Ricky carmichael family

By Paul Dean

They call him "The GOAT." And no, that's not an insult; it's a complimentary acronym for the Greatest Of All Time, an unofficial title bestowed upon motocross racing superstar Ricky Carmichael.

After a stellar amateur motocross career during which he won an astounding 67 championships, stocky, freckle-faced Carmichael stepped up to the professional ranks in at age It didn't take him long to showcase his enormous talent.

He was the American Motorcyclist Association's cc Motocross Rookie of the Year in '96 and won that outdoor-racing championship in '97, '98 and ' He also won every race he entered on his way to the '98 cc Supercross stadium-racing title.

Carmichael's transition into cc Supercross competition was considerably less spectacular.

Ricky carmichael life biography Sustains injury; begins racing cc Supercross as well as cc Motocross. His commitment to giving back to the motocross community has solidified his legacy as not only a champion but also a role model. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ricky Carmichael.

In his first season, , he was fast but erratic aboard that division's bigger, more-powerful motorcycles, never victorious and frequently crashing. Unaccustomed to any outcome besides winning, Carmichael dove headlong into a hardcore training program that ultimately transformed him into one of the sport's most physically fit riders.

His newfound conditioning paid off in spades.

After a "learning" season in which he finished fifth in Supercross points, Carmichael went on a tear, winning the , '02, '03, '05 and '06 Supercross championships; a knee injury kept him from contesting the '04 title.

His performance in outdoor Motocross on the big bikes was even more impressive. He won that championship every year from '01 to '06, and he set a record in '02 that can never be broken: He went undefeated, winning all 24 of that season's motos.

He repeated that remarkable feat in '04, then won 22 of 24 motos in ' Which means that in those three seasons of AMA Motocross alone, Carmichael won 70 of 72 races.

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That wasn't just dominance of the competition; it was sheer supremacy.

By the time Carmichael retired during the season, he had compiled a dossier that almost defies description. He won 15 AMA championships, 10 in Motocross, five in Supercross; scored wins, in Motocross, 48 in Supercross; had two perfect Motocross seasons; was never beaten in Supercross; and was a five-time winner of the AMA's Rider of the Year award.

Except for his /cc Supercross victories, which are the third most, and his Supercross championships, which rank second, all of his other achievements set records that still stand.

Carmichael's accomplishments also include a win in the prestigious Motocross of Nations (an annual event involving top riders from all around the world) and a three-time gold medalist in the X-Games.

As his motocross career wound down, Carmichael turned to racing on four wheels.

He competed in various NASCAR and ARCA series with moderate success but never quite managed a victory.

He stepped away from that pursuit in to begin giving back to his roots, the sport of motocross. His endeavors since then include the creation of a riding clinic for up-and-comers called Ricky Carmichael University, as well as the annual two-day Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross held after the professional Supercross at the famous speedway.

So, is Ricky Carmichael's reputation as The GOAT deserved?

Based on his incredible track record, it's hard to argue otherwise.