In what was dubbed the most anticipated race ever, Suzuki’s Ricky Carmichael, of Tallahassee, Fla., won his fifth Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series race in front of 39,506 fans at Sam Boyd Stadium. Kawasaki’s James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., won tonight’s race and his first-ever Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP. Tonight’s race aired on SPEED live for the first time in the sport’s 34-year history.
Heading into tonight’s race, Yamaha’s Chad Reed, of Dade City, Fla., and Carmichael were tied with 316 points each and Stewart was in third place, five points out from the lead. Stewart earned the $1,500 Progressive Direct Holeshot Award in the Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series class and held off Honda’s Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss., through turn one. Carmichael started in fourth place and moved into second on lap two while Reed held onto third place. The trio rode the in the same order until the checkered flag. Stewart won his eighth race of the season.
“I kept saying to myself there is no way Chad (Reed) is beating me tonight,” said Carmichael. “He beat me last weekend in Seattle heads up, and I was not going to let it happen. This has been a team effort; we had a lot of adversity this season and we over came it. I had a heck of a career, and I wanted to go on top.”
In a pre-race press conference before the weekend’s race, he announced that this would be his last full year of racing.
“We went through a tough year, and I was down in the dumps, but I came on strong at the end of the season and learned a lot,” said Stewart. “Winning this World Supercross GP championship is awesome, and I take my hat off to Ricky for winning his championship.”
Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., earned the $1,000 Progressive Direct Holeshot Award in the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout with Andrew Short one wheel behind in second place through turn one. KTM’s Mike Alessi, of Apple Valley, Calif., moved into the lead as the pack negotiated their way through the rhythm section. Villopoto crashed on lap one and remounted in last place.
Short and his Honda teammate, Davi Millsaps, of Cairo, Ga., passed Alessi on lap two and held down the number one and two positions, respectively. On lap eight Millsaps crashed, allowing Short to ride away with his second Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout and won a 2006 Toyota Tundra truck. Alessi finished a season-best second place and Honda’s Thomas Hahn, of Decatur, Texas, finished third place, his best finish of the year.
“My first win in 2003 was pretty good but this one was even better,” said Short. “Maybe some of us west coast riders had a little advantage (racing in the outdoor-like stadiums). It was good to race against the riders on the east coast. In was looking forward to racing with my teammate Davi Millsaps but he had some bad luck.”
Tonight’s race will air on SPEED on Sunday, May 7, at 6:00 p.m. EST. A separate one-hour broadcast of the AMA Supercross Lites racing will air on SPEED on Sunday, May 13, at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP Season Standings
1. James Stewart, Tallahassee, Fla., Kawasaki, 380
2. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla., Suzuki, 365
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha, 354
4. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 292
5. Nicholas Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Honda, 286
6. Michael Byrne, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 259
7. Jason Thomas, Melrose, Fla., Honda, 193
8. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio,, Honda, 188
9. Ryan Clark, Waddell, Ariz., Honda, 185
10. Tyler Evans, Corona, Calif., Suzuki, 138
Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series Event Results, Las Vegas
1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki
2. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla., Suzuki
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
4. Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda
5. Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda
6. Nicholas Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Honda
7. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
8. Josh Demuth, Grapevine, Texas, Honda
9. Brock Sellards, Sherrodsville, Ohio, Honda
10. Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Yamaha
Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series Season Standings
1. Ricky Carmichael, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 338
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 336
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha, 336
4. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 255
5. Nicholas Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Honda, 249
6. Michael Byrne, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 228
7. Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda, 207
8. Ernesto Fonseca, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 125
9. Ryan Clark, Waddell, Ariz., Honda, 118
10. Mike LaRocco, Corona, Calif., Honda, 108
Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout
1. Andrew Short, Murrieta, Calif., Honda
2. Mike Alessi, Apple Valley, Calif., KTM
3. Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda
4. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda
5. Ryan Morais, Temecula, Calif., Suzuki
6. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
7. Darcy Lange, San Jacinto, Calif., Kawasaki
8. Bobby Kiniry, Lafayette, N.Y., Honda
9. Kyle Partridge, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha
10. Justin Brayton, Fort Dodge, Iowa,
Amp’d Mobile Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites Season Standings
1. Davi Millsaps, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 119
2. Joshua Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 94
3. Chris Gosselaar, Victorville, Calif., Kawasaki, 94
4. Jesseman, New Brighton, Pa., Yamaha, 86
5. Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Honda, 62
6. Kelly Smith, Ludington, Mich., Honda, 51
7. Robert Kiniry, Lafayette, N.Y., Honda, 51
8. Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 48
9. Michael Blose, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda, 43
10. Teddy Maier, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Kawasaki, 39
Amp’d Mobile Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Season Standings
1. Andrew Short, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 118
2. Grant Langston, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 116
3. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., KTM, 107
4. Billy Laninovich, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 99
5. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 95
6. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 94
7. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 91
8. Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Honda, 78
9. Darcy Lange, San Jacinto, Calif., Kawasaki, 55
10. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda, 52
KTM Junior Supercross Challenge Results
- Blake Green, Riverside, Calif., KTM
- Dalton Phillips, Bloomfield, N.Y., KTM
- Jayce Baldwin. St. George, Utah, KTM
- Tryston Frye, Apple Valley, Calif., KTM
- Tristen Morris Lake Havasu City, Ariz., KTM
- Logan Poteet, Hewitt, Texas, KTM
- Payton Long, Pearland, Texas, KTM
- Michelle Baker, Crittenden, Ken., KTM
- Myles Cheek, Yorba Linda, Calif., KTM
- Tyler Davis, Loveland, Colo., KTM
- Branden Wing, Nipomo, Calif., KTM
- Brandon Pozas, Palmdale, Calif., KTM
- Haley Nicole Beyer, Reno, Nev., KTM
- Raja Rajcic, Ranson Canyon, Texas, KTM