40 Day Countdown To AMA Motocross Opener: 2001
Wednesday, May 11, 2011 | 4:40 PM
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The year 2001: A pivotal year in American history, and also a dramatic one in American Motocross. Welcome to today’s edition of the 40-Day Countdown to the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championships. Remember, to learn more about the entire series, check out the new Facebook page here: and also www.allisports.com, the official webpage of the tour.
(If you missed any of our previous years, please click here)
It was pretty obvious what was going to happen going into the 2001 AMA 250 Motocross Championship—Ricky Carmichael was going to win and win big. During the second half of the 2000 MX campaign, RC caught fire and won the final six races of the season. He then carried that speed (and his new-found fitness) into AMA Supercross, where he did the unthinkable. Carmichael didn’t just challenge seven-time SX Champ Jeremy McGrath, he dominated him, ending the season on an astounding 13-race win streak to claim his first AMA 250 Supercross Championship. With RC effectively ending the MC era indoors, what was going to stop him outdoors?
Ricky Carmichael won the final 13 rounds of AMA Supercross before heading outdoors. Check out the number four. This was the first time a defending champion chose not run the number-one plate.
Photo: Simon Cudby
How about an errant haybale? Carmichael had gone undefeated in his career at the Glen Helen circuit in California, but on the first lap of the first moto in 2001, a bale tumbled onto the track, and Ricky ran into it, knocking him off the top of the massive Mt. St. Helens hill. He recovered but finished out of the top five, eliminating him from a shot at the overall. The win went to Team Yamaha’s Timmy Ferry. The challenges continued. Team Honda’s Sebastian Tortelli, who battled RC for the championship a bit in 2000, won Hangtown, and then in yet another muddy race at High Point, Yamaha’s David Vuillemin won for the second year in a row. Suzuki’s Kevin Windham was riding strong through the early season, as well, leaving a five-rider pack at the front of the nationals.
Carmichael finally got an overall win at round four at Southwick, while Tortelli crashed and handed over the points lead. That was all RC needed, as he then reeled off five-straight victories. Windham stayed close, though, and at Washougal he beat Carmichael in two superb head-to-head races to claim the overall.
At this point, Carmichael had already signed a deal to move over to Team Honda for 2002, and his KX250 was getting a little long in the tooth. But RC doesn’t take losing very well, and he did some more testing to improve his green machine. He fired back with dominant wins at Millville and Binghamton the clinch the championship. Then he decided to drop back to the 125s for the final round at Steel City. Carmichael was tied atop the all-time 125 career win list with Mark Barnett, and wanted to go after the record. But that put him on a collision course with perhaps the most dramatic 125 title fight ever.
Grant Langston (111) made KTM a front-runner in AMA Motocross.
Photo: Simon Cudby
With backing from Red Bull, KTM planned their most ambitious assault on U.S. racing ever, with South Africa’s Grant Langston, the 2000 125 GP Champion, leading the squad. Langston had company, though, in his GP rival Mike Brown, who was returning to the U.S. with the Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. Langston immediately proved his worth by sweeping Glen Helen and Hangtown rounds, with only Brown keeping him in sight at Glen Helen. Meanwhile, defending 125 National Champion Travis Pastrana’s RM125 looked terribly overmatched against Langston’s KTM 125.
Travis got back in the mix by winning a muddy High Point race, which set the stage for a dramatic Southwick National. Pastrana and Langston, both columnists in Racer X Illustrated at the time, both guaranteed wins on the sandy track. Then Langston crashed in practice and separated his shoulder, Pastrana crashed in the first turn of the first moto, and Brown dominated! Moto two was even more epic, as Brown went down early, Pastrana got a bad start, and Langston ran up front despite riding with essentially one arm. Late in the race, though, Pastrana put in an unbelievable charge to catch Langston and Brock Sellards to steal the win. Like we said yesterday, Pastrana was pretty magical on a racetrack back then.
The drama continued. Brown won at Budds Creek, and then the series received an even bigger shock: Moto XXX privateer Larry Ward won Red Bud on the controversial YZ250F. The first-ever 250 four-stroke MXer threatened the factory 125s, and Ward found himself closing up in the title picture. Finally at Unadilla, Pastrana seemed ready to end the craziness with two dominant moto wins. But on the last lap of the last moto, while cruising with a massive lead, Pastrana went over the bars on a jump and knocked himself out—that crash, right there, would be the catalyst. Pastrana would never win another race.
