Video: Salt Lake City 2003 – Reed v Carmichael – fireworks!

It was the moment the tension boiled over in the race for the 2003 supercross championship. A frustrated Ricky Carmichael was theoretically in control of the points, he only needed to finish each race in second, but he couldn’t buy a race win as the season headed towards the final round in Vegas.

Ricky knew Reed was faster that season and, barring a few mistakes plus a seat falling off earlier in the season, Reed could easily have been champion, however Carmichael played the long game and did what he had to do to get the points lead.

Reed was frustrated too, he knew he was the best that year but with timing running out in the season, he knew he needed RC to finish lower than second in what was a depleted field thanks to injuries, so Reed he did all he could do in Salt Lake City to ensure that scenario happened.

The drama left RC livid at the end and he gave current Pulp MX and Racer X media guy, Steve Matthes, (then mechanic for Tim Ferry) an earful!

Will see similar drama over the final seven rounds (over just three weeks) between Ken Roczen, Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac at the same venue in what will be a unique 2020 season?