SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 23, 2005) - Let’s sum up Hangtown simply: Ricky Carmichael is even better than we all thought. If that’s even possible. And the 125 class will be even wilder and more unpredictable than we all thought. If that’s even possible.

Hangtown only proved what we already knew, but witnessing the two classes play to their strengths was still an eye-opener. Who knew RC would handle his latest challenge with so little challenge? James Stewart crashed twice in the first moto but was able to work his way from way back in the pack to finish sixth. He never got near Carmichael’s pace. And in the second moto, he challenged Chad Reed and Kevin Windham briefly while Carmichael fled out front. Then he started losing time, and then, he was gone.

Kawasaki officially said James was feeling lightheaded and pulled off for safety reasons. This just dumped the clutch on the speculation mill. How did he get lightheaded? Was he sick? Did he crash? Was he still beat up from Vegas? Does he lack heart? Is he dead on a two-stroke? Is any of this even true?

Who knows? The good or bad news is that Carmichael will be there to answer the big question “Who will be champion?” every time it’s asked. Great starts and flawless riding in both motos put Carmichael way out front both times. Reed and Windham were claimed early in moto one, and Windham’s crash bent his shifter, taking him out of the points. Reed had hit his head hard in a crash earlier in practice, so he cruised to third with teammate David Vuillemin finishing second. In the second moto, Windham battled past Reed for second but RC gapped them both.

Could be another in a long line of long seasons for everyone here.

But oh, that 125 class. Josh Grant grabbed the first-moto holeshot for the second year in a row, while Mike Alessi got a–shock–good start and got right behind him. Grant is one of approximately 3,751 riders to have a rivalry with Mikey, so the two pushed each other hard while Mike Brown, Grant Langston, Broc Hepler, and Ryan Hughes hovered. The pace caught up to Grant and Alessi, and riders started going by them, which was probably great news to all of those Alessi haters out there.

Hepler lived up to his Iceman moniker, riding cooler and calmer than everyone and pulling off the win, his first, in a manner that made it look old-hat. Langston stalled, but he came back later to hook back into the classic Hughes/Brown/Langston love triangle. Hughes would crash, and it took him forever to find neutral and restart his bike. Langston would recover from his mistake to get second with Brown third. Mikey ended up sixth.

But #800 is a fast learner. He got out front early again in moto two, and as has happened so many times in his career before, the riders who could have beaten him started taking themselves out of the running. Like Hepler.

Before the moto, Carmichael came down to the gate with Broc and told him, simply, “Don’t get excited, just let it all play out.” But Broc couldn’t do it. Instead he returned to his supercross ways and got impatient, pushed too hard while battling Brown and Langston, and crashed. It took him forever to find neutral and restart his bike. Then Langston moved forward and challenged Alessi, who fought valiantly for his position, even though Langston was clearly faster. Finally he let Grant by–and two corners later, Langston fell. It took him forever to find neutral and restart his bike.

Then Hughes went out with some sort of mechanical problem. Suddenly Brown, who wasn’t even supposed to be racing this series a month ago, who only rode his race bike for the first time on Friday, who is backed by Jim’s Motorcycles in Tennessee, his old privateer sponsor, was in position to go 3-2 for the overall win. By then, Brownie had no graphics on the left shroud of his bike. It was fitting.

Then something went off in Langston. Riding like it was 2001 again, he upped his pace considerably and came after Brown, who appeared to have the overall locked. He passed him. Grant was in control of the overall, but he kept charging after Alessi. He was four seconds back on the final lap. He kept charging. Meanwhile, Alessi was completely spent. Finally, after all the times Mikey had handled the challenges and silenced the doubters with wins, he had run into an enemy he couldn’t overcome: a long pro moto.

With Alessi on fumes and Langston on adrenaline, they charged side-by-side into the final turn, each with only one rut to aim for. They collided hard. They both went down. And then it was a mad scramble to the bikes.

Miraculously, Langston’s Kawasaki was still running. He picked it up and rolled over the finish to go 2-1 and win the overall. But Mike, well, it took him forever to find neutral and restart his bike. Really forever. The fans were going nuts as Brown and then Ivan Tedesco and even Hepler passed him. His dad and mechanic stood on helplessly as Mike just couldn’t restart the bike. He tried to push it to the finish, but that light-weight physique that helps him get starts doesn’t help him push to finish lines. Mike is not built like Ryan Hughes. He … couldn’t … get ... the … bike … over. And Tony Alessi was there, 10 feet away, screaming, watching it all slip away. So Mike gave one last lunge. And the bike went careening off the tack. He collapsed in exhaustion. The crowd went nuts.

It was better and wilder and crazier than any of your wildest 125 dreams.

Langston now has a dislocated ankle as a result of the collision. It was a costly last-ditch effort, if not a dirty one. The 125 class is already a beautiful mess, while the 250 class is just sheer beauty. And 250Fs are really hard to start.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.