Kevin Windham (14, of course) and Carmichael (4, of course) had some great duels during the summer of 2001.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Langston and Brown battled, with Langston holding a small edge heading to Steel City. Carmichael met them there looking to break the win record on a KX125. Brown had been riding and training at Carmichael’s house all summer, which raised suspicion that RC was dropping down to help his buddy. RC responded by saying to Langston, famously, “Don’t worry, I won’t even touch you when I go past you.”
Mike Brown won the 2001 125 National Championship in one of the hardest-fought championships ever.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Carmichael started nearly last in the first moto and could only get to third. Brown won the race (and flipped off Langston at the finish!) to close in on points, but Langston still had a slight points lead. Then Brown crashed early in moto two. With Carmichael pulling out a massive lead, Langston circulated up front, looking to cruise home with KTM’s first-ever AMA National Championship. Then disaster struck. Spokes started breaking on Langston’s rear wheel. Brown was coming through traffic in a hurry, while Langston started falling through the pack. Finally, in the waning moments, Langston’s wheel collapsed, and so did his championship hopes. Brown had it, so he even moved over to allow Brandon Jesseman to pass him, thus giving Carmichael the overall (and all-time 125 win record) via 3-1 scores. And Brown won the championship, celebrating with tears of joy at the finish, while Langston sat in the mechanics’ area about 20 feet away, crying, as well, over a championship lost to a broken wheel.
Just days later, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, rocked the country. The U.S. chose not to send a team to the Motocross des Nations. Hard to believe it's been nearly ten years, but we finally found the man responsible for the attacks. And then justice was done.
The season also marked the debut of Yamaha's YZ250F. As you can see here, the blue bikes were pretty fast off the start!
Photo: Simon Cudby
2001 NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
2001 250cc National Motocross
Date Location Winner Machine
May 13 San Bernardino, CA Timmy Ferry, Largo, FL Yamaha
May 20 Sacramento, CA Sebastien Tortelli, France Honda
May 27 Mt. Morris, PA David Vuillemin, France Yamaha
June 10 Southwick, MA Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
June 17 Budds Creek, MD Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
July 1 Buchanan, MI Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
July 15 New Berlin, NY Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
July 22 Troy, OH Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
July 29 Washougal, WA Kevin Wincham, Centreville, MS Suzuki
August 19 Millville, MN Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
August 26 Binghamton, NY Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
September 2 Delmont, PA Kevin Windham, Centreville, MS Suzuki
Langston and Pastrana recounted their Southwick battle in Racer X.
2001 250cc National Point Standings
1 Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki 490
2 Kevin Windham, Centreville, MS Suzuki 482
3 Timmy Ferry, Largo, FL Yamaha 439
4 Mike LaRocco, South bend, IN Honda 411
5 David Vuillemin, France Yamaha 346
6 Sebastien Tortelli, France Honda 339
7 John Dowd, Chicopee, MA KTM 326
8 Stephane Roncada, France Kawasaki 305
9 Kyle Lewis, Las Vegas, NV Yamaha 228
10 Robbie Reynard, Oklahoma City, OK Yamaha 227
2001 125cc National Motocross
May 13 San Bernardino, CA Grant Langston, S. Africa KTM
May 20 Sacramento, CA Grant Langston, S. Africa KTM
May 27 Mt. Morris, PA Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, MD Suzuki
June 10 Southwick, MA Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, MD Suzuki
June 17 Budds Creek, MD Michael Brown, Piney Flats, TN Kawasaki
July 1 Buchanan, MI Larry Ward, Florence, SC Yamaha
July 15 New Berlin, NY Grant Langston, S. Africa KTM
July 22 Troy, OH Michael Brown, Piney Flats, TN Kawasaki
July 29 Washougal, WA Michael Brown, Piney Flats, TN Kawasaki
August 19 Millville, MN Grant Langston, S. Africa KTM
August 26 Binghamton, NY Grant Langston, S. Africa KTM
September 2 Delmont, PA Ricky Carmichael, Havana, FL Kawasaki
MC didn't race any outdoor rounds in 2001, and Carmichael ended his near decade of dominance indoors.
