Ep. #24 The Greatest Gamble in Motocross: Ricky Carmichael's Shocking Switch to Suzuki, Part 1

We Went Fast

"The Greatest Gamble in Motocross History" is the untold story of Ricky Carmichael’s shocking switch to Suzuki.

What started as a deep dive into Carmichael’s perfect motocross seasons turned into a saga about one of the greatest mysteries of our sport: How did Suzuki convince Ricky Carmichael to switch teams? How did Honda let him walk? The basic surface details of this story are not a secret. Carmichael has discussed it often over the years but during the reporting phase of this project, we learned that his memory isn’t perfect, even his knowledge of the deal wasn’t 100%.

Carmichael and I chatted on and off for over a year and his memory sharpened the more we talked. This whole thing became a completely different story than originally planned. And thanks to those aforementioned people above, we were able to unearth documents and communication from the time period that led to the most accurate retelling of a pivotal period in Carmichael’s life and career.

It’s called The Greatest Gamble because three different parties put everything on the line with their decisions. For Carmichael, it was his reputation as a winning machine. Suzuki literally bet the farm to retain Carmichael’s services. Honda gambled by drawing a line. And that line cost them the winningest rider in the sport.

This is Part 1 of a 2-part release

For a more interactive experience that includes trivia questions, polls, infographics and photos, check out the print version at wewentfast.com.

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