Now that the outdoor season has ended,with Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart as AMA champions in their respective classes (250 and 125), U.S. motocross riders are focused indoors, with the first race this weekend at the U.S. Open.
With $100,000 going to the winner of the two-day event in the 250 class, the U.S. Open bills itself as the “world’s richest motorcycle race”. It also marks the beginning of the indoor riding season, with the AMA Supercross series set to begin in January of next year.
Although James Stewart and Kevin Windham will be missing from the U.S. Open this year, Ricky Carmichael (coming off another perfect Outdoor series) and defending AMA 250 Supercross champ Chad Reed will participate. Although Reed stays with Yamaha this year, both riders are on new bikes, with Reed on an aluminum-framed YZ250, and Carmichael switching to a Suzuki RM250 from the Honda he has ridden the past several seasons.
If you are interested in attending, the event takes place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel. Here is a link to the U.S. Open web site for additional information.
