Ricky Carmichael

Carmichael made the jump to the 250-cc Supercross circuit in 1999, but got off to a difficult start by crashing in the first race of the season, sustaining a mild concussion and a fractured bone in his right hand. He continued to struggle to make the adjustment to the heavier, more powerful bike. Two fourth place finishes were the best Carmichael could do, earning him a season-end ranking of No. 16. Despite his disappointing performance in the 250-cc Supercross, Carmichael once again dominated the 125-cc Motocross season, taking his third consecutive championship with nine overall wins plus two podium finishes.

In 2000 Carmichael earned his first 250-cc Supercross win in Dayton, Ohio, and made five more podium appearances, which moved his ranking up to No. 5. Making the transition into the 250-cc Motocross events was much smoother for Carmichael, who feels more comfortable on the outdoor tracks he grew up with. He took overall nine wins, dominating the season and winning the championship. During 2000 Carmichael participated for the second year on the U.S. Motocross des Nations team, a competition among national teams of racers. In 2000 the U.S. won the competition for the first time in three years.

Driven to win and with little regard for second place, Carmichael was unhappy with his performance in the 250-cc Supercross. On his mother's suggestion, he hired a personal trainer, Aldon Baker, a former mountain-bike racer from South Africa who had recently lost his sponsorship. With Baker's guidance, Carmichael developed an extensive training regiment that included bicycle riding, running, weight lifting, practice riding, and a healthy diet—all of which helped Carmichael slim down twenty pounds. Pudgy at five-feet, six-inches and 170 pounds, he was lean and powerful at 150 pounds. In a sport that has long been characterized by riders who party as hard as they ride, Carmichael became known as the most fit, hardest trainer in Motocross.

Carmichael's hard work paid off in 2001 when he won his first 250-cc Supercross championship, finishing first fourteen times in the sixteen-race series, (with thirteen consecutive wins) and podium finishes in the only two races he didn't win. The championship was especially important to Carmichael because it happened before the impending retirement of racer Jeremy McGrath who, with seven career championships, was the uncontested king of the 250-cc Supercross. Carmichael knew he had beaten the best. He also took the 250-cc Motocross championship for the second consecutive year with seven overall wins in the twelve-race series. With the No. 1 ranking in both the 250-cc Supercross and the 250-cc Motocross, Carmichael was named the AMA Pro Racing Athlete of the Year.