Racer X - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X
  • All Series
  • Subscribe Now
  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
    Unfortunately your Personalization privacy settings prevent us from showing you this Login. Please update your consent to see this content.
  • Supercross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
    • The Vault
  • Motocross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Riders
    • Teams
    • Tracks
    • The Vault
  • SuperMotocross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • MXGP
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • GNCC
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • Loretta Lynn’s
    • News
    • The Vault
  • More Series
    • Supercross
    • Motocross
    • SuperMotocross
    • MXGP
    • GNCC
    • Loretta Lynn’s
    • MXoN
    • WSX
    • Australian SX
    • Australian MX
    • Canadian MX
    • EnduroCross
    • Straight Rhythm
  • Features
    • 10 Things
    • 30 Greatest AMA Motocrossers
    • 3 on 3
    • 250 Words
    • 450 Words
    • Arenacross Report
    • Between the Motos
    • Breakdown
    • Deals of the Week
    • GNCC Report
    • Great Battles
    • How to Watch
    • Injury Report
    • Insight
    • In the Mag, On the Web
    • Lockdown Diaries
    • Longform
    • MXGP Race Reports
    • My Favorite Loretta Lynn's Moto
    • Next
    • Next Level
    • Observations
    • On This Day in Moto
    • Open Mic
    • Privateer Profile
    • Race Day Feed
    • Racerhead
    • Racer X Awards
    • Racer X Redux
    • Rapid Reaxtion
    • RX Exhaust
    • Saturday Night Live
    • Staging Area
    • The Conversation
    • The List
    • The Lives They Lived
    • The Moment
    • Things We Learned at the Ranch
    • UnPhiltered
    • Wake-Up Call
    • Where Are They Now
    • 50 Years of Pro Motocross
  • Shop
    • New Releases
    • Men's
    • Women's
    • Youth
    • Accessories
    • Sales Rack
    • Stickers
  • About Us
  • The Mag
    • Digital Magazine Bookstand
    • Customer Care
    • Current Issue
    • Newsletter
    • Store Locator
    • Subscribe
    • Sell Racer X
  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
    Unfortunately your Personalization privacy settings prevent us from showing you this Login. Please update your consent to see this content.
  • Supercross
  • News
  • Schedule
  • TV Schedule
  • Results
  • Standings
  • Teams
  • Riders
  • Tracks
  • The Vault
  • Subscribe Now
  • Table of Contents
Results Archive
GNCC
Powerline Park
News
Overall Race Results
  1. Steward Baylor
  2. Jordan Ashburn
  3. Angus Riordan
Full Results
XC2 Pro Race Results
  1. Angus Riordan
  2. Cody J Barnes
  3. Grant Davis
Full Results
Supercross
Denver
News
450SX Main Event Results
  1. Chase Sexton
  2. Cooper Webb
  3. Justin Cooper
Full Results
250SX West Main Event Results
  1. Haiden Deegan
  2. Julien Beaumer
  3. Garrett Marchbanks
Full Results
MXGP of
Portugal
News
MXGP Results
  1. Lucas Coenen
  2. Romain Febvre
  3. Ruben Fernandez
Full Results
MX2 Results
  1. Andrea Adamo
  2. Simon Längenfelder
  3. Kay de Wolf
Full Results
Supercross
Salt Lake City
News
450SX Main Event Results
  1. Chase Sexton
  2. Malcolm Stewart
  3. Justin Cooper
Full Results
250SX Showdown Main Event Results
  1. Haiden Deegan
  2. Julien Beaumer
  3. Tom Vialle
Full Results
MXGP of
Spain
News
MXGP Results
  1. Romain Febvre
  2. Lucas Coenen
  3. Ruben Fernandez
Full Results
MX2 Results
  1. Kay de Wolf
  2. Andrea Adamo
  3. Sacha Coenen
Full Results
Live Now
GNCC
Hoosier
News
Upcoming
Motocross
Fox Raceway
Sat May 24
News
Upcoming
MXGP of
France
Sun May 25
News
Upcoming
GNCC
Mason-Dixon
Fri May 30
News
Upcoming
MXGP of
Germany
Sun Jun 1
News
Full Schedule
Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Monday Conversation: Ricky Carmichael

March 6, 2006, 1:04pm
  • Home
  • Interviews
  • The Conversation
  • Monday Conversation: Ricky Carmichael

Alpinestars has been delivering performance of the highest level on the motocross tracks of the world for over 50 years. Racing on Sunday and developing on Monday is a way of life at Alpinestars.

Advertisement | Advertise with Us
  • Share
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Ricky was having problems in his heat race and was passed and beaten by Stewart
Unless you’ve been hiding under a can of premix, you probably know all about what happened with Ricky Carmichael’s 25-point penalty: The FIM stepped in, the AMA readjusted the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross points, and then RC came out at Indianapolis this weekend and won for the second straight weekend. He’s now one point behind Team Yamaha’s Chad Reed in the standings and 16 clear of James Stewart (who was extremely fast again but also fell again in the first turn). We spoke to Ricky following the race.

