“I have a couple of memories from that race. My dad and I were sitting in the stands right in front of the first triple where Ricky knocked Burnsworth down. I remember that’s where Rick Ryan was trying to triple all night long and he crashed while he was in qualifying position. He crashed in the heat, semi, and LCQ. My other memory was the sand section. It was around a rough whooped out corner and most of the guys were jumping into the sand pit. Then one lap, Bailey went wide, jumped it, and passed Johnson. Those are my two memories from Anaheim .”

“Bailey winning (Laughs). It was the first race of the season and they came out like two gladiators at each other. You would run out of fingers if you tried to count how many times the lead changed. It was a very clean race, a lot of tight passes, and it just set the tone for the season. At the time, Johnson was “Too Hip” and Bailey was “The Little Professor”. That night Bailey sent a message that he was here to stay.”

“Of that race, man, I hit my head a few times since then (Laughs). Actually, I don’t really remember much about that race or what I finished. I’m sure it was a fun race. Anaheim was always good for me because it was my home race and I always had family and friends there to support me. I really don’t remember much about that battle but I’ve heard it was a good race.”

“There was a lot of great passes back and forth. It was a great battle between two determined guys. The whole experience was something I won’t forget! I can’t really say one particular thing that stands out but I’m glad to be part of what some people say was the “greatest race ever.”

“For the first five or six laps it was a boring race until I caught Ricky. When I passed him the “roar” from the crowd went through my chest. It was like being front row at a concert. I realized this was going to be something really special. It also made me realize the difference between 70,000 and 50,000 people. Then, I was a little bit off guard and Ricky passed me back! That started it. Then we went back and forth for the next few laps and I eventually won the race.”

“The cool thing about those two guys was while you were traveling, you always saw how much they put into it during the week. Then, when you saw them at that race, same deal. They wanted it more than the other and they put out more than the other. They were so similar yet different. It was awesome watching them that night! It was like two prize fighters going at it the whole race.”

“I remember that race like it was yesterday. I was a little nervous because it was my first ride as a Yamaha factory rider, and I got lapped by David and Ricky! I was livid with myself for being a factory rider--a guy paid to race motorcycles--but they were just in a different league. When they came up on me, I got the hell out of the way. They were banging off each other and everything. I jumped behind them and tried to follow. They couldn’t even hear my bike, but I was able to watch them duel for three or four laps.”

“Well, I think the biggest thing was that it was door-handle to door-handle, as they say, between Johnson and Bailey the whole race. And I don’t think we have ever seen anything like that since, where guys race side by side the whole race. That’s the biggest thing that comes to mind. One guy would pass the other in a certain section and then the other one would pass him back in another section. It was quite the event! It had 70,000 people on their feet.”