FOX MX | Ricky Carmichael - The Greatest of All Time

We truly do have one of the few sports in which there is 0 debate. I’m fortunate enough to have gotten to watch and remember his entire career vividly.

The only one who maybe could have come close to making it an argument was Villopoto. He was basically Carmichael with injuries. Which is of course another amazing thing. The speed Carmichael went his entire career and only missed 04 SX due to injury.

One of my favorite gear lines of all time

I am so glad I got to witness his career, such a fierce competitor and now looking back he is so grateful and well spoken.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Greatest Of All Time!  Not only for his racing career, but for how much he has given back to the sport and continues to give to this sport that we love.

Loved the vertigo gear.  My youngest used the jersey as his keeper jersey when he was playing soccer.

Does anyone have a photo of his foot from the practice crash. I remember seeing a photo online at the time and the thing was black, purple and the size of a football. It was crazy! 
 

here’s the crash. https://youtu.be/eF33k8yqz9Q

Going 24-0 for the 2nd time then going 12-0 (22-2) the very next year is just next level. 
 

sick in the head

"GRRRR!!!"

This!

Think about the mental strength just to not F that up getting down to the last few Moto's!  RC = no headcase!

RC was an incredible racer!

Just talking MX, but am I right in thinking he only lost one overall between 02 and mid 06?

RC in the 04 MX season was the most dominant display of racing we have ever seen. He Led all but 12 or 13 laps in the entire season, his avg margin of victory was over 20 seconds a moto and this was after he would cruise the last 2 laps and on top of this Reed and Windham were in the prime of their careers after RC sat out the the entire SX season. 
 

This was probably the only time in RCs career he was clearly on the best bike and this is what happened. 

I was/am a huge Windham fan but those two losses and the 6 motos he dropped that year to Windham and the 1 to Ferry were all because they were on four strokes and RC was not in 2003.

RC also led something like 370 of 382 laps in 04

Kevin went 1-1 in 2001 at Washougal too.  I could swear tortelli won a few races in 2000 and 2001 as well.

In 2000 and 01 he was beat quite a few times, after that no. He won 16 of the 23 250/450 MX races he entered. What’s crazy is that 16 out of 23 for anyone else is amazing. For RC it was his “weak” time. 

Watching him and James in 05 and 06 was amazing! It looked like the rest of the class was in a different class. Like watching 2 top local pros go out in the B class. It was amazing to see them battle at Highpoint.   I went to many of the Outdoor races that RC did and got to see a lot of amazing rides.  I wish I was at Millville when he lapped second place.  It  was amazing how much faster he was than everybody. James was close for half the moto. But one of the years  RC won one of the Motos  by over a minute, and James was second by over a minute ahead of Windham in 3rd.  They must have been pretty close to lapping KW. KW was pretty pissed off when I saw him latter on in the pits.

Does anyone know why Woody the woodpecker was part of his graphics when he was with Honda? 

Set robot to destroy…. Drop gate. He was the Orca. Insane when you break down and really look at what he did. 🐐 

Reynard when firing on all cylinders in 98 passed RC for a moto win at Unadilla and Millville. Crashed out of another potential moto win at Washougal after passing RC and then won a moto at Binghamton before finally winning the O/A at Steel City to end the year. If Robbie could have gotten starts he could have been a legitimate threat to RC for at least a half a season. Which is more then most can say. His one victory is arguably the most misleading on the list for having raw speed on RC for a time. Tortelli only having Two wins against him is crazy too. As he won a fair few motos but only 2 O/As. The concrete starts killed him. 

I have a bit if a different take on the GOAT.  While RC has the stats and I do think he is the GOAT, I also think it's a bit unfair to past eras.  Every era produces riders of unique significance who were supreme under the conditions and competition they were given.  So many legends from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.  Would Ricky have defeated Mark Barnett during the Bomber's reign of terror on the 125 class? Bayle in 1991?  Johnson in 86? McGrath in his prime? Stewart on a 125?

Hard to say, but at the end of the day, RC has the stats to back it up and it's hard to argue against what the facts clearly show.

Are we talking motos or overalls?

What do people think of Steve Matthes not thinking that Carmichael is the GOAT? His argument is that you have to be the best indoors and outdoors to be the GOAT, and McGrath was clearly better indoors. Personally, I disagree with that, because the GOAT label applies to the greatest of all time, not the first person to be the best at both indoors and outdoors. In the history of the sport, Carmichael is the greatest of all time.

But clearly he is not the greatest at SX.... Stats are stats You can't argue that.

Overall, yes, but SX - Mc #1 greatest of all time

RC would have dominated no matter the era or the competition.  The one thing he had in spades was indomitable will power.  He always found a way to beat whoever was in front of him.

Looking back now, it's laughable to recall the "wisdom" of the time -   

When RC was an amateur destroying the mini classes  - "he'll never be any good on the big bikes.  He's too small"

When he dominated the big bikes in Am's - "he won't be able to do that in the Pros, he's too short and fat"

When he dominated the 125's in the Pros - "he won't be able to do that on a 250... too small!"

When he dominated 250's outdoors - "he'll never do that in SX.  He's an outdoor rider.  He'll never beat McGrath!"

All this and more was commonly said.  He shut everyone up through sheer will power.