Courtesy of NPG
James Stewart is a perfect 10-for-10 in moto wins and five overall victories. He has been unstoppable in the daytime or at night.
Monster Energy Kawasaki's James Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., brought his 2008 moto record to a perfect 10 en route to winning his fifth consecutive race of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF and the series' first-ever night race at the Toyota Trucks AMA National from Thunder Valley Presented by Division 7 Insulation. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., swept both motos of the AMA Motocross Lites, extending his overall winning streak to four.
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Mike Alessi grabbed both BTOSports.com Holeshot Awards for the third consecutive event, opening up a significant lead in the second moto and holding off Stewart for three laps. Stewart made quick work of the deficit in each moto, posting consistent laps to pass Alessi and, even with a fall in moto two, keep his perfect season intact. Alessi maintained his pace to bring home runner-up finishes in each moto while Red Bull Honda's Davi Millsaps, of Tallahassee, Fla., wrapped up his second straight third place result after 4-3 moto finishes.
"I had to make a couple passes in the beginning," explained Stewart. "I got around those guys pretty quick. It probably took me about three laps to get used to the lights. I saw mike pulling away a little bit and tried to catch up. I got to him and pulled off a move and it stuck. I think the night race is cool. I know a lot of people are against it but I think it's because of the lighting. Sometimes we need to spice it up a little. Maybe if we just add a few more lights out there it'll be good. They'll definitely work on it in the future to make it better."
Ryan Villopoto was perfect on the day as well and now has a commanding lead in the title chase.
Villopoto took his fourth BTOSports.com Holeshot Award of the season in the first AMA Motocross Lites moto, cruising to the win. In moto two, he showed his resiliency, overcoming a ninth-place start and fought through the pack. He challenged Geico Powersports Honda's Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., for the lead before making the winning pass on lap 13 of the 16 lap moto. Grant garnered the overall runner-up spot in his first race of the 2008 season, notching the BTOSports.com Holeshot Award in the final moto. Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Nico Izzi, of Saint Clair, Mich., posted a career-best third overall.
"It was tough (under the lights)," stated Villopoto. "You had to watch your shadows and really keep on your toes. I just tried to make my passes stick. Josh got away and once I got into second I had to put a charge on. I was able to carry a little more momentum on the outside (to pass him). I think we could use a little more light. It was better than I thought it would be and the track was maintained well throughout the evening. Normally, the altitude up here gets to you, but since it was cooler and at night our bikes were able to perform better and we could endure easier."
Stewart currently holds a 45-point lead over Alessi in the AMA Motocross standings. In AMA Motocross Lites, Villopoto has a 28-point advantage over Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., who failed to finish the second moto after a fall on the opening lap.
The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF heads east for the 4th of July weekend to one of the most historic races of the season with the 35th Annual Monster Energy/Kawasaki Motocross National Presented by Scott USA from Red Bud MX USA in Buchanan, Mich.
Motocross Results:
1. James Stewart, Kawasaki, 1-1
2. Mike Alessi, Suzuki, 2-2
3. Davi Millsaps, Honda, 4-3
4. Andrew Short, Honda, 3-4
5. Michael Byrne, Suzuki, 5-6
6. Timmy Ferry, Kawasaki, 8-5
7. Sean Hamblin, Yamaha, 7-8
8. Sean Collier, Kawasaki, 6-9
9. Josh Hill, Yamaha, 13-7
10. Jeff Alessi, Honda, 9-12
Motocross Overall Standings
1. Stewart, 250
2. Alessi, 199
3. Millsaps, 188
4. Ferry, 179
5. Short, 141
Motocross Lites Results:
1. Ryan Villopoto, Kawasaki, 1-1
2. Josh Grant, Honda, 4-2
3. Nico Izzi, Suzuki, 2-4
4. Trey Canard, Honda, 5-3
5. Dan Reardon, Honda, 7-7
6. Matt Lemoine, Yamaha, 10-5
7. Matt Goerke, KTM, 6-10
8. Jake Weimer, Honda, 9-8
9. Mike Brown, Yamaha, 12-6
10. Ryan Sipes, KTM, 11-9
Motocross Lites Overall Standings:
1. Villopoto, 241
2. Dungey, 183
3. Stroupe, 152
4. Weimer, 152
5. Metcalfe, 143
