Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Carmichael returns to Supercross circuit with a new Suzuki ride

By Brian Hilderbrand

Friday, Oct. 8, 2004 | 9:30 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at [email protected] or (702) 259-4089.

Ricky Carmichael will begin a new chapter in his storied motorcycle racing career tonight when he straddles a Suzuki for the first time in the opening night of the seventh annual Maxxis U.S. Open at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Carmichael, a five-time AMA Motocross champion and a three-time AMA Supercross champion, said he is confident in his decision to switch from Honda to Suzuki -- even though he is coming off a perfect outdoor season in which he won all 12 events.

"The thing about making a decision like I did, you make your decision and you don't look back and second-guess yourself, and that's what I did," he said. "I made changes before and I've been able to do good from my changes and I think I made a wise choice here.

"I had success at Kawasaki and Honda and I'm looking to do the same for Suzuki, also."

Carmichael, 24, is a two-time winner of the Maxxis U.S. Open -- which is billed as the world's richest motorcycle race because of its $100,000 first-place prize -- but this weekend's races will mark his return to Supercross after missing the entire 2003-2004 season due to a knee injury.

Based on his performance this summer in winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive AMA 250cc Motocross championship, Carmichael has made a complete comeback from the injury, which required surgery and an extended layoff. It marked the second time in his career that he finished the outdoor season with a perfect record.

"It was good to come back from an injury and in the way that I did, I was surprised," Carmichael said. "Chad (Reed) stepped up his game and it was pretty much just him and I out there.

"I'm definitely really motivated to race Supercross -- it's been a while. I'm just looking forward to just getting out and racing and I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'm on a new team and I love it; I'm just having a really good time right now."

As he said, Carmichael surprised himself with his dominating outdoor season.

"No, I never thought that I would do that," he said of his sweep. "I just wanted to do the best that I could do and maybe win six or seven races and it ended up being a little more than that."

Carmichael, who won the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001, said that the switch to Suzuki has given him more confidence coming into this weekend's event, which was won last year by Reed.

"I definitely feel more confident than I did last year at this race because I knew in my head that my bike wasn't as good as Chad's was and he was on his game -- he had won the last six Supercrosses," Carmichael said. "I definitely feel a lot more at home this year than I did last year.

"I think, engine-wise, my bike and Chad's bike ... they're all pretty much the same so we're all pretty close and that's a good feeling."

Despite a stellar resume that includes 11 AMA championships and a record 108 motocross and Supercross victories as a professional, Carmichael said he has no trouble staying motivated as he prepares for the 2004-2005 Supercross season.

"It is motivating to basically try to stay on top and try to beat these guys," he said. "It's fun; it's what I need in this point in my career from what I've accomplished. It's what keeps me waking up every morning and practicing and try to keep winning and see how long I can do it.

"No matter what you've accomplished in the sport or how many races you've won, it seems like it's never good enough. No matter how many outdoor titles you win, everybody remembers Supercross and I want another (championship)."

The $300,000 Maxxis U.S. Open gets under way at 8 tonight and Saturday. A limited number of tickets for both nights are available at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and at www.ticketmaster.com.

Earnhardt was fined $10,000 and docked 25 points Tuesday for swearing during NBC's live telecast last Sunday from Talladega Superspeedway. The loss of championship points dropped Earnhardt from first to second in the Nextel Cup standings.

"We're disappointed for our viewers to have to do this, but the delay provides a level of protection against anything inappropriate going out over the air," NBC's Dick Ebersol said in a release. "We thought we could rely upon the precedent of NASCAR's disciplinary action taken earlier this year when two Busch Series drivers uttered profanities during radio interviews.

"Our initial hope would have been to broadcast on delay only during pre- and post-race coverage, but by using the delay during competition, our pit reporters won't be limited in interviewing drivers, crew chiefs and team owners as compelling stories inevitably unfold under the pressure and intensity of the moment."

Also on Thursday, the Bloomberg news service reported that the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the Earnhardt incident for possible indecency violations.

Busch, 19, will attempt to qualify for the Oct. 16 race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and the Oct. 31 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 84 Carquest Chevrolet.

Busch has made three Nextel Cup starts this season, including the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. His best finish was 24th at California Speedway in September. He will try to qualify for Sunday's Cup race at Kansas Speedway.

Andretti will drive the No. 14 Ford with sponsorship from Victory Brand cigarettes and APlus at Sunoco beginning at next weekend's Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Andretti said he chose the number 14 in honor of his godfather, A.J. Foyt.

Greg Pollex and Keith Barnwell are co-owners of ppc Racing.

Although the publication, set to debut in early November, will be distributed primarily in the Charlotte, N.C. area, anyone interested in receiving a free copy via e-mail may register at www.womensracingjournal.com.

Licausi, who finished third in both of his motos and second in the timed slalom portion, finished second in Novice Runabout 800 Limited. Edwards finished second in Novice Veterans Ski Superstock with finishes of seventh and third and a third-place time in slalom.

Rob Flores of Las Vegas, the defending Pro-Am Ski Superstock World Champion, is competing in one Pro and two Pro-Am classes this year. The event runs through Sunday.