Racer X
: Ricky, things have been so dramatic lately, I don't know where to start!
Ricky Carmichael: I don’t know either after last week. The way the whole deal went down, to answer one question, I am happy I got the points back, but I'm still a little upset about the $20,000 fine because it's still insinuating we did something wrong. The dollar amount isn’t the problem; it could be 20 cents and I would feel the same. I stand behind my team. I think we were not in the wrong. I think it's good for the fans and good for the sport. As far as the other guys not agreeing with it, I see their side.
    People say, “It was only because it was Carmichael they never would have done that.…” But you know what? I believe they would have if it would have changed anything in the outcome of their seasons [Reed in ’04 and Stewart in ’05]. People have forgotten very quickly that when Chad got his penalty issued, he had a huge cushion in the points and it didn’t change anything. When Kawi got hit it was the same deal, James was out and it didn’t change anything in the series standings.
    I will say this: When I first heard about the penalty with Yamaha in 2004, I thought that they were cheating, and I was wrong. I was at home with my knee injury listening to the races on my computer like a lot of fans and heard the famous “They were three times over the limit” and instantly thought that they were cheating. I was totally wrong, and I apologize.
    The other thing that bugs me is that everyone assumes that I’m getting some special favor from Steve Whitelock or the AMA. Not true! My conversations with Steve Whitelock in the past two weeks have been specifically about losing my points last Friday and getting them back this Friday, and the tone of the 30-second conversations were not great on either call. I’m probably not on his buddy list after this whole deal. But now it’s water under the bridge.
    You know, it’s been a rough two weeks for me. I can’t say enough for the fans. The fan support that I got on line and stuff was just overwhelming. To all you guys, it really made me feel good and welcome. It’s been a rough two weeks. I'm glad that this race is over. It’s been hard to enjoy, with the way people have been acting towards me and the team.

There is usually some commentary or message on RC's patch each week. This time he wanted to comment on the points fuss without stirring things up more.
Things are strange with people this weekend?

Not so many people, but just a few individuals. It’s a shame, but I know what kind of people they are. Life goes on. They will realize that there is more to life than the spur of the moment. I'm pumped for my team and we're going to work hard and do our best. We have a little cushion in the FIM series, which is nice, and now I'm back in the hunt for the U.S. series. I have my goals for the rest of the season. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but….

You want to win the series by 25 points so everyone will shut up?
No, it isn’t even that. I don’t think that's realistic. There have already been a few gifts given out at St. Louis, and that’s more than I wanted to give away. It’s done, and we go on and race. I want to do some good racing, and may the best man win.

Did you guys all start your practice this weekend like you had something to prove? It seems people were pretty motivated and hanging it out right off the bat.
I didn’t. I have my plan every weekend, and I just try to work into it and do the best I can do. I don’t go haywire right from the get-go. That doesn’t work for me; I do my normal routine. I haven’t changed. I think the other guys—definitely Chad—have a point to prove in practice. He has really stepped up his game there. But I really shined in the main event. I also wish James would have gotten a better start. I would have liked to have done battle. He was riding really well tonight.

You gave him a lot of credit in the press conference and said he's riding faster. Do you want to go 20 laps side-by-side with him?
Yeah. I want to go 20 laps side-by-side like we did at Anaheim and San Diego. I gained a lot of respect for him in those good battles. He raced clean and no need to do anything stupid. I'm pumped with the way we have raced together. I respect him for that.

I see on Mike Gosselaar’s pit board that he puts your lap time on it and James' below it. Do you watch those during a race?
Yeah, we were back and forth. He would inch up on me a little here and there. I'm just pumped on the win and happy [the points fuss] is over. Mentally, I'm sick of it. I'm disappointed, happy … I don’t know what to think.

RC's mechanic, Mike Gosselaar, gives Ricky his and Stewart's lap times. RC's is at the top; James' is below.
You sound more like yourself this weekend. Last week you were pretty outspoken in the press conference and in our interview. That was the first time I heard you just let go of a series. Now it’s back.

It’s been a damn roller-coaster. Like I said, I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I had a bad problem in St. Louis, and it ain’t over yet. I still have a lot of work ahead of me. I'm approaching it now just like I did when I went into Atlanta. At last week’s press conference, I felt like I needed to stand up for myself and for my team, so I might have come off a little harsh, but we were accused of something that should not have ever gotten that far.

Do you still have that Daytona track at home? You going to be ready?
Yeah, I've been riding quite a bit and testing a little more. Since we changed our spring on our bike—since my titanium spring broke—we've been fighting it a little bit, so I'm looking forward to testing and getting it better.

Thanks for the time, and good luck in Daytona.
Thanks, Steve.

Advertisement | Advertise with Us
  • Share
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Next
Racer X Films: Kevin Windham Wed Dec 8 Racer X Films: Kevin Windham
Presented by:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Website
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Read Now
June 2025 Issue Now Available
Get Racer X on your iPhone
Check out all the exclusive content this month on any device!
Read Now
The June 2025 Digital Issue Availalbe Now

Motocross & Supercross News - Racer X

122 Vista Del Rio Drive, Morgantown, WV 26508 | 304-284-0084 | Contact Us
©1999 - 2025 Filter Publications LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Preferences | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
designed at: Impulse Studios