Sunday's track was a tamed down version of the Pro SX track.
It isn't every day an amateur rider has the opportunity to race at the world famous Daytona International Speedway. The 2nd Annual
Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross (RCSX) joined in as part of the "Supercross kick-off" to Daytona Bike Week on Sunday. With nearly 900 entries in 25 different classes, there was a little bit of history to be made for riders of all ages and skill level.
The weather turned out to be nothing short of perfect as the predicted rain held off all day long. The moderate temperature and light mist left the Daytona Supercross track in mint condition throughout the day.
Being the day after the Daytona Supercross by Honda, Sunday's track was a tamed down version of the exact same dirt the Pros rode the day before. As a part of the Amateur
Supercross entry, riders and their families were invited to come a day early and enjoy the show on Saturday night, and a show is what they got. With the eventful crash and comeback of
James Stewart in the 450 class and the second-ever Supercross Lites win for Blake Baggett, things heated up inside the Speedway and RCSX riders were present and taking notes.
Sunday's amateur festivities began with a very inspiring and unique rider's meeting led by MX Sports Director Tim Cotter. Riders and their families gathered around the ever-so-popular Gatorade Victory Lane for a brief overview of the day, a small church service and to learn a little history about the event. Rounding out the gathering was something that riders don't normally receive when they congregate for race information - a 15-Time Champion giving you the pep talk of a lifetime.
Rider's meeting at Gatorade Victory Lane.
Practice got underway around 7:30 a.m. with qualifying heats immediately following. Each class had a few qualifying groups, as there were large numbers of riders in each class. The 250/450 A Pro Sport classes looked right at home on the Daytona Supercross track with a crazy amount of speed, and California's Jessy Nelson and Florida's Kory Keylon assumed head of the group all day long.
Cooper Webb was the guy to beat in the mini classes, taking the win in both Super Mini and Schoolboy classes. But the real story of the day was the insane amount of riders in the Senior/Vet classes. Barry Carsten and Earl May went back and fourth to dominate those two groups, showing that "age ain't nothin' but a number."
The RCU faculty was on site for a track walk before the main events started, mingling with fans and giving each other teaching pointers for Monday's school. RC, Mrs. Carmichael, Jeff Emig, Kevin Foley, Jeff Stanton and Damon Bradshaw were all in attendance, chatting with riders and families about their amateur racing days.
And now, may we present the 2011 Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross Champions:
450 A/Pro Sport Jessy Nelson
250 A/Pro Sport Kory Keylon
450 B Pup Whatley
250 B Claudio Leoc
450 C Cole Mclean
250 C Hunter Harbin
50cc (4-6) Reed Cooper
50cc (7-8) Ethan Mann
65cc (10-11) Enzo Lopez
65cc (7-9) Ethan Mann
65cc Unltd (7-11) Enzo Lopes
85cc (12-15) Keith Tucker
85cc (7-11) Jordan Bailey
85cc (9-13) Alexander Frye
College (17-24) Kyle Goerke
Junior 25 Plus Zackary Lundy
Masters 45 Plus Earl May
Mini Dvlpmt (12-15) Brandon Rogers
Schoolboy 1 (12-16) Cooper Webb
Schoolboy 2 (13-16) Anthony Rodriguez
Senior 40 Plus Barry Carsten
Super Mini (12-16) Cooper Webb
Vet 30 Plus Mike Treadwell
Vet 35 Plus Earl May
Women (14+) Serratia Gonzalez
The 3rd Annual Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross is slated once again to be held in conjunction with the Daytona Supercross in 2012. Date and other details will be announced in the upcoming months.
