September 9, 2004
Atlanta, GA - Long live the kings! Two of American motorcycle racing’s winningest riders ever added further luster to their brilliant careers this weekend, as Team Honda’s Ricky Carmichael clinched his fifth straight AMA 250 National Motocross crown in Delmont, PA, while factory Honda roadracing counterpart Miguel Duhamel locked in the 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme championship with a win at the series’ penultimate Road Atlanta round.
Carmichael accomplished his feat with what’s become his regular — and seemingly effortless — dominance, sweeping both motos at Steel City Raceway when all he had really had to was finish the race to secure the title. But with the very real prospect of yet another perfect season just four motos away, RC was going to have none of that. And, as they’d done for 10 prior rounds, Carmichael and his Team Honda CRF450R proved, in no uncertain terms, that they were the class of the 250 field.
And now, with his latest crown in hand, RC’s final target is the AMA history book, where, if successful next weekend at the Glen Helen season-ender, he will go down as the only rider to ever log an undefeated AMA MX season. And not just once, but twice.
Speaking of racking up Red Rider records, Miguel Duhamel knows a thing or three about notching his name in the AMA annals. And now he can add 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion to his six other AMA crowns (one Superbike, five 600 Supersport) after emerging victorious from another thrilling, last-lap duel with teammate (and title rival) Jake Zemke at Road Atlanta.
Technically, all Duhamel had to do was finish second or better to wrap up the title, but he, like Ricky Carmichael, doesn’t race for runner-up. And so, in typical bulldog Duhamel fashion, the French-Canadian legend held off Zemke to the line to claim his seventh series win of the year. The victory also marked Duhamel’s 79th career AMA road race win, and the 10th time in 10 rounds the Honda CBR600RR has stood atop the FX podium (Zemke won two and Bostrom one).
