Mike and Ryder LaRocco will both race at Indy this weekend

February 28, 2006, 2:32pm

Carmichael Picks up Fifth Win in Atlanta in Front of 70,133 at the Georgia Dome and Races into Indianapolis

AURORA, Ill. (February 28, 2006) – Last year Ricky Carmichael gave Team Suzuki their first win ever in Indianapolis. This year – a midst swelling controversy due to fuel testing issues at San Diego – Carmichael races into Indianapolis with nothing to lose.

“I’m just racing to race,” said Carmichael, who has three career wins at the RCA Dome. “I have never been in this position before. I feel a little cheated. It sucks, because now Chad (Reed) can just coast into Vegas. Chad has a pretty nice points lead on James (Stewart). So really where’s the fun and excitement in racing, other than race wins for me?“

Despite the controversy, Carmichael, who started his 100th AMA Supercross race last weekend in Atlanta, trailed Reed for the first 10 laps before moving into the lead and collecting his fifth win at the Georgia Dome.

“It was a great win,” said Carmichael in the post-race press conference. “I saw James go down and then I started to catch Chad. I knew that I could get up there with him. Then once I got into second, I started putting in some goods laps and was able to pass him. Chad hounded me for a while. So, I just tried sticking to my lines.”

Reed, the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series points leader, scored his fourth second-place finish last weekend. The Australian now has 51 podiums in 56 starts and tied Ricky Johnson on the all-time supercross podium list.

“I’d been riding really well during the week; I just wasn’t bringing it to the races,” said Reed. “So, I’ve tried turning it around. My confidence is good and I know I can win. I have learned that I have to take (advantage of) opportunities. I felt that I rode tight in the beginning of the race but when Ricky passed me, I just wanted to ride a smart race.”

Kawasaki’s Stewart went down in turn one and spent his evening playing catch up in the AMA Supercross class’ main event. He currently sits second in the points for Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series and has three wins and an additional three podium finishes.

“I didn’t give myself a chance tonight,” said Stewart on his first-turn crash in Atlanta. “I was on the ground again. I need to just stay up on the first corner and then I’ll be good from there.”

Honda’s Mike LaRocco, 35, originally from South Bend, Ind., began his professional supercross/motocross career in 1988, when he finished in third place for the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Series and seventh in 125cc Outdoor Motocross. A decent springboard for a career that lasted longer than any other top AMA Supercross/Motocross racer. This weekend he will be racing for his 229th career AMA Supercross start.

Another special weekend in Indianapolis for LaRocco as he and eight-year-old son Ryder will both race in their respective divisions under the RCA Dome. Ryder, an avid motocross racer, will be racing in the KTM Junior Supercross Challenge, a three-lap race on KTM’s 50 SX Pro Senior LC mini-motorcycle, featuring 7-8 year old kids, which is held during the intermission at Amp’d Mobile Supercross races. LaRocco won Indianapolis in 2004.

In the AMA Supercross Lites class, Honda’s Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., won his first-ever main event. Grant won the Progressive Direct Holeshot Award to start the AMA Supercross Lites main event. He held the lead in the early stages of the and avoided a cluster of crashes that kept series front runners KTM’s Josh Hansen, of Lake Elsinore, Calif., and Honda’s Davi Millsaps, of Cairo, Ga., out of contention. Grant cruised to the easy victory ahead of Millsaps and Martin Davalos, of Cairo, Ga., who finished third for his first career podium.

This weekend’s race will air on SPEED on Sunday, March 5, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. EST. A tape-delayed, one-hour television broadcast of the AMA Supercross Lites racing will air on SPEED on Saturday, March 12, at 6 p.m. EST.

Tickets are also available at the Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, all participating Yamaha Dealers,Karma Records or charge by phone at 317-239-5151. Gold seats are $35; Mid-level seats are $25;Treadhead seats are $10. All seats are $2 more on the day of the race.