Ricky Carmichael (4), Ryan Clark (38), Kevin Windham (14), Ernesto Fonseca (24) and Rusty Holland (67) make it through clean but the rest of the field has to deal with a first turn pileup at the Budds Creek National in 2005. (Larry Lawrence photo)

Ricky Carmichael (4) is good, so is Ryan Clark (38), Kevin Windham (14), Ernesto Fonseca (24) and Rusty Holland (67), but as for the rest of the field in the AMA Motocross second moto at Budds Creek in ‘05 it’s tough going.

Look at the top of the hill and you’ll see a pile up in progress. I don’t remember ultimately how many bikes were involved, but it was a lot. Bikes were stuck together, stuff was bent and broken, riders were smarting. In general it was an ugly melee.

It’s one of the hazards of 40 riders across starting together and all trying to get to turn one first. It’s also what makes a motocross start one of the most, if not the most exciting things you’ll see in all of motorcycle racing.