While he concedes that 2005 will feature one of the most talented fields of AMA Supercross riders in the history of the series,
he is not necessarily buying into all of the hype surrounding Anaheim, but rather the longer view of the championship and looking
more towards the AMA Supercross Series as a whole.
Larry Lawrence from www.amaproracing.com spoke to the Makita Team Suzuki rider fresh after his two dominating victories in the
two THQ World Supercross rounds in Canada.
How does the Suzuki RM250 you‰Ûªre riding compare to the Honda CR250 you raced?
RC: The two main differences are the steel chassis on the Suzuki and the engine design, which is totally different.
The Honda had a case reed intake while the Suzuki uses a cylinder reed intake so it creates a lot of low-end power.
It‰Ûªs one of the best, if not the best engine out there. It‰Ûªs a great bike for sure.
How about the chassis? Are you getting that set up to your preference?
RC: Yeah I‰Ûªm happy with it. I haven‰Ûªt changed much through the Canadian rounds or since I‰Ûªve been home practicing.
I‰Ûªm having no problems adapting to it.
How do you compare the steel frame versus the aluminum box frame?
RC: It‰Ûªs like anything; it works good in certain areas and is different in other areas. It‰Ûªs a trade-off. In extreme
conditions, where you need the flex, it works a little better.
Are you planning on moving to the four-stroke in motocross?
RC: Yeah, I‰Ûªll be competing on the RM-Z450. My Sebastien Tortelli‰Ûªs been testing it and said he‰Ûªs really pleased with
the bike.
Do you see yourself racing the 450 at all in Supercross?
RC: Not really. I think my bike is good enough and all my competition will be on two-strokes with the exception of a
couple of people. I still think the two-stroke has the upper hand in Supercross.
Have you spent more time in California testing this season since you‰Ûªre on a new bike and with a new team?
RC: We did a lot of testing before the US Open, so I‰Ûªve actually been home more now than I have the last couple of years.
The bike is good and if something needs to be tested they just send some guys here.
You seem to thrive on challenges: You were the first to complete a perfect season; the first to get 100 wins; you came back
from knee surgery and had another perfect season. How does the challenge of bringing Suzuki an AMA Supercross title compare
to the challenges you‰Ûªve faced in the past?
RC: Well it‰Ûªs a challenge I‰Ûªm looking forward to. At this point in my career I‰Ûªm looking for something new. I think it was a
great move and I‰Ûªm really happy with the people I‰Ûªm working with. I‰Ûªm on schedule with the training I‰Ûªve been doing in the
off-season and I think I‰Ûªm the best I‰Ûªve ever been as a rider and Suzuki‰Ûªs done the same with the bike. We‰Ûªve done the best
that we can do and that‰Ûªs all we can do.
Have you increased your training in the off-season since the competition appears to be at an all-time high?
RC: Yeah, I‰Ûªve upped everything. Each year I‰Ûªve gone to bigger things and gotten that much more of a base. I think the program
my trainer Aldon Baker put together for me this year is really good.
Are you still doing a lot of bicycling?
RC: Yeah, still doing a lot of cycling and riding a lot and I feel great.
Mark Barnett was the last rider to win an AMA Supercross title for Suzuki. Have you and Mark talked about that?
RC: No we really haven‰Ûªt. I think the bike is capable. I don‰Ûªt see why I can‰Ûªt win with it. Like I said, I feel I‰Ûªm in a great
position to win it. Just because they haven‰Ûªt won a title I really don‰Ûªt think about that. I think I‰Ûªm good enough and the
bike‰Ûªs good enough so it‰Ûªs really up to me.
Do you think Suzuki has a lot of extra pressure this year since they have you as a rider?
RC: Definitely. I think they have a lot to lose if something goes wrong and I do too. There‰Ûªs a lot of pressure on Suzuki
and me, but we‰Ûªre working towards our goal and that‰Ûªs to be Supercross Champion. I think they‰Ûªll do fine with the pressure.
