NOTE: The statistics in this show are relevant after the 2024 Indianapolis Supercross but before the 2024 Seattle Supercross. Check in at wewentfast.com for updated info.

It’s time to talk about this: we haven’t even reached the two-thirds point of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Championship and Jett Lawrence isn’t just in prime position to win the title; he’s in the hunt for the greatest rookie season of all-time.

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Why the final running of the Super Bowl of Motocross was the greatest race in the sport’s history. 

Rick Johnson goes from (almost) last to first; Wild man Guy Cooper (almost) wins; a unique but one-lined track with a short start straight and a first turn the size of a “phone booth” causes absolute carnage; Shots fired on the podium from Ron Lechien, and RJ is caught on a hot mic saying “You’d have to be a stupid idiot to follow these lines if someone faster than you was behind you.”

And Larry Huffman calling all the action. 

These (and more) are the reasons why I believe the 1987 Los Angeles Coliseum Supercross, the last time the “Super Bowl of Motocross” event title was used, is the greatest Supercross of all-time.

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This story is about Ricky Carmichael doing something even he thought wasn’t possible: a second perfect season. "I doubt if this will ever happen again," Carmichael told Cycle News after the 2002 Steel City National when he completed his first 24-0 run.

The project you’re listening to right now started well over a year ago and began as a 20th anniversary celebration of that 2002 season.  

But the more Ricky and I chatted, the more we found ourselves riffing about 2004, his second perfect season, which was memorably more difficult. And the deeper we got into that conversation, the more we discussed his 2003 knee injury, missing the 2004 Supercross season, and signing with American Suzuki during the recovery. 

That turned into “The Greatest Gamble in Motocross,” a completely different story, which you can find in episodes #24 and #24 of the We Went Fast podcast.  

This story, however, is about how Carmichael did the unthinkable again, how he returned from injury… and dominated. 

For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com.

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"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki.

What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it often over the years but during the reporting phase of this project, we learned that his memory isn’t perfect, even his knowledge of the deal wasn’t 100%. 

Carmichael and I chatted on and off for over a year and his memory sharpened the more we talked. This whole thing became a completely different story than originally planned. And thanks to those aforementioned people above, we were able to unearth documents and communication from the time period that led to the most accurate retelling of a pivotal period in Carmichael’s life and career. 

It’s called The Greatest Gamble because three different parties put everything on the line with their decisions. For Carmichael, it was his reputation as a winning machine. Suzuki literally bet the farm to retain Carmichael’s services. Honda gambled by drawing a line. And that line cost them the winningest rider in the sport.

This is Part 2 of a 2-part release

For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com.

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shop.wewentfast.com – Find your next favorite t-shirt or piece of artwork. 

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"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki.

What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it often over the years but during the reporting phase of this project, we learned that his memory isn’t perfect, even his knowledge of the deal wasn’t 100%. 

Carmichael and I chatted on and off for over a year and his memory sharpened the more we talked. This whole thing became a completely different story than originally planned. And thanks to those aforementioned people above, we were able to unearth documents and communication from the time period that led to the most accurate retelling of a pivotal period in Carmichael’s life and career. 

It’s called The Greatest Gamble because three different parties put everything on the line with their decisions. For Carmichael, it was his reputation as a winning machine. Suzuki literally bet the farm to retain Carmichael’s services. Honda gambled by drawing a line. And that line cost them the winningest rider in the sport.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part release

For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com.

Support We Went Fast! 

shop.wewentfast.com – Find your next favorite t-shirt or piece of artwork. 

Leave a 5-star rating and review!

Tell a friend about We Went Fast. Share this podcast.

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In the spring of 1997, a mysterious 4x6-in. snapshot showed up in the marketing department of Oakley. The subject was one of their young riders, 17-year-old Ricky Carmichael, laying his motorcycle flat at the Silverdome. It was a mystery because nobody knew who took the photo.

The decision to run with the image, including using it on a billboard in Southern California, made for one legendary tale that wasn't told for over two decades. And it turned the photographer, David St. Onge, into a cult hero among the motocross photographers of the late 1990s.

Now you can own a piece of this quirky moment in motocross history. This 12-in. x 16-in. print is inspired by the photo that David St. Onge took from the 17th row at the 1997 Pontiac Supercross.

Hang a piece of moto history on your wall. This Ricky Carmichael poster is inspired by the photograph. 

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It’s like déjà vu. Just like in episode 21, the idea for this story was just supposed to be a simple social media post. I was curious about how many different riders have held the record for most supercross main event wins. The list is even shorter than I thought it was. And I still ended up going overboard. 

So it goes. 

Thanks for listening and please leave a rating and wear We Went Fast swag from wewentfast.com/shop

FREE STICKERS: If you'd like free We Went Fast stickers, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. 

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This 2,000 word story started as an Instagram post where we simply wished Eli Tomac a happy birthday. But this is We Went Fast and we can’t help but find a deeper story within the details, even if the details are just cake, ice cream and 30 birthday candles.

It led to this data dive by Brett Smith and Clinton Fowler. 

Flash trivia: how many 450 Supercross main events have been won by tricenarians? Wait, that probably seems like two trivia questions. A tricenarian is a fancy way to say ‘person in their 30s’. For the answer, you're just going to have to listen. If you want to read the print version of this story,  click here.

FREE STICKERS: If you'd like free We Went Fast stickers, go to wewentfast.com/subscribe. Sign up for the newsletter then check your inbox. The welcome message has the key to free decals sent directly from me. Fast List members are the first to know about new stories, podcasts and products. 

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This is a story about roots. I wanted to know how Doug Henry became Doug Henry, the scrappy kid from New England who worked two jobs while trying to make it as an athlete. 

He was 14 when he entered his first race. He wasn’t a promising amateur prospect, his gear didn’t match, his bikes were held together by various fasteners found in the garage. He worked with what he had, not what he wanted.

And where did that grit and resolve come from? To figure all that out, I visited Doug in Connecticut. He took me on a tour of the places that shaped him as a man and a racer.

You can also read the print version of this article and see more photos of THE DAM.

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On August 1, 1982, an automobile/train collision killed three teenaged motocross riders in Ponca City, Oklahoma . Forty years later, memories of that white hot afternoon still haunt those who were there. 

Six years ago I received a message that said, “I wish someone would write about the boys who were killed at Ponca in 1982.”

I had no idea what he was talking about. But I knew I had to pursue it.

This is not a happy story. It was emotional to research, report and write. It’ll be emotional to read to you.

After six months of reporting and interviews with nearly four dozen people, I was able to achieve the ultimate goal and keep the promises I made to the families of Rick Hemme, Bruce Bunch and Kyle Fleming: I wanted the world to know about their children; who they were and who they wanted to be. Today, August 1, 2022, marks the 40th anniversary of this tragic accident. This story is a way to say to the boys they’ll never be forgotten.

This is the audio version of the story by the same title. The print version includes photos, court documents and other supporting materials. 

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