SX Returns To San Diego
AURORA, Ill. (February 13, 2007) – Kawasaki’s James Stewart added another accolade on his season last Saturday night at Houston’s Reliant Stadium when he captured his fifth win of the season and padded his points lead in Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series. This Saturday Amp’d Mobile Supercross returns to San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium where another weekend of exciting racing will unfold.
Last weekend Stewart, 21, of Haines City, Fla., earned his 16th career Amp’d Mobile Supercross win before a crowd of 49,973 at Reliant Stadium. Stewart patiently worked his way through the field after a sixth-place start while his teammate Tim Ferry led the field after winning the $1,500 Progressive Direct Holeshot Award. On lap six, Stewart moved into the lead and rode to victory. Yamaha’s Chad Reed finished second and Ferry finished third. The win moved Stewart into the top 10 on the all-time AMA Supercross win list.
"I never try to pass too quickly, especially lately," said Stewart. "I just know that when someone passes you, you just have to get them back to break that wind sail. Tonight, I made a few passes that I think broke a few people; I went by so quick that they were like, man, I don't know. I got myself a little gap and it was history from there."
Honda’s Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss., passed Ferry early in the race and controlled the third place position until lap 18, where he pressured Windham to make a mistake. This is the first time in Ferry’s career that he’s made it to the podium in back-to-back weekend and Windham’s first top five finish of the season.
"With four or five laps to go, I could see that I was catching him a second to two seconds a lap," said Ferry, who sits third in both the Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP and Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series point standings. "I knew at that point that if I kept that pace that I could get him. Within about two laps, I was right behind him and was able to make the pass on lap 18."
In the Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites class, Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., scored his fifth win and extended his points lead to 34 over Yamaha’s Jason Lawrence, of Carlsbad, Calif.. Villopoto led the first five laps of the main event before crashing and handing the lead to Lawrence. After remounting, Villopoto charged past Lawrence for the win. Lawrence finished second while Honda’s Josh Grant, of Riverside, Calif., was third.
“(A lapped rider) just jumped right off the table top, hit a tuff block and went down right in front of me,” said Villopoto in reference to his crash on lap six. “I had nowhere to go and ran right into him. I got back up and chased (Lawrence) down for the win.”
One of the circuit’s most legendary stops, San Diego packed in 69,005 fans into Qualcomm Stadium last year, which snapped the venue’s attendance record, dating back to the first race 1980. Last year’s monumental race saw Stewart and Suzuki’s Ricky Carmichael trade positions for 18 of the 20 laps. Stewart, competing in his first full season in the premier AMA Supercross class, trailed Carmichael for the first 18 laps before making a clean pass and riding off to his fifth win of the season. Stewart regards Qualcomm Stadium his favorite track on the circuit.
In the AMA Supercross Lites class, a better script could not have been written last year as Honda’s Andrew Short, who led the entire race, held off hard-charging Kawasaki rider Grant Langston. Short finished just 0.837-seconds ahead of Langston, who went on to win his second AMA Supercross Lites championship.
Yamaha’s Mike Bell won the inaugural AMA Supercross race in San Diego October 25, 1980. Seven-time AMA Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath, of Encinitas, Calif., holds the all-time win record at San Diego with five. Kawasaki’s Todd Campbell won the inaugural AMA Supercross Lites class on January 26, 1995. Former World Supercross GP and AMA Supercross champion Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., peeled off third consecutive wins from 2003-2005.
The AMA Supercross class main event will air on SPEED Sunday, February 18, at 6:00 p.m. EST. The AMA Supercross Lites class will also air on SPEED Tuesday, February 2, at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at www.supercrossonline.com, participating Yamaha dealerships, all Ticketmaster outlets or by phone at 619-220-8497. Gold Circle seats are $35; Mid-Level seats are $30 for adults and $20 for kids; Treadhead seats are $10. Fans can also request the family section when purchasing. All tickets are $2 more on the day of the race.
