Ricky Carmichael won his fifth AMA Supercross series title on Sunday, May 7, 2006, despite a strong challenge by James Stewart, who clinched the World Supercross championship. Carmichael then announced plans to reduce his racing commitments in 2007.

"I kept saying to myself there is no way Chad (Reed) is beating me tonight," said Carmichael who, in a pre-race press conference, announced that this would be his last full year of racing. "He beat me last weekend in Seattle heads up, and I was not going to let it happen. This has been a team effort; we had a lot of adversity this season and we over came it. I had a heck of a career, and I wanted to go on top."

"We went through a tough year, and I was down in the dumps, but I came on strong at the end of the season and learned a lot," said Stewart, who finished 15-points clear of 2005 champion Carmichael in the SX GP series, which consisted of the AMA championship (minus Daytona) plus two season-opening rounds in Canada . "Winning this World Supercross GP championship is awesome, and I take my hat off to Ricky for winning his championship."

In the main event at the final round in Las Vegas, it was Stewart who took the win, and sealing his World Supercross title by 15 points from Carmichael and Chad Reed. Carmichael finished second, which was enough to maintin his AMA series lead from Stewart and Reed, by just two points.

“We’ve had a lot of adversity this year, but we overcame it,” said Carmichael. “We pulled together and it’s been an incredible year. I knew going into this weekend that I had to get this title. The team worked too hard for me not to get this.”

And Carmichael celebrated his win by re-signing with the Makita Suzuki team for three more years. His current total of five AMA Supercross titles and nine AMA Motocross titles is more than any other rider in history, and he’ll be back to defend his AMA Motocross title later this year, before racing select Supercross events in 2007. After that he will race select events as he focuses on mentoring Makita Suzuki’s up-and-coming riders and develop the RM and RM-Z bikes.

“Now I’m moving to the end of my racing careeer, I look forward to doing races that I enjoy most,” said Carmichael. “At the same time, I’m excited about helping Makita Suzuki’s youg racers with bike testing and development.”

In what was dubbed the most anticipated Supercross race ever, Ricky Carmichael has won his fifth AMA Supercross championship by just 2-points from World Supercross GP title winner James Stewart and Chad Reed.

In the last main event of the season, man-of-the-moment Stewart earned the $1,500 Progressive Direct Holeshot Award as he held off Honda's Kevin Windham through turn one. Behind them, Carmichael had exited the first corner in fourth place, but moved into second - the position he needed to secure the title - on lap two, with Reed third.

As at many events this season, Stewart remained out of touch up front - while Reed was unable to get close enough to make a championship winning pass on Carmichael.

In the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout, Kawasaki rookie Ryan Villopoto earned the holeshot award with Honda's Andrew Short one wheel behind in second place through turn one. KTM's Mike Alessi then moved into the lead as the pack negotiated their way through the rhythm section, while Villopoto crashed on lap one and remounted in last place.

Las Vegas – Full Results

1. James Stewart (Kawasaki)

2. Ricky Carmichael (Suzuki)

3. Chad Reed (Yamaha)

4. Kevin Windham (Honda)

5. Travis Preston (Honda)

6. Nick Wey (Honda)

7. Ivan Tedesco (Suzuki)

8. Jeff Demuth (Honda)

9. Broc Sellards (Honda)

10. Heath Voss (Yamaha)

AMA Supercross final results: 1. Carmichael 338. 2. Stewart 336. 3. Reed 336. 4. Tedesco 255. 5. Wey 249. 6. Byrne 228. 7. Preston 207. 8. Fonseca 125. 9 Clark 118. 10. LaRocco 108.

World Supercross final results: 1. Stewart 380. 2. Carmichael 365. 3. Reed 354. 4. Tedesco 255. 5. Wey 249. 6. Byrne 228. 7. Thomas 193. 8. Gibson 188. 9. Clark 185. 10. Evans.