Makita Suzuki Vancouver Supercross Report
Makita Suzuki’s Carmichael Wins Vancouver Supercross & Dungey Podiums in First Pro Supercross Lites
Round 2 – Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
B.C. Place Stadium
Dec. 9, 2006
Team Makita Suzuki Racing ruled round two of the Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday night. Reigning AMA Supercross Champion Ricky Carmichael won the Supercross race and teammate Ryan Dungey brought home second place in his debut Pro Supercross Lites event. Teammate Ivan Tedesco was unable to race after injuring his hand at last week’s Toronto event.
“When you get out there and the adrenaline gets pumping it’s so fun,” said Carmichael. “James (Stewart) was riding great tonight and I wanted to keep him in sight and give myself a chance to win the race. We had a good race and I’m just happy to get Makita Suzuki another win. Now we’re going into the holidays and I’m looking forward to Anaheim 1 and Phoenix. Canada has been great to me and I appreciate it.”
Prior to the main event, Carmichael’s eight-lap heat race was de rigueur for the defending 15-time AMA Champion. The 27-year-old Floridian holeshot the event and led to the finish.
“I tell you what, this crowd and this bike are really working for me tonight,” said Carmichael from the podium. “I just need to put myself into a good position for the main event, and try to bag one of these things. I think the last time I won here was 2004. I love this place and I’m due.”
Carmichael’s words were quite prophetic as the Makita Suzuki rider they call the Greatest Of All Time also won the 20-lap main event. Carmichael got a good start on his Makita Suzuki RM-Z450, bided his time in second place and took over the lead in a dramatic pass with a few laps to go.
“It was an epic battle, it was a race all 20 laps,” said Carmichael. “James and I have had some sick races and it’s so much fun to race like that. I’ve grown to have a lot of respect for him, racing with him last year. He’s grown up a lot racing with me. I know he had a bump and bruise, but I don’t know how much better he could have ridden, because we were cooking around that track. I don’t know if the bikes could have taken much more and whether the tires could have gripped more. It was great to win this race. I was trying; I lost a little toe here and there that I had to make up. He was strong from lap five to 13 or 14, then I saw a little bit of hesitation and I made a clean pass. I did what I had to do and made a nice move on him.”
In the Supercross Lites class, newly signed Dungey was lined up for the first heat race of the night. In the six-lap Lites qualifier, Dungey got a rough start and came from the back of the field. In spite of this, he rode his Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 through the pack to finish an amazing third place.
Dungey’s performance in his debut Pro Supercross race was even more impressive than his qualifier. The 17-year-old Makita Suzuki rider got a good start off the gate and slotted easily into fifth place on the first lap. He rode a smart 15-lap race on his Makita Suzuki RM-Z250 and moved through the pack into second place.
“I felt good right from the start,” said Dungey, who’ll contest the Supercross Lites East Coast series in 2007. “This is my first professional Supercross race and I’m pretty happy with second place. I felt really smooth and in control and pretty strong. Toward the end, I started taking it easy and I’m just happy to be up here now. This is what I’ve been working for my whole life.”
Team Makita Suzuki Racing will return for the season-opening round of the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Championship Series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007.
Ricky Carmichael, Team Makita Suzuki Racing RM-Z450, #4
1st Place – Supercross class, Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP
2nd Place -- Overall Championship Points Standings
Ryan Dungey, Team Makita Suzuki Racing RM-2450, #62
2nd Place – Supercross Lites, Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP
Supercross Class Top 10 Finishers:
Ricky Carmichael, Team Makita Suzuki Racing
James Stewart, Kawasaki (holeshot)
Chad Reed, Yamaha
David Vuillemin, Honda
Tim Ferry, Kawasaki
Nathan Ramsey, Yamaha
Travis Preston, Honda
Jeff Gibson, Kawasaki
Nick Wey, Honda
Jason Thomas, Honda
Supercross Lites Class Top 10 Finishers:
Ryan Sipes, Honda (holeshot)
Ryan Dungey, Team Makita Suzuki Racing
Zach Osborne, KTM
Martin Davalos, KTM
Kyle Beaton, Yamaha
Jimmy Albertson, Yamaha
Bobby Garrison, Yamaha
Gray Davenport, Kawasaki
Dennis Jonon, KTM
Kevin Urquhart, Honda
