Ricky Carmichael

"The way I look at it, if I keep racing I'm going to get beat. You have to know when your time is, and I'm happy with what I've accomplished in my career." Ricky Carmichael, who clinched his 10th consecutive AMA Motocross series title in his final full season of competition

As the U.S. motorcycle supercross season opens tonight in Anaheim, most observers agree that the series title is James Stewart's to lose. The 21-year-old Kawasaki rider dueled for last year's title with Ricky Carmichael before Carmichael pulled ahead and won his fifth Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross championship.

David Vuillemin doesn't like the boos. He heard them two weeks ago when he was introduced at Anaheim in the opening round of the AMA supercross series, though they weren't as loud as last year when he won the season's first two races and established himself as a rival to champion Ricky Carmichael. "I don't want to be the bad guy," said the Frenchman, who goes for his first U.S. victory of the season tonight at Edison Field. "Nobody wants to be the bad guy. I just accept it.

When the supercross season opens Saturday at Toronto's Rogers Centre, a familiar rider, 15-time champion Ricky Carmichael, will be at the starting line aboard his No. 4 Suzuki. But for the first time in years, Carmichael won't be racing for another title.

Ricky Carmichael, who won all 24 motos in last year's 12-race Outdoor National Series, begins defense of his title today in the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino. Carmichael, fresh from winning his third consecutive Supercross title with a seven-point victory over Yamaha rider Chad Reed, is more at home in the outdoor series and hopes to pilot his 250cc Honda safely around the treacherous Glen Helen layout.

Ricky Carmichael, three-time defending AMA supercross champion, suffered a knee injury while testing Tuesday and will probably miss the entire 2004 supercross season, according to Honda team manager Chuck Miller. The Havana, Fla., rider was examined Wednesday by Dr. Rick Lyon, an orthopedic surgeon from Lexington, Ky., who diagnosed the injury as a torn knee ligament, which will require surgery after the swelling in the knee subsides.

Racing in more placid conditions than the week before, Ricky Carmichael won the 250cc GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series race Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 49,822 at Bank One Ballpark. "There has been a lot of talk coming into this season about me riding for a new team, and [Saturday] I proved that I can win," the Suzuki rider said. "I need to get a couple more wins under my belt and get the points lead before we leave the West Coast." Racing moves back to Angel Stadium this Saturday.

The Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series returns to Angel Stadium in Anaheim tonight with dirt bike superstars Ricky Carmichael and James "Bubba" Stewart tied in the series' point chase. Stewart rode his four-stroke Kawasaki to a nine-second victory in the series' sold-out opener at Angel Stadium on Jan. 7, with defending champion Carmichael finishing third. They swapped places the following week in Phoenix.

When the supercross season opens Saturday at Toronto's Rogers Centre, a familiar rider, 15-time champion Ricky Carmichael, will be at the starting line aboard his No. 4 Suzuki. But for the first time in years, Carmichael won't be racing for another title.

Another motor sports star plans to try his hand in NASCAR: Ricky Carmichael. The 15-time champion of supercross and motocross motorcycle racing is expected to announce today that he will join the NASCAR team MB2 Motorsports, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday. MB2 currently fields Nextel Cup drivers Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek, and last week it signed veteran Mark Martin to drive a 22-race Cup schedule next year.

Another motor sports star plans to try his hand in NASCAR: Ricky Carmichael. The 15-time champion of supercross and motocross motorcycle racing is expected to announce today that he will join the NASCAR team MB2 Motorsports, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday. MB2 currently fields Nextel Cup drivers Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek, and last week it signed veteran Mark Martin to drive a 22-race Cup schedule next year.

Motocross star Ricky Carmichael hoped to end his last full season Sunday with arms raised yet again in victory. Instead, he found himself cradling his injured left arm after crashing early in the event at Glen Helen Raceway in Devore. Carmichael, who had clinched his seventh Toyota AMA Motocross championship in the 250cc class, was leading archrival James Stewart in the first of the day's two races when he crashed on Lap 6, hitting the ground on his left arm and shoulder.

"My goal was to always go out on top," said Ricky Carmichael. And so he will. After years of dominating supercross and motocross, the two major off-road motorcycle racing series, Carmichael is scheduled to end his last full season this weekend at Glen Helen Raceway in Devore in San Bernardino County. It's a free ride as far as the series title is concerned.

"The way I look at it, if I keep racing I'm going to get beat. You have to know when your time is, and I'm happy with what I've accomplished in my career." Ricky Carmichael, who clinched his 10th consecutive AMA Motocross series title in his final full season of competition

Ricky Carmichael took advantage of a late-race spinout by archrival James "Bubba" Stewart to win the Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series' second stop of the year at Angel Stadium. Stewart had led most of the 20-lap main event with Carmichael chasing him in second. Then Stewart spun out on the 19th lap, enabling Carmichael to take the win for Team Makita Suzuki Racing. "It was tough to get by him," Carmichael said. "I feel bad for James because I don't want to win that way."

The Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series returns to Angel Stadium in Anaheim tonight with dirt bike superstars Ricky Carmichael and James "Bubba" Stewart tied in the series' point chase. Stewart rode his four-stroke Kawasaki to a nine-second victory in the series' sold-out opener at Angel Stadium on Jan. 7, with defending champion Carmichael finishing third. They swapped places the following week in Phoenix.

There will be no repeat of last year in the 2003 AMA Supercross Series. There will be no reason for Ricky Carmichael to stage the greatest comeback in supercross history. Carmichael, who had won 15 consecutive series races, fell twice in the first three laps Saturday and was unable to recover to win and make it a sweet 16.

Ricky Carmichael's bid for a record-breaking 14th consecutive supercross victory came to a horrifying end Saturday night when the 22-year-old landed head first on the track following a crash in the main event at Edison Field in Anaheim. Carmichael, the defending supercross champion, was in second place midway through the fifth lap of the 20-lap final, trailing eventual winner David Vuilleman of France, when he cleared a small jump and landed on his front wheel on the other side.

Another AMA motocross season came to an end on a breezy Sunday afternoon, with a result as predictable as the sun setting over the hills of San Bernardino. Ricky Carmichael, who clinched his sixth consecutive AMA 250cc motocross title last weekend in Delmont, Pa., prevailed in both motos Sunday to win the season finale at Glen Helen Raceway in Devore and finish undefeated for the second year in a row. As is usually the case with the diminutive redhead from Havana, Fla.

Ricky Carmichael has turned the AMA national motocross championship into his personal playground, but the diminutive rider from Havana, Fla., still thrills spectators with what amounts to a clinic in motocross riding every time he wheels his Team Makita Suzuki onto the track. Carmichael will close out another remarkable season Sunday in a pair of motos at Glen Helen Raceway, north of San Bernardino.