

Characteristically, 125 riders jumping up to the 250’s for the U.S. Open do not fare well, but Michael Byrne and Ivan Tedesco proved that statistic wrong. In fact, Tedesco was heard saying that he was lining up next to Carmichael on the gate in order to draft him and follow his lines. Byrne finished third and Tedesco finished fourth, with RC taking fifth and Reed sixth.

Friday Results:

1. Mike LaRocco
2. Tim Ferry
3. Michael Byrne
4. Ivan Tedesco
5. Ricky Carmichael
6. Chad Reed
7. Ernesto Fonseca
8. Ryan Clark
9. Heath Voss
10. Ezra Lusk

For all the excitement that made Friday nights racing at the US Open one to remember, Saturday was normal. Ricky Carmichael won his heat race and then dominated the field in the main event with good starts. Chad Reed gave chase, but wasn’t quite up to Carmichael’s level as the champ slowly put a little time on the up-and-comer with each lap. LaRocco played it safe during Saturday nights main event knowing that neither Carmichael nor Reed mattered. He was content to stay ahead of Ferry and claim the $100,000 prize for first place.

Timmy Ferry struggled in the tight confines of the MGM Grand Garden Arena on his big four-stroke. In the end his consistent 2-4 moto finishes would put him on the third rung of the podium behind LaRocco and Carmichael.

So who broke out of their shell on Saturday night? Nobody really. Ryan Clark held off Ezra Lusk for what seemed like forever. In the end it didn’t matter because Lusk took himself out with a crash.

More than break out performances Saturday was filled with upsets. Michael Byrne whose third place on Friday night had him in contention for a lot of money didn’t even make the field on Saturday thanks to a rash of first turn pile ups. KTM’s big name 250 rider behind Jeremy McGrath, which of course is Grant Langston, once again struggled thanks to a case of the flu.

Saturday Results:

1. Ricky Carmichael
2. Chad Reed
3. Mike LaRocco
4. Tim Ferry
5. Ivan Tedesco
6. Ernesto Fonseca
7. Ryan Clark
8. Ezra Lusk
9. Grant Langston
10. Nick Wey

Overall Results:

1. Mike LaRocco – 45
2. Ricky Carmichael – 41
3. Tim Ferry – 40
4. Chad Reed – 37
5. Ivan Tedesco – 34
6. Ernesto Fonseca – 29
7. Ryan Clark – 27
8. Ezra Lusk – 24
9. Michael Byrne – 21
10. Grant Langston – 19