Makita Suzuki’s Carmichael Wins Exciting St. Louis Supercross

Round 9 – Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series
St. Louis, MO
Edward Jones Dome
March 3, 2007

It was only appropriate that on the day that St. Louis’s mayor deemed “Ricky Carmichael Day,” the Team Makita Suzuki Racing rider won the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross race in the city’s Edward Jones Dome.

“I love this place,” said Carmichael of St. Louis after the race. “That’s why I chose to race here. My Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 is working good tonight, I love the dirt here and I’m glad to get a win for Makita Suzuki. My streak’s coming to an end and I’d like to get one more win in the next two races.”

Carmichael was in the first Supercross-class qualifier of the night and got the holeshot and then won the eight-lap heat. Supercross-class teammate Ivan Tedesco brought home an impressive second-place finish in the second heat race.

“I’ve just got to say that I love St. Louis and the dirt out there is sweet,” said Carmichael after his heat race. “I’m just looking forward to the main event tonight, it should be a fun for the fans.”

That turned out to be a prophetic comment from Carmichael. The 15-time AMA Champion got a lackluster start in the 20-lap main and was on his way to the front when the leaders went down early on. Carmichael quickly worked his way through the field and into the lead, where he created a gap and brought home the win.

“Those guys (James Stewart and Chad Reed) went down, I don’t know what happened,” recalled Carmichael. “But I don’t know if I could have gotten them, spotting them four seconds like that wasn’t good. Then Reed got back up and he had a chance to get me but I put my head down on my Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and I was cooking. I’m so pumped to get the win, you have no idea.”

Tedesco, unfortunately, was one of the several riders who went down on Saturday night. In spite of this, the persistent Makita Suzuki rider remounted his Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 and put in as many laps as possible.

“I’m a little banged up because I hit the ground pretty hard,” said the former AMA Supercross and Motocross Lites Champion. “But I finished the race and that’s what’s important. You always want to get back out there and put in as many laps as you possibly can.”

In the Supercross Lites class, 17-year-old Ryan Dungey was having a great night before succumbing to a bit of bad luck. The Minnesota native won his six-lap heat race after getting a good start on his Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 but in the 15-lap Lites main, he made a few mistakes.

“We just had some bad luck,” said Dungey. “There are no excuses to be made, I made a mistake. I was right there, it was my race and I kind of blew it for myself. But I felt good, my lap times were consistent and I felt smooth. I just need to learn from my mistakes, start thinking out there a little more and be a little smarter.

Team Makita Suzuki Racing will return next week for round 10 of the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Friday, March 9, 2007.

Ivan Tedesco, Team Makita Suzuki Racing RM-Z450, #9
19th Place – Supercross class, Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series
8th Place – Overall Championship Points Standings

Ricky Carmichael, Team Makita Suzuki Racing RM-Z450, #4
1st Place – Supercross class, Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series

Ryan Dungey, Team Makita Suzuki Racing RM-Z250, #62
18th Place – Supercross Lites East, Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series
4th Place – Overall Championship Points Standings

Supercross Class Top 10 Finishers:

1. Ricky Carmichael, Team Makita Suzuki Racing
2. James Stewart, Kawasaki
3. Chad Reed, Yamaha (holeshot)
4. Kevin Windham, Honda
5. Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha
6. David Vuillemin, Honda
7. Paul Carpenter, Kawasaki
8. Heath Voss, Honda
9. Eric Sorby, Kawasaki
10. Cole Siebler, Honda

Supercross Lites Class Top 10 Finishers:

1. Ben Townley, Kawasaki (holeshot)
2. Ryan Morais, Yamaha
3. Matt Goerke, Yamaha
4. Mike Alessi, KTM
5. Broc Tickle, Yamaha
6. Darcy Lange, Kawasaki
7. Jeff Alessi, KTM
8. Ryan Sipes, Honda
9. Zach Osborne, KTM
10. Justin Brayton, Yamaha