he slew of talent scheduled to line up for the main event at Anaheim I was unparalleled in recent years…Chad Reed, Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Jeremy McGrath, Kevin Windham, Travis Pastrana…the list goes on and on. The race was dubbed “the perfect storm” but what we ended up getting was a giant rainstorm instead. After weeks of rain in Southern California, what was supposed to be the greatest race in recent history turned out to be the biggest slop-fest most racers and race fans had ever seen. In an attempt to preserve the track, Friday practice and afternoon qualifying on Saturday was cancelled. Riders only had one short practice session Saturday evening and then proceeded into a shortened night program. The riders persevered, and regardless of the mud and rain, there was still some great racing. Here are some of the highlights from Anaheim I.

One of the many highlights of Anaheim I was the return to Supercross by “The King” himself, Jeremy McGrath, shown here with Chad Reed.	In his heat race, Jeremy McGrath took the lead briefly and had all of Anaheim Stadium on its feet, cheering at the sight of that ’ol #2 out in the front of the pack. In the main event, McGrath unfortunately DNF’d due to a broken clutch lever…but he’ll be back.
Despite the rainy weather, nearly 50,000 race fans showed up, poncho-clad and umbrella-toting, to cheer on their favorite riders.	Neither rain nor sleet nor wind nor mud could keep the 30-second board girl from doing her job.
Tarps were used in an attempt to keep the track as dry as possible, but it still got a little muddy anyway.

The long-anticipated start of the 250 main event. Eventual winner Kevin Windham (on the inside) rode a smart and consistent race to claim the checkers over Mike LaRocco, with Ricky Carmichael, despite a number of slip-ups in the mud, in third.
Always a trooper, Travis Pastrana soldiered on through the muck to a 10th place finish in the 250 main.	Yes, that really is Chad Reed under all that mud. The defending 250 Supercross champ had a rough outing in the slop and ended being credited with 16th place.	Suzuki’s Sebastien Tortelli put in an impressive ride, staying consistent on the slippery track and ending his night with a fourth place finish.

As the season was ready to kick off at Anaheim I, photographer Kinney Jones caught a shot of the machines of eight of the leading contenders for the 2005 THQ AMA 250cc Supercross championship.