Like some other former world champions (Greg Albertyn and Grant Langston immediately come to mind), Suzuki’s Sebastien Tortelli has not had the best of luck since coming to race in the United States.
Tortelli has amazing talent. In 1998, he won his second FIM World Motocross Championship – beating Stefan Everts straight up in the 250 class. The first national he rode in the United States, at Glen Helen in 1999, showed what he could do. He absolutely destroyed the American riders – it was the fastest I had ever seen someone ride at Glen Helen. Injuries, and the arrival of Ricky Carmichael in the 250 class, have kept Tortelli from winning a championship in the United States. Like many others, Tortelli is a great rider who had the misfortune of arriving during the “Carmichael Era”.
Watching Tortelli ride this year in the MX Nationals, following his recovery from a knee injury, something looks a bit different. Almost immediately, he was the quickest of the two-stroke riders (he is on an RM250, while the other top riders are on four-stroke 450s). He also seems to be more relaxed – having more fun. Maybe, these two circumstances are related.
Next year, as Carmichael’s teammate at Suzuki, it is expected he will develop the new RM-Z450 four-stroke during the AMA Supercross series, while Carmichael races for the championship on the RM250 two-stroke. Something tells me the four-stroke might be the spark Tortelli needs to finally reach his potential here in the states. With Carmichael, Stewart, Reed and Windham to contend with, Tortelli probably won’t achieve the US championship he is longing for, but I would not be surprised to see him on the podium in supercross, and a real force in outdoor MX in 2005.
