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By Jason Weigandt
One week from today, we’ll be gathered at Hangtown for the opening round of the 40th-anniversary of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Don’t forget to watch FUEL TV’s season preview show. Air times are:
Saturday, May 14th
@ 2p EST / 11a PST
Thursday, May 19th
@ 10p EST / 7p PST
@ 1a EST (5/20) / 10p PST (5/19)
@ 4a EST (5/20) / 1a PST (5/20)
Saturday, May 21st
@ 3p EST / 12P PST
Also, lock in facebook.com/AmericanMotocross and allisports.com as your social media and web homes for the championship. And now, 2004!
At the season opener for the 2004 AMA Motocross Championship, a feeling that had never been felt before had swept across the pits. There was actually some doubt over Ricky Carmichael!
Ricky Carmichael would win his 7th straight AMA Motocross title, earning his 2nd perfect season in the process (Photo: Simon Cudby)
The 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 250 Class Champion (and 1997, 1998 and 1999 125 Champ) had missed the entire 2004 AMA Supercross campaign with a torn ACL. Turns out RC’s incredible ’03 des Nations ride was not only logged on an underpowered 250 two-stroke, but he was also riding with a bum knee. So Ricky skipped supercross for surgery and rehab, while Chad Reed and Kevin Windham battled for the supercross championship, with Reed coming out with the title. Carmichael had also decided to switch to the CRF450R four-stroke. RC had never missed races before with an injury, and had never raced a thumper. How would he respond?
By winning, like usual. Carmichael even rode without a transponder in practice so no one knew where he stood in the lap times until the racing began. Then he promptly dominated both motos. Did the same the next weekend. And the next. Before long, the competition had a serious problem on their hands. Ricky was going to go for a perfect season again!
Chad Reed finished 2nd in the championship battle, but couldn't come close to keeping up with RC (Photo: Simon Cudby)
No doubt the hyper-competitive Carmichael was stung when Kevin Windham got two victories on him in 2003 on the 450. He wanted to show that, on even equipment, no one could beat him. Through Unadilla and Washougal, two tracks where Windham shines, Carmichael dominated, and by the writing was on the wall. We were about to see another perfect season.
Reed rode well on his Yamaha YZ450F, definitely better than he did on a two-stroke the previous year, but not quite enough to get a moto win, although he battled Carmichael at times. Windham, meanwhile, didn’t seem nearly as fired up as he did the year before. If you wanted to find the next challenger to Carmichael, you were going to have to hit the 125 class to find it.
James Stewart dominated the 125 class again, winning the title for the 2nd time in 3 years (Photo: Simon Cudby)
James Stewart was dominating races at the same clip as Carmichael. Through round five, neither had lost a moto. Stewart’s streak was made even more impressive since he was riding a KX125 against a field of mainly 250 four-strokes. For whatever reason, Stewart elected not to ride Kawasaki’s new KX250F, and when Pro Circuit’s Stephane Roncada challenged Stewart to some great battles at Hangtown on one, it looked like Stewart had made the wrong decision. He quickly bounced back and dominated, while Roncada began a downward spiral.
Stewart’s only slip came at Red Bud, when he crashed in the first turn of the second moto and did some damage to his bike coming through traffic. He pulled out of the moto, and Mike Brown won the overall for Yamaha of Troy. After that, Stewart won every other race. Basically, 2004 was just one giant set up for 2005, when Carmichael and Stewart would finally get to meet head to head.
Mike Brown was the only rider who bested James Stewart for an overall victory in 2004, winning at Redbud (Photo: Simon Cudby)
Carmichael would do it on a new bike. In April, while still on the mend from knee surgery, Carmichael announced he had signed with Suzuki. This was a shocker, as the yellow squad’s fortunes had sunk so badly in the last few years that many thought there was a Suzuki curse. Carmichael would try to reverse it in 2005.
As for the 2004 Motocross des Nations, the U.S. elected not to send a team. In the decade since their record 13-year win streak had passed, interest in the event had waned quite a bit, so the Yanks stayed home.
Josh Grant made his debut at Hangtown, turning a lot of heads that day (Photo: Simon Cudby)
2004 NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
2004 250cc National Motocross
May 16, Sacramento, CA - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
May 30, Mt. Morris, PA - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
June 13, Southwick, MA - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
June 20, Budds Creek, MD - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
July 4, Buchanan, MI - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
July 18, New Berlin, NY - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
July 25, Troy, OH - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
August 1, Washougal, WA - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
August 15, Millville, MN - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
August 22, Binghamton, NY - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
September 5, Delmont, PA - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
September 12, San Bernardino, CA - Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda
A familiar sight in 2004 - Ricky Carmichael finishing 1st (Photo: Simon Cudby)
2004 250cc National Point Standings
1. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL, Honda - 600
2. Chad Reed, Menifee, CA, Yamaha - 476
3. Kevin Windham, Centreville, MS, Honda - 444
4. David Vuillemin, Murrieta, CA, Yamaha - 351
5. Ernesto Fonseca, Murrieta, CA, Honda - 300
6. Michael Byrne, Temecula, CA, Kawasaki - 294
7. Nicholas Wey, Dewitt, MI, Suzuki - 287
8. Sebastien Tortelli, Lake Elsinore, CA, Suzuki - 273
9. Heath Voss, Mico, TX, Yamaha - 257
10. Sean Hamblin, Murrieta, CA, Suzuki - 202
Sebastien Tortelli (Photo: Simon Cudby)
2004 125cc National Motocross
May 16, Sacramento, CA - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
May 30, Mt. Morris, PA - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
June 13, Southwick, MA - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
June 20, Budds Creek, MD - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
July 4, Buchanan, MI - Michael Brown, Johnson City, TN, Yamaha
July 18, New Berlin, NY - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
July 25, Troy, OH - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
August 1, Washougal, WA - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
August 15, Millville, MN - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
August 22, Binghamton, NY - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
September 5, Delmont, PA - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
September 12, San Bernardino, CA - James Stewart, Haines City, FL, Kawasaki
Mike Alessi made a bit of a name for himself with a 3rd place overall finish at Steel City in the 250 class (Photo: Simon Cudby)
2004 125cc National Point Standings
1. James Stewart, Haines City, FL Kawasaki - 575
2. Broc Hepler, Kittanning, PA Suzuki - 396
3. Michael Brown, Johnson City, TN Yamaha - 368
4. Matt Walker, McDonough, GA Kawasaki - 279
5. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, CA Honda - 278
6. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, CA Kawasaki - 260
7. Danny Smith, Middleton, ID Yamaha - 235
8. David Millsaps, Cairo, CA Suzuki - 232
9. Christopher Gosselar, Victorville, CA Honda - 220
10. Joshua Grant, Yucaipa, CA Honda - 212
Broc Hepler (Photo: Simon Cudby)
