For the second week in a row Ricky Carmichael made a mistake and for the second week in a row Chad Reed turned it into a victory, this one coming before a crowd of 40,422 in the first ever AMA Supercross Series/THQ World Supercross GP in Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
Honda’s Carmichael got caught up in a first turn melee, caused by Amsoil/Chaparral/Factory Connection Honda’s Travis Preston. By the time he got up he was nearly last, completing the first of 20 laps in 17th place.
“I knew Ricky (Carmichael) went down and I knew I had to play it smart,” Reed said.
Reed didn’t get the best of starts, but was still able to take the lead from MotoXXX Honda’s Larry Ward on the ninth lap.
By then Carmichael was up to fourth and would move to second on the 11th lap, 4.874 seconds behind Reed. “I was watching Ricky,” Reed said. “I knew where he was.”
Cutting into the lead every lap, Carmichael inched forward, closing to within 1.625 seconds on the penultimate lap before losing to Reed by 1.825 seconds.
Third, the only remaining factory rider, was American Honda’s Ernesto Fonseca, about 26 seconds behind his teammate Carmichael
Then came Ward, a strong fourth after leading for the first eight laps followed by Mach 1 Yamaha’s Nick Wey, his second fifth in a row.
Star Racing’s Keith Johnson was sixth on a motor borrowed from Greg Schnell, who finished one spot behind in seventh.
Next came MotoXXX Honda’s Clark Stiles, who’d run with Ward in the early going, then made mistakes towards the end.
Ninth was Team SoBe Suzuki’s Sean Hamblin who suffered two crashes in the span of one lap.
Team Solitaire Yamaha’s Ryan Clark filled out the top 10.
With four rounds remaining in the AMA Supercross Series, Carmichael leads Reed 279 to 260.
Boost Mobile Yamaha/Troy Racing’s Brock Sellards took advantage of off nights by the championship leaders to card his second win of the season.
Sellards, who was written off with injuries early in the season, passed early leader Tiger Lacey on the second lap and was never challenged, pulling away to win by 6.494 seconds.
“Wounds do heal,” Sellards said. “I’m pretty healed up right now.”
Sellards’s teammate Ivan Tedesco made it one-two for the Boost Mobile Yamaha/Troy Racing team by taking second, his best finish of the year. Tedesco fought with Team Racerhouse.com’s Kelly Smith in the early going, taking the spot on the eighth lap and holding it to the end. Smith was in third when he fell on the penultimate lap, handing the final podium placing to Red Bull KTM’s Brett Metcalfe by half a wheel over the charging Branden Jesseman of Team SoBe Suzuki.
Jesseman was in third place when he fell on the second lap, re-mounting in 13th spot. The rest of the race was spent passing handsful of riders, the last behind Team Pro Circuit/Chevy Trucks Kawasaki’s Mike Brown who ended up fifth.
The championship order stays the same, but tightens up, Jesseman’s 135 points leading Browns’ 123 and Sellards’ 118 with only next week’s round in Pontiac remaining.
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
Results: March 29, 2003 (Round 6)
125 HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 to main): 1. Mike Brown (Kaw); 2. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 3. Brock Sellards (Yam); 4. Brett Metcalfe (KTM); 5. Jeremy Chaussee (Yam); 6. Mathieu Lalloz (Suz); 7. Ty Conner (Hon); 8. Colt Humphrey (Yam); 9. Scott Metz (KTM); 10. Jerrad Fisher (Yam); 11. Bryan White (Yam); 12. J. Martin Garcia (Suz); 13. Michael Graham (Yam); 14. Joshua Summey (Yam); 15. Adam Cini (Yam); 16. Hans Neel (KTM); 17. Tommy Harrison (Suz); 18. Tiger Lacey (Yam); 19. Robert Merritt (Yam).
Time:.5 mins., 5.519 secs.
Margin of victory: 0.447 secs.
