26 in a row?

Last Sunday, on Mother's Day, a young Florida native by the name of Richard "Ricky" Carmichael did the unthinkable...again. In 2002, Carmichael won the American Motorcyclists Association's National Outdoor Motocross championship by winning every single moto of every single race on the 12-race schedule. 24 motos in a row. No one could beat him. And on this Mother's Day, at the opening round of the 2003 championship season, Ricky once again demolished his competitors to add two more moto wins to his record-setting streak.

Can this young man be stopped?

Perhaps. Another young man from the South, Kevin Windham, looked to be the fastest rider of the day when he took off with the lead on the opening lap of the first moto and was steadily pulling away from Carmichael. Unfortunately, Windham fell and then had trouble re-starting his Honda CR450F, and ended up finishing well back in the pack. In the second moto, though, Windham was the only person able to keep Ricky (sort of) in sight. Kevin didn't beat Ricky, but he served notice that he has the speed and determination to put up a challenge.

The test will be at the next round, as the series moves to Central California, to see if Windham will be able to keep up his challenge, and if Carmichael will be able to extend his streak.

More later...
Paul