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Written by:
Denny Hartwig
07/16/2008 - 03:49 PM
Aurora, IL
Mike LaRocco’s storied career spanned over 19 years, but one lucky night in Las Vegas would be the biggest payday of the 6935 days he spent racing professionally. Hailing from South Bend, Indiana, LaRocco drummed up 147 top five finishes, 81 career podium finishes, 10 supercross wins and went 17 consecutive seasons on the podium. On October 13, 2001 LaRocco claimed victory in the prestigious U.S. Open that awards the winner of the two-day affair $100,000.
That championship, which was his first since 1994, brought new life to LaRocco’s career.
On the opening night of racing he capitalized off of reigning U.S. Open champion Ricky Carmichael’s crash on lap five to score the win. With Carmichael finishing a disappointing fifth place, LaRocco gave himself a legitimate shot at the $100,000.
“I was following Carmichael and he lost his front end in the corner,” said LaRocco. “Carmichael was down for a while because he was having a hard time starting his bike. Once I went into the lead, I rode smooth and kept a consistent pace.”
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That championship, which was his first since 1994, brought new life to LaRocco’s career.
On the opening night of racing he capitalized off of reigning U.S. Open champion Ricky Carmichael’s crash on lap five to score the win. With Carmichael finishing a disappointing fifth place, LaRocco gave himself a legitimate shot at the $100,000.
“I was following Carmichael and he lost his front end in the corner,” said LaRocco. “Carmichael was down for a while because he was having a hard time starting his bike. Once I went into the lead, I rode smooth and kept a consistent pace.”
A conservative plan was designed for LaRocco’s second and final night of racing. Perfectly executed, LaRocco let Carmichael lead the way and finished where he needed to, in third.
“I remember panicking during the race because Chad Reed pushed me into some tuff blox,” remembers LaRocco. “I actually went off the track and knew I had to finish strong.
“This was the biggest single-race payday of my career, so it was a big accomplishment for me, especially with the year I had in supercross. I got hurt that year and was off the pace a little. I always look at the U.S. Open as a preview race for the up-coming season instead of a race that caps off the current season. You get to go into Las Vegas and see where you stand on your new equipment and evaluate the weeks of testing you’ve done.”
Not known for his ability to win holeshots on longer starts, LaRocco says he’s more comfortable with the shorter starts, which is a key component of the course layout inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
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