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  PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Jeremy McGrath is the greatest thing to happen to Supercross racing since the invention of the triple jump. Sold-out stadiums, corporate sponsorship, healthy television ratings and record dirt-bike sales all have, at least in part, Mr. McGrath to thank. Now thanks to a 21-year-old Floridian named Ricky Carmichael, McGrath, a seven-time AMA Supercross champ from Encinitas, Calif., is facing the toughest challenge of his 13-year racing career. But instead of feeling threatened by the new contender, McGrath sees the test as a positive. He recognizes that the building rivalry between Carmichael and himself is pushing the recognition of Supercross to all-time highs. This Saturday, Jan. 27, McGrath, Carmichael and the rest of the series regulars will converge on Bank One Ball Park in Phoenix, Ariz., for round four of the 16-race AMA EA Sports Supercross Series presented by Speed Stick. The series is only three-races-old, but already two of those events are being called among the best races in the 27-year history of Supercross. While McGrath dominated the first round of the series in Anaheim, Calif., in rounds two and three McGrath and Carmichael have battled handlebar-to-handlebar for much of the time. Carmichael, riding a factory Kawasaki, came out on top in San Diego and McGrath, the 29-year-old rider and owner of Team Mazda Yamaha, pulled out a victory over Carmichael last week in Anaheim by the narrowest margin in recent memory – less than eight-tenths of a second. McGrath leads the series over Carmichael by just three points coming into Phoenix. While McGrath and Carmichael are certainly heavy favorites at Phoenix, a few other riders could break into the limelight. Frenchman David Vuillemin won at Phoenix last year and will need a winning ride to get back into the series points chase. The Yamaha factory rider, who finished second to McGrath in the championship last year, finds himself a disappointing sixth in the standings after three races. Veteran Mike LaRocco, the senior rider on the circuit from Indiana who turns 30 next month, has been the surprise of the series. LaRocco, riding an Amsoil Honda, has worked his way up to third in the series and at this point is the only one within shouting distance of McGrath and Carmichael in the standings. Ezra Lusk and Kevin Windham have both shown signs of being able to run up front. Also on the bill Saturday night is the AMA 125cc West Region Supercross. Most of the attention on the 125 series this year has focused on the controversial Yamaha YZ250F ridden by former rookie of the year Ernesto Fonseca of Costa Rica. Under AMA rules, four-stroke 250cc machines are allowed to compete against the 125cc two-stroke-powered motorcycles. Yamaha is the only manufacturer so far that has taken advantage of what some call a rules loophole. Other makers are rumored to be working on their own four-stroke engines, but in the meantime Fonseca has been the dominant rider in the 125cc class winning two of the three races, even though his Yamaha of Troy teammate Justin Buckelew, of Albuquerque, N.M., finds himself in the series lead after Fonseca stalled his motor and finished 13th at San Diego. For immediate post-race results, rider information, AMA Pro Racing notes and news, log on to www.amaproracing.com. ® AMA Pro Racing NASCAR Winston Cup Series NASCAR Busch Series NASCAR Goody's Dash Series NASCAR All Pro Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Weekly Racing Series ASA-ACDELCO Racin' Florida Style
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