125 HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1-9 to main): 1. Branden Jesseman (Suz); 2. Kelly Smith (Yam); 3. Gibson (Suz); 4. Michael Blose (Yam); 5. Tommy Hofmaster (Yam); 6. Shane Ness (Suz); 7. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 8. Tyson Hadsell (Yam); 9. Steve Boniface (KTM); 10. Jacob Martin (Yam); 11. Ryan Abrigo (Suz); 12. Ryan Mills (Hon); 13. Taylor Watts (Yam); 14. Tom Parsons (Yam); 15. Ronnie Ramiscal (Hon); 16. Jason Murrell (Yam); 17. Tiffer Wright (Yam); 18. Scott Davis (Suz); 19. Kyle Garro (Yam); 20. Kevin Johnson (Yam).
Time: .4 mins., 58.968 secs.
Margin of victory: 2.656 secs.
125 LCQ (4 laps, 1-2 to main): Ryan Mills (Hon); 2. Joshua Summey (Yam); 3. Tiger Lacey (Yam); 4. Kyle Garro (Yam); 5. Ryan Abrigo (Suz); 6. Tommy Harrison (Suz); 7. Keith Johnson (Yam); 8. J. Martin Garcia (Suz); 9. Hans Neel (KTM); 10. Jacob Martin (Yam); 11. Robert Merritt (Yam); 12. Jerrad Fisher (Yam); 13. Tom Parsons (Yam); 14. Michael Graham (Yam); 15. Taylor Watts (Yam); 16. Tiffer Wright (Yam); 17. Jason Murrell (Yam); 18. Bryan White (Yam); 19. Adam Cini (Yam); 20. Ronnie Ramascal (Hon).
Time: 3 mins., 23.799 secs.
Margin of victory: 3.945 secs.
125 MAIN: 1. Brock Sellards (Yam); 2. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 3. Brett Metcalfe (KTM); 4. Branden Jesseman (Suz); 5. Mike Brown (Kaw); 6. Ryan Mills (Hon); 7. Steve Boniface (KTM); 8. Tiger Lacey (Yam); 9. Jeff Gibson (Suz); 10. Michael Blose (Yam); 11. Joshua Summey (Yam); 12. Tommy Hofmaster (Yam); 13. Mathieu Lalloz (Suz); 14. Jeremy Chaussee (Yam); 15. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 16. Ty Conner (Hon); 17. Kelly Smith (Yam); 18. Colt Humphrey (Yam); 19. Kyle Garro (Yam); 20. Scott Metz (KTM); 21. Tyson Hadsell (Yam); 22. Shane Bess (Suz).
Time: 12 mins., 40.463 secs.
Margin of victory: 8.494 secs.
125cc EASTERN REGIONAL SUPERCROSS C’SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 6 of 7 rounds): 1. Branden Jesseman (135/3 wins); 2. Michael Brown (123/1); 3. Brock Sellards (118/2); 4. Brett Metcalfe (85); 5. Kelly Smith (83); 6. Steve Boniface (72); 7. Erick Vallejo (71); 8. Matthieu Lalloz (67); 9. Ryan Mills (63); 10. Michael Blose (47); 11. (TIE) Shae Bentley/Joshua Summey (43); 13. Jeff Gibson (40); 14. Ivan Tedesco (37); 15. Michael Byrne (36); 16. Tyson Hadsell (19); 17. Paul Currie (18); 18. Tom Hofmaster (14); 19. (TIE) Shane Lusk/Barry Carsten (7).
250 HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1-4 to main): 1. Chad Reed (Yam); 2. Ernesto Fonseca (Hon); 3. Nick Wey (Yam); 4. Travis Preston (Hon); 5. Tyler Evans (Suz); 6. Ryan Clark (Yam); 7. Keith Johnson (Yam); 8. Casey Lytle (Yam); 9. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 10. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 11. Greg Schnell (Yam); 12. Clinton Shealy (Suz); 13. Zeb Armstrong (Hon); 14. Eddie Ray (Hon); 15. B. Karsten Butler (Suz); 16. Ronnie Ramiscal (Hon); 17. Danny Smith (Suz); 18. Taylor Watts (Yam).
Time: 6 mins. 23.960 secs.
Margin of victory: 9.606 secs.
