A Surprise Winner Emerges in Anaheim

Turns out Saturday night did not belong to one of the headliners: the winner of last year’s national title, the rider who won the previous three, the rookie sensation or the aging superstar.

Rather, it belonged to motorcycle racing’s version of a mudder.

In a wild and slippery main event in which even the track announcer had trouble keeping track of the mud-splattered riders, it was Kevin Windham of Centerville, Mass., who emerged from the Angel Stadium bog to claim the season-opening THQ AMA Supercross Series event.

“I didn’t even know I won the race,” the Honda rider said afterward. “Then I came around and I saw the checkered flag. It was great.”

Windham, who won five races last year aboard his Honda and finished runner-up to Chad Reed in the series, showed that he has to be taken seriously in any kind of weather.

His victory -- claimed largely by the fact that he fell only once -- is especially noteworthy because of those he defeated:

* Ricky Carmichael, 25, the three-time supercross champion who sat out last season because of a knee injury, made his return and opened a strong lead in the main event before falling early.

Carmichael then fell again, and again, ultimately finishing third on his Suzuki behind Mike Larocco.

* Reed, 22, an Australian who lives in Lake Elsinore, is the defending series and event champion. He had 10 victories last season, including the second of three Anaheim races. But the sloppy track got the better of him Saturday night and he was never able to mount a serious threat. He finished 16th.

* James “Bubba” Stewart, 19, who made his debut in the premiere 250cc class after dominating the 125 division, winning 11 of 12 races last year en route to his second AMA 125 championship. Stewart, a Kawasaki rider who breezed to a first-place finish in his qualifying heat, fell early and often in the main event and finished 12th.

* Jeremy McGrath, 33, of Encinitas, the sport’s most successful athlete and winner of seven 250cc championships and 72 events. He’s on what he refers to as a limited comeback and says he’ll compete in only seven of 16 events this season.

He’ll probably think twice if any of those events are as soggy as this one. He struggled as much as anyone and didn’t finish because of early mechanical problems.

“My passion is riding, and that’s all I ever do still,” he said before the race. “I go riding and it’s a lot of fun. But seriously, it’s not the same. I want to test myself. I want to get the challenge going again.”

All four riders were among those qualifying for the 20-rider main event, on a cold and increasingly rainy night in which the roster was reduced by more than half -- the field was drawn based on riders’ past successes -- to ensure adequate conditions for the final.

Carmichael took the early lead and opened a seemingly decisive edge over Windham before his first fall. Windham managed to hold the lead for the remainder of the race while what seemed a circus played out behind and all around him, as he passed several riders who were indiscernible because of the mud.

For Carmichael, the showing was noteworthy in that he finished ahead of Reed and Stewart, his main series rivals.

“It feels good just to be back out there -- I mean, this is supercross,” said Carmichael, his smile beaming through the mud on his face.

Nathan Ramsey of Menifee was the winner in the 125 class.