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Found these while doomscrolling social media. Pretty cool trip down memory lane. Might be a “we landed on the moon?” moment for me but I’ve never seen these pics before.
Caption: Three photos from Labor Day 2001, the day after the Steel City National: Ricky Carmichael’s first ride on the Honda CR250, the day after he won the Steel City 125 National and then switched from Team Kawasaki to Team Honda, under the watchful eye of his mother Jeanie, who already had her stopwatch out! 
Would be cool if there was as more of these types of photos out there. We know of James on the Honda. But wonder what other bikes chad, James or Ricky tested at there private tracks.
Very cool photos. Man that bike looks like a pile.
Talk about a contract being set in stone.
Pretty damn smart if you think about it though. Ricky road that track the day before (albeit on a 125) and has the "feel" fresh in his mind. No lag, no guessing, straight comparison.
Different world back then.
I don't disagree, but he went 24-0 the next year on that pile.
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Prime Jeannie in the last pic
The 02 was wildly different than what is in that picture. In the pic it’s an 01 with an electronic EV I assume. But still 01 frame, engine cases (no reed intake in the cases), cylinder (curious to know if the exhaust valve layout was like in the 02 already or still like the 92-01), geometry and bodywork.
I wonder how different they must have felt and how much validity it brought him.
He raced the 02 which was all different, its surprising that would've had him riding the 01 I think. Ricky might have just wanted to get a feel for a different bike on a rough national track before the 02 was ready to ride...but then again this would've been nearing fall time so you'd think they wouldve had the new bike by then.
And I believe he was supposed to go race MXDN on the Honda so that’s why he would be on the 01 model.
Just imagine all the things they had in those cargo pockets.
Yup … pic was taken with 9/11 just days away.
MX Vault has the bikes that never went.
https://themotocrossvault.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2001-team-usa-…
There is a cool story on this in the December 2001 racer x issue
'Zactly! More pocket volume in this pic than any from the last 10 years. LOL.
There’s photos of Ricky’s mechanic at the time (Chad Watts at the time I believe?) driving a Kawasaki mule loaded with all his tools from the Kawi truck over to the Honda truck after the second moto of the last round of the 01 nationals.
Can anyone identify all of the brain trust gathered around RC in that photo? I recognize Chad Watts but presume the rest are Honda and Fox guys and maybe an agent.
Looks like Jeff Stanton in the gold fox shirt/jorts.
from left, Mike Gosselaar, red shirt behind him I cant tell, Chad Watts, Jeff Stanton, not sure on red shirt, Cliff White.
I remember seeing those pics in a racerX mag when I was a kid. That was Ezra Lusks race bike that they took the graphics off of.
Yeah those '01 CR's were real pieces of shit. 🙄
Pit Row
Two guys in red shirts are behind Goose, Mike Batista and the other is Ron Wood.
I wonder if he's searching for a feeling with the arms crossed photo.
Maybe. But I think he's mentally 'preperating'.... It's either that, or he's trying to Jethro Bodine cypher all the zeros on that contract..... "If 1 times naught is naught, I was doing better riding for Mitch... MOM!???"
I can't even fathom the amount of time I stared at those pics of those bikes back when those photos came out. I was just getting into the sport seriously and was soaking in as much as I could from every magazine, Crusty/Terrafirma VHS I could get my hands on.
A friend of mine owns the Kevin Windham MXON bike.
Man even if I ignore everything in the background, that’s still cool!
Love the color on that pipe!
I wonder what Chad stole from Kawi and brought with him ?
Now those are some Suzuki Yellow wheel right there!!!
Look at those bikes in the back!! Those were the era I started riding in. I dreamed of have an RM125 back in 1981/82.
L-R: Mike Gosselaar, Mike Batista, Chad Watts, Jeff Stanton, Ron Wood, Cliff White
Post a reply to: Ricky’s first Honda test