HEAT 2 (8 laps, 1-4 to main): 1. Sean Hamblin (Suz); 2. Ricky Carmichael (Hon); 3. Jason Thomas (Hon); 4. Heath Voss (Yam); 5. Josh Demuth (Yam); 6. Larry Ward (Hon); 7. Ted Campbell (Hon); 8. Brian Mason (Yam); 9. Scott Davis (Suz); 10. Rene Reyes (KTM); 11. Mark Wundrack (Yam); 12. Kris Papworth (Kaw); 13. Joshua Woods (KTM); 14. Isaiah Johnson (Kaw); 15. Clark Stiles (Hon); 16. Joe Oehlhof (Yam); 17. Hans Neel (KTM); 18. Tyson Hadsell (Yam); 19. Scott Metz (KTM); 20. Jerrad Fisher (Yam).
SEMI 1 (6 laps, 1-5 to main): 1. Greg Schnell (Yam); 2. Keith Johnson (Yam); 3. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 4. Casey Lytle (Yam); 5. Ryan Clark (Yam); 6. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 7. Zeb Armstrong (Hon); 8. Taylor Watts (Yam); 9. Bryan White (Yam); 10. B. Karsten Butler (Suz); 11. Eddie Ray (Hon); 12. Clinton Shealy (Suz); 13. Tyler Evans (Suz).
Time: 4 mins., 54.358 secs.
Margin of victory: 0.977 secs.
SEMI 2 (6 laps, 1-5 to main): 1. Clark Stiles (Hon); 2. Larry Ward (Hon); 3. Josh Demuth (Yam); 4. Brian Mason (Yam); 5. Rene Reyes (KTM); 6. Ted Campbell (Hon); 7. Isaiah Johnson (Kaw); 8. Mark Wundrack (Yam); 9. Kris Papworth (Kaw); 10. Scott Davis (Suz); 11. Scott Metz (KTM); 12. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam); 13. Hans Neel (KTM); 14. Tyson Hadsell (Yam); 15. Jerrad Fisher (Yam).
Time: 4 mins., 54.242 secs.
Margin of victory: 0.623 secs.
LCQ (4 laps, 1-2 to main): 1. Tyler Evans (Suz); 2. Ted Campbell (Hon); 3. Isaiah Johnson (Kaw); 4. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 5. Eddie Ray (Hon); 6. B. Karsten Butler (Suz); 7. Mark Wundrack (Yam); 8. Scott Davis (Suz); 9. Zeb Armstrong (Hon); 10. Kris Papworth (Kaw); 11. Hans Neel (KTM); 12. Bryan White (Yam).
Time: 5 mins., 13.468 secs.
250 MAIN: 1. Chad Reed (Yam); 2. Ricky Carmichael (Hon); 3. Ernesto Fonseca (Hon); 4. Larry Ward (Hon); 5. Nick Wey (Yam); 6. Keith Johnson (Yam); 7. Greg Schnell (Yam); 8. Clark Stiles (Hon); 9. Sean Hamblin (Suz); 10. Ryan Clark (Yam); 11. Heath Voss (Yam); 12. Travis Preston (Hon); 13. Tyler Evans (Suz); 14. Casey Lytle (Yam); 15. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 16. Jason Thomas (Hon); 17. Josh Demuth (Yam); 18. Rene Reyes (KTM); 19. Brian Mason (Yam); 20. Ted Campbell (Hon).
Time: 16 mins., 8.950 secs.
Margin of victory: 1.825 secs.
AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 12 of 16 rounds): 1. Ricky Carmichael (279/7 wins); 2. Chad Reed (260/4); 3. David Vuillemin (169); 4. Tim Ferry (163); 5. Ezra Lusk (149); 6. Ernesto Fonseca (145); 7. Nick Wey (138); 8. Heath Voss (123); 9. Larry Ward (111); 10. Keith Johnson (101); 11. Ryan Clark (79); 12. Michael Byrne (75); 13. Mike LaRocco (73); 14. Stephane Roncada (70); 15. Sean Hamblin (67); 16. Sebastien Tortelli (63); 17. Damon Huffman (55); 18. Danny Smith (48); 19. Travis Preston (46); 20. Greg Schnell (38).
