COLUMBUS – About the only things able to slow down hard-charging Kawasaki riders James “Bubba” Stewart and Ryan Villopoto were the bolts of lightning and claps of thunder that halted action in the AMA Toyota Motocross Lites’ second moto Sunday afternoon at Unadilla Valley Sports Center.
Stewart, coming off the 2007 Supercross championship, remained perfect in the eighth round of the 2008 AMA Motocross championships at Unadilla Valley Sports Center winning each moto with ease.
The heir apparent to legend Ricky Carmichael, Stewart continued his march toward a perfect season, an accomplishment done three times by the retired Carmichael in 2002, 2004, and 2005.
Just 22 years old, Stewart, the most decorated African-American motocross rider in the AMA history blazed to the front midway through the opening lap in the first moto, and led by nine seconds after the second lap over Suzuki’s Michael Byrne, and increased his lead to nearly 30 seconds before cruising to the win.
Stewart was consistently putting in two-minute, 15-second laps on the board – at least three seconds faster than anyone else on the hilly, natural terrain at UVSC. “I came into this race with a positive attitude, and it’s paying off,” Stewart said, who was prophetic in his pre-race comments. “This place isn’t my favorite, but I’m riding well.”
Stewart overcame a fall in the second moto and never lost the lead, although New Zealander Cody Cooper consistently pushed the motocross frontrunner. ““I had to spin the mud off (my tires) after the fall, and as soon as I got going I knew I needed to push because Cody was going to be right there,” Stewart said. “I just need to keep going race by race.”
The only suspense in the 250cc Motocross was the pecking order behind the dominant Stewart. Byrne, Timmy Ferry, Andrew Short, New Zealand’s Cody Cooper, and Joshua Hill filled out the top-six spots after moto one, and the arrangement shifted slightly with Byrne remaining number two, Cooper moving up to number three, while Ferry and Antonio Balbi were fourth and fifth.
