2004 AMA MX Nationals

at Washougal MX Park

Note: All images property of Harry 'Moto'

Click on thumbnail to get 640x480 version; all images available in 2832x2128 format

So... I went to the race on Saturday, got the armband and parking sticker. Showed up pretty early on Sunday, and

the Lord smiled upon me. One of the first guys into this parking lot, I had a nice private spot in the shade!

Some stuff you don't see on ESPN2, the stick and ball network: Left, 125 parade lap."Jeeez, look at the size

of those holes!!" Center, the crowd on Saturday. Third, comfort at the Nationals. Wish I'd seen 'em lug that

sofa up the hill!

The SUNDAY crowd!

This is why they call it the most beautiful track on the circuit. Late afternoon sun backlighting the trees.

And on the right, the sleeping guy. There goes Ezra Lusk, 15 feet away and the dude is out like a light!

This guy crashed right there. "If I can only get this thing running... Hey, is that guy ASLEEP?"

"Hey, is that dude alright? What? He's sleeping?!"

On the left, Tiger Lacey having a tough outing. On the right, Mr. Ogata is suffering as well.

Time to go? No! Time to wait in line for 3 hours. I pulled out of the line after about 5 minutes and parked in the shade.

Got in a nice nap (beautiful breeze blowing, very nice in the shade) and only spent about an hour in line leaving.

Ricky Carmichael

the Jump

In the back of the course, where the camera's aren't looking, there were these three doubles, see...

Everybody all day jumped the three doubles. Not real big jumps, 15 foot gap? (heck, even I would

jump 'em) but they set up a rhythm; if you overjump one set, it'll mess up the next set and you just

don't gain any time.

Unless you are Ricky Carmichael.

Ricky would seat bounce the second doubles launch SO HARD that he would land high on the

third doubles launch ramp. The landing was pretty sick, but he wouldn't bounce high and was all

over the gas. Probably gained a second a lap, and he did it virtually every time around. He is a moto

animal of the very highest order!! Nobody else even considered it.

Chad in the same section, taking the sane route like everyone else. Double, double, double.

The rest of the pix

These are regular race pix from the Sunday races.

Ricky cuts the inside line, where you and I wouldn't go. He never slows at all. After he passed by, there is stunned silence.

A guy next to me says "How did he DO that". There is general laughter...

Carousel turn in the back of the course.

Chad Reed

Sebastian Tortelli

Ezra Lusk

Kevin Windham

James Stewart

Ryan Hughes

Start of the 2nd 125 Moto

And the rest, in no particular order