They‰Ûªve done everything I‰Ûªve asked of them and now it‰Ûªs up to me to come through.
Do you worry about the history of rider after rider somehow getting injured in the team before?
RC: No. I think the reason they‰Ûªve been getting injured is because they‰Ûªre not in good enough shape and then they go out
there and push the envelope too much. Sort of like football players who get injured in a game because they didn‰Ûªt train hard
enough in the pre-season.
There‰Ûªs probably more hype surrounding January 8th in Anaheim than in any race in recent memory. Are you putting that much
emphasis on that race?
RC: No. Anaheim is just another race for me. I definitely want to do well. I‰Ûªve never won the first Anaheim so it‰Ûªs definitely
a goal of mine, but the big day for me will be in Vegas or maybe earlier if I can wrap up the championship. The championship
can‰Ûªt be won at Anaheim so I‰Ûªm looking forward to later on in the season. That‰Ûªs what‰Ûªs important to me. I won‰Ûªt start getting
too revved up until around Daytona time.
Speaking of Daytona. This March you‰Ûªll have the chance to become the first five-time winner of the Daytona Supercross. Is that
a day you have circled on your calendar?
RC: Oh yeah. I love Daytona. I think everybody knows that. I‰Ûªve done well there and I think only good things can happen there.
I look forward to it. When I go to Daytona I have a special feeling. I‰Ûªm just really confident going there and I definitely feel
I can win. Let‰Ûªs just say that there‰Ûªs not too much pressure on me when I go there.
Everyone is talking about the Big Three ‰ÛÒ you, Reed and Stewart, but you also have guys like Windham, LaRocco, Tortelli,
McGrath and others. Do you feel this is the most talented field ever assembled in one Supercross race?
RC: I don‰Ûªt know. I‰Ûªll say it‰Ûªs one of the most talented fields of riders, but if you go back to the mid-1980s, you had a
bunch of guys like O‰ÛªMara, Wardy, Bailey, Johnson and Glover. I mean those were pretty damn competitive races too. It‰Ûªs funny
how people forget.
Would you be surprised if someone other than the Big Three wins Anaheim?
RC: I wouldn‰Ûªt be surprised. I definitely want to win, but there‰Ûªs so much hype on Anaheim that something could happen to the
three of us to keep us from pulling it off.
Turn One in the final at Anaheim. Is that going to be an intense moment or what?
RC: Yeah. I just want to make it through the first turn you know. I‰Ûªd really be surprised if all three of us were one-two-three
at the start. It should be pretty interesting.
The last six times you raced an AMA Supercross race you came out second to Chad Reed. Is beating Reed a major motivating factor?
RC: Definitely. That‰Ûªs my main goal. I have a lot of respect for him and I look forward to racing him. I definitely want to beat
him, especially since he spanked me the last six times we raced in Supercross a couple of years ago. I have my excuses and
reasons for that, but I‰Ûªm really looking forward to the challenge and I‰Ûªm sure he is also.
What were the reasons you think he got the upper hand on you at the end of 2003?
RC: You know I think I just got a little over-confident halfway through the series and started changing some things that I
shouldn‰Ûªt have. I think his bike improved dramatically and he really got on a confidence roll.
It took you a few years to adapt to the 250s in Supercross. Do you think it will take Stewart as long to get up to speed in
the class?
RC: I think that‰Ûªs the question a lot of people have, you know, how long will it take him to adapt. I don‰Ûªt know and I don‰Ûªt
care. Everybody knows he‰Ûªs going to be good; he‰Ûªs the next "greatest thing". I‰Ûªm going to try to capitalise on any mistakes he
may make and try to win as much as possible until he gets it figured out.
With all that you‰Ûªve accomplished, many people feel you may be the greatest rider of all time. If Stewart starts winning right
away do you think that could affect your legacy in the sport?
RC: I think I‰Ûªll always have a great reputation for winning a lot of races and championships, but unfortunately the nature of
the sport is that you‰Ûªre only as good as your last race.
