Stewart riding high for San Diego supercross

By: RICK HOFF - Staff Writer | Thursday, February 15, 2007 11:19 PM PST ∞

Michael Lapaglia jumps during a demonstration promoting the Amp-D Mobile Supercross, which starts this Saturday, at Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday.
HAYNE PALMOUR IV Staff Photographer
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SAN DIEGO ---- Just when the gap seemed to be closing, it opened up again. James "Bubba" Stewart hopes to continue his rise up the supercross ladder Saturday when the Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series comes to Qualcomm Stadium for its annual showcase of two-wheeled aerobatics.

Stewart comes to San Diego having won five of the past six races on the AMA Supercross circuit, including a dominating victory last weekend at Houston's Reliant Stadium.

Prior to the Houston race, Stewart and Chad Reed had staged a dramatic duel at the third of three races at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. After exchanging the lead with Reed on the sixth lap of the 20-lap main event, Stewart held on for a slim 1.5-second margin of victory.

But Stewart and his Kawasaki dominated the main event at Houston, moving from a sixth-place start into the lead by the sixth lap and winning by 17 seconds ahead of Reed. The victory gave Stewart a 21-point lead in the AMA series standings going into the San Diego event. Stewart has 147 points, while Reed has 126 aboard a Yamaha. Stewart also leads Reed in the World GP season standings for 450cc bikes, 189-171.

"I have a points lead, but I can't afford to back down," Stewart, 21, told reporters after the Houston race. "Things can get bad when you start to let up."

Reed, a native Australian who resides in Tampa, Fla., doesn't expect any letup from his rival.

"He's riding with confidence right now," Reed said of Stewart prior to the third Anaheim race, "and confidence is a big deal in whatever you do."

Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., also hopes to defend the San Diego title he won last year in a thrilling duel with Suzuki's Ricky Carmichael. With a record crowd of 69,005 looking on, Stewart overcame Carmichael with two laps to go for the win. The previous year, it was Reed who caught Carmichael on the final lap for an improbable win that extended Suzuki's winless drought at San Diego.

Carmichael, the AMA's all-time winningest rider in supercross and motocross, will not be in the lineup Saturday, as he has scaled back his supercross schedule this season. He does plan to race next week in Atlanta when the AMA series shifts to the East Coast.

Another Kawasaki rider to watch is Tim Ferry of Largo, Fla., who notched his second straight third-place finish at Houston.

Since Mike Bell won the first supercross race here in 1980, the all-time winningest rider at San Diego is Encinitas resident Jeremy McGrath, who won five straight races from 1993-98.

In the AMA Supercross Lites class for 250cc bikes, Ryan Villopoto of Poulsbo, Wash., can clinch the West Region championship by placing fifth or better. Just as Stewart did in the 450 class, Villopoto won all three Lites races at Anaheim, and he triumphed again last week at Houston aboard a Kawasaki by edging Murrieta rider Jason Lawrence, riding a Yamaha.

Contact staff writer Rick Hoff at (760) 740-3545 or rhoff@nctimes.com.

What: Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series

Where: Qualcomm Stadium

When: Saturday

Schedule: Practice starts at 12:30 p.m., main heats start at 7 p.m.

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m., SPEED

Tickets: Prices range from $10-$35

Information: www.supercrossonline.com