Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you already know the winner of the race held on July 4th in Red Bud. Ricky Carmichael. Was there any doubt?
What’s hard to believe is how little information there is about this race in any of the mainstream media. Sure it’s not a part of the Lucas Oil Motocross Championships and the bikes are not the ones that the manufacturers are currently selling (with the exception of Yamaha and KTM).
The buzz for the FMF 2 Stroke Invitational was high. Photo by Transworld Motocross
But according to first hand reports the amount of buzz and interest in the race was off the charts. There are folks clamoring for results, photos, video or any information about this race on the message boards and comment sections of the mainstream media web sites.
This page will be updated as more information becomes available.
Here is what has been uncovered so far.
According to the results listed on the MXA web site the results for the top four racers is as follows.
1. Ricky Carmichael – Suzuki
2. Josh Lichtle – Honda
3. Josh Woods – Yamaha
4. Jeff Stanton – Honda
Lil' D the man of the hour, with Todd DeHoop. Photo by Transworld Motocross
Lil’ D from FMF just sent me an e-mail from his FMF powered iPhone saying “It was a great little event with huge success.” He promised to send some photos as soon as he got back to the office and caught up.
Lot’s of folks are interested in what the lap time differences were between RC on his two stroke and the racers in the other National classes.
In timed practice Josh Grant burned the fastest lap time on the course in the 450 class and Tommy Searle had the distinction of being fastest in the 250F class.
Josh Grant – 2:24.921
Tommy Searle – 2:26.818
Of course during timed practice the track is quite smooth. During a full day of racing the track gets beat up and rough. This tends to raise the lap times a bit.
In the second 250F moto Cristophe Pourcel’s fastest lap time was a 2:30.445 and his last lap time was a 2:34.452
In comparison Ricky Carmichael’s lap times for the three laps of the race were as follows.
First lap – 2:34
Second Lap – 2:36
Last lap – 2:46
Now when you take into consideration that Ricky Carmichael is a retired motocross racer and full-time NASCAR driver, these times are impressive. Certainly if he were to practice and train for motocross racing he would still be very competitive, if not down right dominate. Great job RC!
Ricky Carmichael pulling away from the field. Photo by Transworld Motocross
A friend attended the event at Red Bud and here is what he had to say;
“Redbud did switch the invitational around. The twins (friends that entered the race) were disappointed, but as I thought about it, I think it was a good thing. I want people to see the 2 strokes going fast and with stars on them.
RC got more cheers than any pro racer of the day. Ricky came around and overshot Larocco’s leap after the commentator had the nerve to ask him if he could clear it on a 2 stroke. Ricky said” I will do it in the race and overshoot it like I always do!” GO RC! RC did overshoot it on his second practice lap and broke his front wheel. In the race he pancaked it upside down every time. It was awesome. Everyone cheered louder for him than anyone else the rest of the day.
They announced the moto as an “oldschool two stroke race” that pissed me off. Still trying to suppress the 2 stroke image to the general public and amateur riders. RC’s lap time on his first lap was only 5 seconds off the fastest lap of the day and RC only got two laps of practice that day and has not been in top condition.”
RC requesting permission to land. Photo by Steve Cox
Jaff Stanton raced his CR250 that was equipped with quite a few factory parts. Photo by Transworld Motocross
Suzuki installed a few factory parts on Ricky's bike. Photo by Transworld Motocross
More information to follow. This race was broadcast on the internet and with any luck will be archived sometime later today or tomorrow at the Alli Sports site (www.allisports.com)
This new video is from Allisports and is of the rider of the week. Ricky Carmichael racing his RM250 two stroke at Red Bud. Check out the awesome trophies that FMF supplied for the podium winners at the end of the video, they are awesome!
To view the above video at full screen resolution please visit;
http://www.allisports.com/videos/rider-week-ricky-carmichael
A great video of Ricky Carmichael has been added. Rider of the Week – from the folks at AlliSport.
This is a must see video!
Check it out!
Just Amazing! Goosebumps!This is my sport! Motocross.
For those that want to see more video action of this race, check out the Vurb Moto Site. Sweet wide open two stroke racing from RC, Jeff Stanton and more.
The downside? You have to sign up for an account (it is free) so you can get into the “Insider” section.
Link to the Vurb web site;
http://www.vurbmoto.com/P2D/
Here is the link to the page with the video;
http://insider.vurbmoto.com/video/slightly-uncut-fmf-2-stroke-invitational/
The Monday conversation with Ricky Carmichael on Racer X Online clears up quite a few rumors that were being bandied about.
A very worthwhile read;
http://www.racerxonline.com/article/monday-conversation-ricky-carmichael-redbud.aspx
OK. Two of the best things in MX. RC/2 stroke tearing up Redbud! It was awesome. When he went by you could smell the sweet smell of race gas and premix. I could hear people saying how cool it was to smell racing again. Everyone was yelling louder for RC on a 2T than any other event of the day. If the people are getting this fired up over hearing a 2T hit the dirt why dont they give us more of what we want? The attendance was way down over years past. We could walk freely throught the infield and never had to wait in a line for anything. A few short years ago I remember waiting for the pisser and over 45 minutes for ribs. There was not much excitement when the 4 $trokes were doing the conga line around the track. There was a mass exodus before the last moto was finished. They can’t seem to figure out why attendance is going down. If I was a race promoter and I heard every person there screaming and standing up for the 2T race, I would have more 2T races. Hey, that’s just me.
