This Rivalry Is Going Full Cycle

When Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael lead the EA Sports Supercross Series into Edison Field tonight for the third time in five weeks, they figure to continue their battle that has yielded two victories apiece.

McGrath won the season opener in Anaheim and won again last week in Phoenix. Carmichael, who had never won a 250cc supercross stadium race until this season, won in San Diego and two weeks ago in Anaheim.

McGrath, series champion seven of the last eight years, shares the lead this year with Kawasaki factory rider Carmichael (92 points out of a possible 100). It is especially inspiring for Carmichael to be this close in the standings because he feels he has an advantage when the 16-race series moves to Indianapolis next week. The advantage, said Carmichael, a Florida native, is that he practices on similar dirt, which tends to be softer.

“I’ve had some of my greatest races back East,” said McGrath, who lives in Encinitas. “California has always been good for me, but California has always been bad for him. Normally what happens this time of year is, he crashes a lot.”

But Carmichael hasn’t been crashing and has made it a competitive series--so far.

Team Suzuki rider Kevin Windham, who finished third in the last Anaheim race Jan. 20, is among those chasing the leaders. But he also knows the key to Carmichael’s success over the long haul is consistency.

Carmichael’s early success also means something else to Windham and the other riders: “If Ricky can do it, why can’t I?”

McGrath, the Team Mazda Yamaha owner-rider, has won eight of the last 10 races in Anaheim, but will need a better start than he had last week to continue that string. He was ninth when he began climbing through the field of the 20-lap main event at Phoenix. Mike LaRocco took third in the race and is third in the standings with 78 points. Ezra Lusk, who won both Anaheim races in 1999, is in fourth place with 67.

Yamaha of Troy riders Ernesto Fonseca (83 points) and Justin Buckelew (77) are running 1-2 in the 125cc Western Regional standings, ahead of Suzuki factory rider Danny Smith (70). Fonseca has three victories already with Yamaha’s four-stroke engine.