If Stewart comes in and is as dominant in the 250 class as he was in 125s do you think that would influence how long you‰Ûªd
continue to race?
RC: I want to race until I know I can‰Ûªt win, be it two years or three years from now, but that‰Ûªs so long from now that I really
don‰Ûªt think about it. I take it one race and one year at a time.
Conversely, if you continue to dominate would you still have the motivation to keep racing?
RC: You know, I set goals every year and I have little things that keep me motivated. When the year‰Ûªs up, I try to find things
that I need to improve on. I try to make myself a better rider and become more physically fit.
Jeremy McGrath and Mike LaRocco are racing into their mid-30s‰Û_
RC: I won‰Ûªt be racing into my 30s. No way!
You answered that pretty quickly!
RC: Oh yeah. I started racing at a young age. I don‰Ûªt think it‰Ûªs really how old a rider is. I think it‰Ûªs how long have you been
racing and winning. I started winning at 17.
So you don‰Ûªt think there‰Ûªs any way you‰Ûªd continue racing past 30?
RC: If I did it would only be select events just to go out there and have fun. I love to race and I love what I do, but I can‰Ûªt
see myself putting into the sport what I do now for that many years. It would just be crazy.
When you think about it 30 isn‰Ûªt that far away.
RC: No it isn‰Ûªt. I‰Ûªm 25 right now and I have my goals, but I don‰Ûªt want to get greedy and have something bad happen. I want to
race the next two or three years, see how they go and assess the situation then.
Let me ask you a few things away from the track now. I once saw an article about the old house you lived in near your practice
track. Do you still live there?
RC: No I live in town now in Tallahassee. I used to live out on the farm, but I ended up moving in to town. It‰Ûªs closer to the
airport and a lot of things. I‰Ûªm sort of an upbeat person and I like to do things and have a good time. Living out on the farm
got kind of boring. We‰Ûªve got a house we‰Ûªve lived in for three or four years and we really enjoy it.
How far are you from your practice track?
RC: About 25 miles. Not too far.
You‰Ûªve been married a couple of years now. Are you guys talking about kids or do you want to wait until you‰Ûªre done racing?
RC: No we want to wait until I‰Ûªm done racing. We want to raise our kids at home and not on the road. I love what I do and have
a passion for it and want to be able to give 110 percent. I don‰Ûªt think it would be fair to my sponsors, myself or the kid. I‰Ûªm
a big kid person, I love kids, but the timing isn‰Ûªt right and we‰Ûªre still young too.
Even though you‰Ûªve got a number of years left in your racing career have you given any thought to what you‰Ûªd like to do after
racing?
RC: I‰Ûªd love to race NASCAR. After I retire from full-time racing I‰Ûªd like to keep doing select races. I‰Ûªd like to do some GPs,
Daytona and a few Supercross or motocross races. Being around the fans is a great feeling. I‰Ûªll probably end up flying by the
seat of my pants and do some of the things that I sacrificed to get to where I am today.
You mentioned NASCAR. Is that something you‰Ûªd be willing to spend your own money on to pursue like some others have done?
RC: No, I definitely wouldn‰Ûªt spend my own money. I mean I do pretty well these days, but it could all be gone at the flick of a
wrist. You‰Ûªve got to be smart about things. I‰Ûªd try to get a sponsor and do it that way.
One last question, what did you ask from Santa this year?
RC: You know what, me and my wife, we split a Christmas present this year. We got a piano player. You pop a CD in and it plays
the piano.
So you can sit there and watch the keys and maybe learn how to play it?
RC: I don‰Ûªt know if I‰Ûªm going to learn how to play, but it‰Ûªs a peaceful instrument. It‰Ûªs kind of nice to sit back with the wife
and listen to it after a hard day‰Ûªs work.
Sitting down and relaxing to piano music sort of doesn‰Ûªt fit the Ricky Carmichael image does it?
RC: Yeah, I guess you have a point there!
Interview by Larry Lawrence/ www.amaproracing