2001 125cc National Point Standings
1 Michael Brown, Piney Flats, TN Kawasaki 458
2 Grant Langston, S. Africa KTM 444
3 Ernesto Fonseca, Costa Rica Yamaha 335
4 Larry Ward, Florence, SC Yamaha 332
5 Brock Sellards, New Philadelphia, OH KTM 312
6 Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, MD Suzuki 311
7 Nathan Ramsey, Murrieta, CA Yamaha 249
8 Rodrig Thain, France Suzuki 223
9 Branden Jesseman, Fombell, PA Honda 207
10 Scott Sheak, Chino Hills, CA Honda 201
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RC said " RC responded by saying to Langston, famously, “Don’t worry, I won’t even touch you when I go past you.”
.Boy some would flip if that was said today!! Some always say RC never talks crap and always says good things about his Comp but this is proff he is just like everyone else just way better at winning Titles.
.ps. That is in NO WAY a dig at RC, Just at some on here who say he is a saint LOL.
"Langston’s wheel collapsed" I remember that, Man I felt bad for him... What a way to lose a title!! That sucks!!!
.Not a big fan of Brown falling back so RC could get the win either. Took Bombers title by defult... But then JS surpassed them both anyway.
A great year, although the 250F would go on to cause a lot of problems for our sport (increased costs). How Ricky dominated on that KX250 I have no idea. Those bikes have to rank as the worst of the decade with the possible exception of the 04' KX/RMZ 250Fs (yes, worse than the Cannondale).
Brown probably wishes he didn't give the overall win away that day. Always thought that move was phony and fake. Luckily justice was served when James Stewart broke RC's record in that class for wins outdoors.
I was 20 yards from Travis when he crashed at Unadilla. He was killing everybody that day. I thought he had the points lead at that point. Jason, Davey...anyone remember the points going into that day?
@ Crap Heap: The 00 KX250s weren't that bad. The motor was great, it pulled and pulled. Once you got the forks fixed it wasnt a bad bike, it just got rings ran around it in the corners.
Even Ricky couldnt win on the Cannondale, unless they replaced the motor with pedals :)
Crap Heap, you must not have ridden the Cannonball. I did. There was never anything worse. I had one for a week and it damned near killed me.
Thanks, DC!!
I talked with Pastrana when he was in the hospital in Lake Havasu when he came up short on a 130 footer and suffered a spondylolisthesis before he signed his contract with Suzuki, and I urged him to make sure he included in his contract with Suzuki that he would be allowed to jump and do FMX. I warned him about DeCoster, telling him that DeCoster hated jumping and would try to force him to abandon jumping. I told him, "You have the power to include that in your contract. Don't let DeCoster take jumping away from you! You can't tell a bird not to fly! You're the best jumper in the history of the world."
Travis didn't let DeCoster make him choose between racing and jumping. Imagine if Pastrana would have let DeCoster rob him of his entire FMX career. I still can't believe DeCoster's audacity.
I agree that Brown letting Jesseman pass him in order to give RC the overall was 100% cornball. No one allowed Barnette to just pass them in order for him to establish the win record in the first place. Corperate politics and big money take the "good clean fun" out of everything. Pure manipulation.
I'll bet the Bomber wasn't too happy about it !
jairtime, yes, imagine DeCosters audacity to keep possibly (we'll never know) one of the most talented racers EVER off of jumps and extend his career?
I dislike arguing points of view but, we definitely don't see eye to eye on this one.
This is where the whole MXA "Village idiot" thing came up from.
Arguably, his worst injuries were not jump related, obviously omitting what you have mentioned, the Havasu injury was Pourcel-like before we knew of Pourcel.
Super not-pumped for G.L.'s imploding rear wheel.....Woulda, shoulda, coulda.
2000.......the beginning of the end of the 125 class.......Thanks, Yamaha.
@Jairtime, in my opinion TP could have won a few titles, and still had time for doing FMX. He could have retired from racing at 23-24 and then hit the ramps. He screwed up what could have been a steller racing career, and now he will be lucky if he can walk by the time he is 40, from arthritis..
Yamaha ended the 125 class with 250f's, but is the only company to still have the 125's in the U.S.
