Anaheim 2, Ricky Carmichael Déjà vu! We had another weekend of outstanding racing and the podium for the Supercross class was very similar as what we saw in  Phoenix . The track was not as technical and seemed to be quite a breeze for the riders. Lap times were super fast which made the race action exciting. The weather was wonderful in the pits, but it sure cooled off for the night race. The fans were more than ready for the action to heat up again in the Angel’s stadium.

It was great to be back in Anaheim , Southern California . My week wasn’t as busy as last week so I was able to catch up on much needed rest. Friday night I was able to visit with my friend Jeremy who introduced me to the very outstanding Hayden brothers. They are accomplished Superbike racers. These guys tear it up on the track going speeds that reach nearly 200 miles per hour.

The Lites class proved to be exciting and showed more new faces on the podium. Alessi took home the holeshot check. Villopoto didn’t get the best start, but he moved up through the pack quickly. Towards the end of the race he went down which landed him a 12 th place finish. Langston got his first respectable and well earned win, which leaves the point standings at a tie for first place between Langston and Short. Short placed second and the top three podium finishers; Langston, Short and Ramsey were set on the third lap.

In the Supercross Main Event there was only one Yamaha and two Kawasaki ’s, the rest of the track was inundated with Honda's and Suzuki’s. McGrath and Vuillemin followed the four stroke trend and showed up on their Honda 450’s at Anaheim 2. It proved to be a good move with Vuillemin earning the holeshot and a pleased McGrath making another top 5. Vuillemin was very excited on the podium collecting the holeshot check. Tedesco has proved to be a strong contender in the top 5, not to Reed’s liking. Reed has been consistent with his top finishes, but we sure got the vibe that he's aches to run up with the top two. He got that taste at A1 leading so many laps. I wonder what Reed's strategy will be next Saturday night? Carmichael won fair and square in the wake of Stewart going down in the turn. I had this feeling Carmichael was tailing Stewart and analyzing the lines he was running. In my opinion, I think Carmichael would have made his move within the last two laps to take the win. We shall see what San Francisco brings. 

I made my first crash and burn of the season on the jumbo tron. Did anyone see it? Haha. While throwing out t-shirts and giving hi-fives to the kids, I pulled a very slick move and fell backwards. I was hoping no one saw, but when I heard the sold out crowd go “aawwwhh” I knew my worst fear was confirmed; I slipped and fell and it was shown on the jumbo tron. I don’t want to do that again.

The weather made for a perfect day in the pits and was it ever packed. Full of diehard fans waiting for that autograph or glimpse of their rider, I spent time near the merchandise booth and was able to meet many fans of all ages and was quite impressed with all the little kids I met. They are so cute running around all decked out in their dirt bike jerseys or favorite rider t-shirts with their hands full of posters and other goodies found in the pits. The kids are so inspired by the riders and will wait endlessly for an autograph or picture. This interaction in the pits is so important. The fans bring so much energy to the riders.

We are three races into the ‘06 season and I am looking forward to San Francisco . I have never been there before so I’m anxious to check out the city. Let's hope there are some surprises on the podium in both the Lites and Supercross class.

See you at the races!

Brittney
Miss Supercross
missupercross@yahoo.com

Photos courtesy of Chris Tedesco