We Went Fast

Why the final running of the Super Bowl of Motocross was the greatest race in the sport’s history. 

Rick Johnson goes from (almost) last to first; Wild man Guy Cooper (almost) wins; a unique but one-lined track with a short start straight and a first turn the size of a “phone booth” causes absolute carnage; Shots fired on the podium from Ron Lechien, and RJ is caught on a hot mic saying “You’d have to be a stupid idiot to follow these lines if someone faster than you was behind you.”

And Larry Huffman calling all the action. 

These (and more) are the reasons why I believe the 1987 Los Angeles Coliseum Supercross, the last time the “Super Bowl of Motocross” event title was used, is the greatest Supercross of all-time.

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This story is about Ricky Carmichael doing something even he thought wasn’t possible: a second perfect season. "I doubt if this will ever happen again," Carmichael told Cycle News after the 2002 Steel City National when he completed his first 24-0 run.

The project you’re listening to right now started well over a year ago and began as a 20th anniversary celebration of that 2002 season.  

But the more Ricky and I chatted, the more we found ourselves riffing about 2004, his second perfect season, which was memorably more difficult. And the deeper we got into that conversation, the more we discussed his 2003 knee injury, missing the 2004 Supercross season, and signing with American Suzuki during the recovery. 

"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki.

What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it often over the years but during the reporting phase of this project, we learned that his memory isn’t perfect, even his knowledge of the deal wasn’t 100%. 

Carmichael and I chatted on and off for over a year and his memory sharpened the more we talked. This whole thing became a completely different story than originally planned. And thanks to those aforementioned people above, we were able to unearth documents and communication from the time period that led to the most accurate retelling of a pivotal period in Carmichael’s life and career. 

It’s called The Greatest Gamble because three different parties put everything on the line with their decisions. For Carmichael, it was his reputation as a winning machine. Suzuki literally bet the farm to retain Carmichael’s services. Honda gambled by drawing a line. And that line cost them the winningest rider in the sport.

This is Part 2 of a 2-part release

For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com.

Support We Went Fast! 

"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki.

What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it often over the years but during the reporting phase of this project, we learned that his memory isn’t perfect, even his knowledge of the deal wasn’t 100%. 

Carmichael and I chatted on and off for over a year and his memory sharpened the more we talked. This whole thing became a completely different story than originally planned. And thanks to those aforementioned people above, we were able to unearth documents and communication from the time period that led to the most accurate retelling of a pivotal period in Carmichael’s life and career. 

It’s called The Greatest Gamble because three different parties put everything on the line with their decisions. For Carmichael, it was his reputation as a winning machine. Suzuki literally bet the farm to retain Carmichael’s services. Honda gambled by drawing a line. And that line cost them the winningest rider in the sport.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part release

For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com.

Support We Went Fast! 

In the spring of 1997, a mysterious 4x6-in. snapshot showed up in the marketing department of Oakley. The subject was one of their young riders, 17-year-old Ricky Carmichael, laying his motorcycle flat at the Silverdome. It was a mystery because nobody knew who took the photo.

The decision to run with the image, including using it on a billboard in Southern California, made for one legendary tale that wasn't told for over two decades. And it turned the photographer, David St. Onge, into a cult hero among the motocross photographers of the late 1990s.

Now you can own a piece of this quirky moment in motocross history. This 12-in. x 16-in. print is inspired by the photo that David St. Onge took from the 17th row at the 1997 Pontiac Supercross.