KTM Junior Supercross Challenge
Jason Keppley, Laurel, Miss., KTM
Damon Maness, Asheboro, N.C., KTM
Trace George, Donaldson, Ark., KTM
Wyatt Dreggors, Longwood, Fla., KTM
Jesse West, Bend, Ore., KTM
David Beveridge, Splendora, Tex., KTM
Dakota Thomas, Stanley, Va., KTM
Rider Yeagan, Orange City, Fla., KTM
Dustin Eaton, Houston, KTM
Frank Cilano, Glen Rock, N.J., KTM
Chandler Knarr, Diablo, Calif., KTM
Jarrett Green, Riverton, Wy., KTM
Ryan Anthis, Waller, Tex., KTM
Parker Sharp, Newburgh, Ind., KTM
Sabrina Segovia, Spring, Tex., KTM
Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP Season Standings
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 189
Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha, 171
Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 142
Ricky Carmichael, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 116
Nicholas Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 108
David Vuillemin, Menifee, Calif., Honda, 101
Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda, 98
Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki, 96
Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Honda, 95
Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Kawasaki, 86
Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series Event Results, Houston
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki
Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha
Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki
Kevin Windham, Centerville, Miss., Honda
Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda
Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki
Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Honda
Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Kawasaki
David Vuillemin, Menifee, Calif., Honda
Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series Season Standings
James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 147
Chad Reed, Tampa, Fla., Yamaha, 126
Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki, 110
Michael Byrne, Newnan, Ga., Suzuki, 88
Kevin Windham, Centreville, Miss., Honda, 84
Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda, 76
Ricky Carmichael, Tallahassee, Fla., Suzuki, 69
Heath Voss, Mico, Texas, Honda, 69
Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 66
David Vuillemin, Menifee, Calif., Honda, 62
Amp’d Mobile Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Event Results, Houston
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda
Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha
Martin Davalos, Cairo, Ga., KTM
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda
Matt Lemoine, Pilot Point, Texas, Yamaha
Kyle Cunningham, Springtown, Texas, Yamaha
Chris Gosselaar, Victorville, Calif., Kawasaki
Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki
Amp’d Mobile Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Season Standings
Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 147
Jason Lawrence, Carlsbad, Calif., Yamaha, 113
Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda, 89
Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Honda, 84
Christopher Gosselaar, Victorville, Calif., Kawasaki, 77
Matthew Lemoine, Pilot Point, Texas, Yamaha, 77
Josh Hansen, Lake Elsinore, Calif., KTM, 71
Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., Yamaha, 70
Steve Boniface, Corona, Calif., Kawasaki, 61
Troy Adams, Homosassa, Fla., Suzuki, 58
AMA Supercross Class
February 11, 2006: James Stewart
February 19, 2005: Chad Reed
February 24, 2004: Chad Reed
February 08, 2003: Chad Reed
January 12, 2003: David Vuillemin
January 13, 2002: Ricky Carmichael
January 22, 2000: David Vuillemin
January 16, 1999: Ezra Lusk
February 07, 1998: Jeremy McGrath
February 10, 1996: Jeremy McGrath
February 11, 1995: Jeremy McGrath
February 05, 1994: Jeremy McGrath
February 06, 1993: Jeremy McGrath
February 08, 1992: Damon Bradshaw
February 09, 1991: Jean-Michael Bayle
February 10, 1990: Jeff Stanton
February 11, 1989: Rick Johnson
February 14, 1987: Rick Johnson
February 08, 1986: Rick Johnson
January 26, 1985: Johnny O’ Mara
November 16, 1982: Broc Glover
November 14, 1981: Broc Glover
October 25, 1980: Mike Bell
AMA Supercross Lites Class
February 11, 2006: Andrew Short
February 19, 2005: Nathan Ramsey
February 24, 2004: Ivan Tedesco
February 08, 2003: James Stewart
January 12, 2003: James Stewart
January 13, 2002: Justin Buckelew
January 22, 2000: Greg Schnell
January 16, 1999: Casey Johnson
February 07, 1998: John Dowd
February 10, 1996: Jeff Willoh
February 11, 1995: Damon Huffman
February 05, 1994: Ryan Hughes
February 06, 1993: Mickael Pichon
February 08, 1992: Jeremy McGrath
February 09, 1991: Jeremy McGrath
February 10, 1990: Ty Davis
February 11, 1989: Jeff Matiasevich
February 14, 1987: Kyle Lewis
February 08, 1986: Donny Schmit
January 26, 1985: Todd Campbell