When Kevin Windham rode a Honda CRF450R in the AMA Supercross series for the first time a couple of years ago, he was immediately on the pace. In fact, Windham not only won races that year, he gave Chad Reed (riding his two-stroke Yamaha YZ250) everything he could handle before Reed ultimately won the title.
Nevertheless, the other top riders (including Chad Reed, Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart) have raced 250cc two-strokes in the AMA Supercross series since that time. Will the 2006 series see any of these riders, or all of these riders, switch to a 450cc four-stroke?
Carmichael rode his Suzuki RM-Z450 four-stroke at the U.S. Open last weekend and won both races. Finishing second in both races was Michael Byrne debuting his Kawasaki 450cc four-stroke. Carmichael said he is unsure whether he will ride the big four-stroke or his 250cc two-stroke when the Supercross series begins.
Transition to four-strokes for the AMA Supercross series is nearly complete, with these top riders being among the last holdouts. Now that Kawasaki has its own 450cc four-stroke, all of these riders have the option of riding a four-stroke in the 2006 series. If four-strokes give anything away on a Supercross track, they almost always mean better starts. A good start means a lot on a tight supercross track, and this certainly has to be one of the reasons these riders will take a close look at switching over to a 450cc machine this year. Stay tuned.