BRAAP!
IF you are a true lover of MX–and were watching this live–you may have just of found a tear in your eye–i did !!–not just because of RC but because of what they are trying to take away from us !!–suzukimx
give him 2-3 weeks ard training and stick him out with the 450 class on his 250.. I reckon the results would be interesting
Why we need the Nationals when we have the GOAT @ RedBud on a 2 stroke? Seriously! Watched the motos on TV..Boring as hell! Never showed anything about the 2 stroke invitational at all..yeah I am so surprise! Mad props to FMF and everybody involved with it!There are still people in the industry left with some integrity to our lovely sport . MXA is another one. AMA with the major manufacturers in the industry is doing a good job brainwashing the young new riders to 4 stroke.. Cannot believe the comments on Transworldmx sometimes.. but why people are still going to the races and keep buying 4 stroke? why people just bother about supercross and the AMA? Why riders don’t take action instead of bitching about it on any forums and just waiting for the manufacturers to release a new 2 stroke or the rules to change? but cannot wait to see the racing overseas next year with the FIM taking action.
They can call it the old school 2 stroke when we all know that 4 stroke is an older technology with double displacement allowed..and they can call it the new NASCAR..but it is MOTOCROSS.
Also where is the laptimes for the 2 strokes? Why Emig never raced? Clutch problem? Dumbass excuse! They were not able to rebuild it at a Nationals with semi full of parts?hahaha Emig = Chicken! Stanton! I love you! A real rider! This not the LUCAS Leap it is the Larroco Leap..get it straigh! What a shame
It does seem that the fans and some racers do want to see the two strokes compete. Keep your fingers crossed that the rules in the USA change to reflect the FIM rules for 2010.
2smoker, the lap times are listed above!
As for Emig’s clutch, I’m no parts guy at Kawasaki, but aren’t the clutch plates different from the two stroke to the four?
Here is a view inside a pro rig.
http://www.vitalmx.com/videos/features/Touring-the-JGRMX-ToyotaYamaha-Semi,3141/Touring-the-JGRMX-ToyotaYamaha-Semi,698/GuyB,64
Watch this closely, how many spare engines do they have on board?
someone said about new rules in the FIM??
are they finaly gonna let 250′s (2 strokes) ride with 250′s? (4 strokes) :O
Hey Shorty
Yes the change is coming in FIM Motocross for 2010.
“Motocross Classes: as of 2010, single cylinder engines will be used in MX1 and MX2 and multicylinder in MX3, whether 2 or 4-stroke (open concept). The cubic capacity will be 250cc in MX2, and up to 650cc in MX3.”
In this article you’ll find a link to the press release from the FIM.
http://twostrokemotocross.com/2008/12/two-stroke-on-the-comeback/
This is just awesome!Cannot wait! Brappppp! Will see a lot of 500cc 2 stroke i bet in MX3! Europeans are way more fun! AMA = biased Organization! I wish just one day, I see a totally new 2 stroke on the cover of MXA with new frame with direct injection!I am going to buy 2 of them! One to stare at it in my living room and one to race!
will those rules move across to motocross in britain? cause i really wanna ride a 250 yam next year in the ’125′ group against the 250 4-strokes…
(no ore 150′s in the 85 group 
)
it will be great to see some 2 strokes back in action AND in the youth ranks aswell
Hi shorty I’m in England to and want to find out about the FIM changes for sure cos not heard anything about it recently and worried they might have trued to ditch it after pressure from the manufacturers, so I emailed the FIM yesterday asking the following question – by the way the email address is info@fim-live.com if you want to ask also – I guess the head MX people at KTM would be a good source to ask as well
to info@fim-live.com
Dear Sir / Madam,
I read with great interest a press release from December 2007 in the FIM Website which said that from the 2010 season there will be a change allowing 2 strokes to compete fairly against 4 strokes of the same displacement in MX1 and MX2 – please see the text from the release below as follows -
“A meeting of the Motocross Grand Prix Permanent Bureau, composed of Messrs. Vito Ippolito, FIM President, and Giuseppe Luongo, Youthstream President, was held on December 1st in Monaco, in the presence of Messrs Wolfgang Srb, CMS President, Guy Maitre, FIM Chief Executive Officer and Ignacio Verneda, FIM Sports Director, in order to discuss future rules of Motocross and SuperMoto. The following decisions were taken by the Permanent Bureau:
* Motocross Classes: as of 2010, single cylinder engines will be used in MX1 and MX2 and multi-cylinder in MX3, whether 2 or 4-stroke (open concept). The cubic capacity will be 250cc in MX2, and up to 650cc in MX3. Discussions are currently being held about the cubic capacity in MX1. A decision should be taken in the next three months. Concerning the MX2 class, a maximum age limit of 23 years will be introduced. Moreover, a World Champion will be allowed to defend his title only one time (in the following year).”
My question was is this still a planned change? I have not seen anything about this change recently – it really would be a fantastic rule change to create a level playing field for both 2 and 4 strokes which would stop the unfair advantage four strokes have at the moment.
Thanks and hope to hear form you soon
Best wishes
Nick
nice one
i hope you get a reply!
don’t get your hopes up though, i have emailed those guys countless times about this same exact question and no reply so far.