DeCoster is a great ambassador for MX and that is his Focus. Anyone out there taking their life and possibly other's into their hand needs complete focus as well. Pastrana has no-one else to blame but himself for his grenaded MX career. You cannot serve two masters and Pastranas MX/SX results prove the point.
It is lucky that he had Freestyle to fall back on. Don't misunderstand me I think Travis is an awesome entertainer but to call THE MAN audatious for focusing on his job (at the time Team Suzuki MX manager) is at nonsencical. The same focus is what has allowed RD to be considered not only one of the greatest riders of all time but also the best Team Manager of all time.
To an MX purist Travis Pastranas 1 SX title (125) and 1 MX Title (125) and 1 MXDN title doesn't compare to what DeCoster acheived in his career. He was one of the people young MXers here in the states used to emulate. The late 70's and early 80"s generation owe much of their style to riders like him..
ANYWAY...RC's SX season with the 13 straight wins on that Kawi was AWESOME...especially those awesome KYB air forks and his chopperd out geometry (no doubt caused by his shortened shock) Looking at how that bike was set up it was unreal that he went that fast on it...And the K-Dub RC Battle at Washougal...had to be there.
it's easy to look over how long and a successful of a carrer Lary Ward had!
Pastrana was knocked unconscious a lot more in motocross than in jumping. Motocross was harder on his body. He was a very good motocrosser, but in jumping, he was, and is, the greatest who ever lived.
DeCoster was afraid of jumping, especially after he faceplanted at Carnegie Cycle Park. How can he judge jumpers? He's like one of those dads who tells his daughter she can't date a motorcycle rider. He only promoted disrespect toward jumpers and jumping when he was involved with a certain magazine full of jaded old rider writers, holding jumping back significantly.
Pastrana's jumping career is what made him what he is today. He could buy and sell 50 Roger DeCosters with the money he made from jumping. Pastrana earned every penny. He followed the master - jumping - that proved to be most loyal to him.
Next year (2002) The GOAT accomplishes the unthinkable - A perfect season!! On a 2 stroke even!! By then Honda & Yamaha both had 4 strokes out
@jairtime, he might have knocked himself out a few times racing, but he blew out his knees and ended his motocross season doing FMX. that is why Decoster didnt want his highest paid racer to go out and ruin his racing career. And Decoster was right. And its about more than money.
jairtime, I don't want to burst your bubble but I'm going to anyway. Roger DeCoster was hardly affraid of jumping, he was concerned his riders were not focusing on becoming the best racers & representitives of the sport they could be. This is phenomonally altruistic and a huge part of why "The Man" was, is and will always be the man. He will still be earning lifetime achievment awards long after Pastrana, Deegan, itchy & scratchy have long left the building. No disrespect to "Jumpers" but, a racer can jump while a jumper cannot race, certainly not to the level of competency we're concerning ourselves with. Pastrana has said himself that he couldn't continue training at the level required for SX/MX and Jumping was still relatively easy.
Also, while the "certain magazine" you refer to may have some jaded old racers on their staff, they are the standard to which others are measured, alot like DeCoster in a sense. When they start calling themselves "Jumping Action" or "Freestyle Action", maybe they will start giving jumping a little more attention but until then, they give it the same amount of ink they give enduro, trials, road race and choppers and rightfully so, because if I wanted chopped fender, inked-out clowns (called "Bro's" here in So. Cal) stinking up the joint, I'd subscribe to TWMX (which I do anyway but, not as good as MXA).
Wow! TP199 let down the MX community by by wrecking himself doing freestyle. He is a great person and I like him but I just wish he would have entertained us at the mx tracks for a few more years. The MX/SX record books will never show how good he really was.
I've always maintained in my head, that Travis changed the landscape of MX/SX by not racing as much as he did. I think Ricky wouldn't have as many titles if he was healthy. His bike skills, his height for the whoops and sheer speed would have been pretty formidable.
He sure had a strange style though, because of his height (DV12 as well).
Erm i'd rather didnt bad mouth Rc's kx. I was on a 65 at the time and i had it kitted out to look mint. From specially made up fork guards, to a fake transponder the thing was mint! If i won the lottery i'd build up all of RC's kx's from 99-00, the things looked sick..