Kawasaki Racing Team Is Victorious in Vancouver

December 12, 2005, 11:37am

Stewart wins his second straight World Supercross GP race aboard the all-new KX450F

VANCOUVER , B.C., CANADA (December 10, 2005) – It is obvious that Canada has been very good to Kawasaki Racing Team rider James Stewart. After earning his first-ever World Supercross GP victory last week in Toronto, t he young upstart from Haines City, Fla., completely dominated the Supercross field to earn his second straight win during round two of the Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP at B.C. Place Stadium on Saturday.

"It’s been a good two weeks," smiled a low-key Stewart during the post race press conference. "It was a good race, and I felt good out there. It’s a long series and we still have a lot of work to do, people forget that I haven’t really raced a KX450F except for these last two races, but I’m getting used to the bike and I’m learning a lot. We got through these races smart and safe and I’m looking forward to Anaheim ."

In what seemed like a replay of the Toronto event, Stewart began the evening by winning his eight-lap heat race so completely that he was in lapped traffic by the sixth lap. Then in the 20-lap main event, he took the lead before the end of the first lap and quickly pulled away from the field. Stewart was so dominant aboard the KX450F that he had a 12-second lead before the race was half over, and lapped the field all the way up to fifth place before taking the checkered flag.

"It feels good to win another one," said Stewart. "I came here to win, and it’s good for me because now I know my program is working the right way. The KX450 makes it easy to ride smart and still have a lot of power when you need it and that's really important."

Stewart’s teammate Michael Byrne rode an exceptional heat race on his Kawasaki KX450F, finishing third to qualify for the main event. The affable Australian had a few intense battles during the main event to secure a top five position and put in 20 solid laps to earn a fifth place finish.

The Vancouver round of the Amp’d Mobile World Supercross GP also marked the debut of Team Green’s new Supercross Lites contingent led by local favorite Darcy Lange of Courtenay, B.C. The two-time Arenacross champion finished third in his heat race and had an impressive debut aboard his KX250F to capture a sixth place finish in the main event.

The Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series kicks off at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, January 7th 2006, for the first round of the 15-event series.