Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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AMAlEA Sports 1 25cc Western Regional Supercross Series Round 2: Qualcomm S:tadium exactly four months. Stewart also carries the historic duality of becoming the first rider of African-American descent ever to win an AMA Supercross main event, a fact that was not lost on him, as he took a moment to dedicate his win to fellow Floridian and African-American rider Tony Haynes, another potential rising star whose career was cut short by injury. "I want to cry right now, I'm so happy," Stewart said from the podium. "Halfway through the moto, I tightened up because I wanted to win. I didn't want to crash. I would like to thank my mom and dad - I love you guys, thank you for everything that you have done - my mechanic, my trainer. Tony Haynes, this one is for you, buddy." Unlike the series opener at Anaheim, there were no nightmarish amateur-like faux pas to derail Stewart's ride into history. He was fast from the get-go, as he bolted into the lead on the first lap of the first heat race and took an easy win to transfer directly to the 15-lap main event. Red Bull KTM's Brock Sellards won the second heat race. (Left) James Stewart takes a victory lap after recording his first supercross win. (Below) Rodrlg Thain (27) took the 125cc main holeshot and finished out the race in second. STORY BY SCOTT ROUSSEAU PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN SAN DIEGO, CA, JAN. 12 t may have come a week later than most supercross insiders had predicted, but Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's James Stewart met up with his destiny at Qualcomm Stadium, during round two of the EA Sports Supercross Series. Before 68,415 screaming fans, it all came good. At 16 years and 21 days of age, Stewart made history by becoming the youngest rider ever to win an AMA Supercross main event, eclipsing the mark set by Kyle Lewis who, ironically, earned the accolade at the exact same venue on February 14, 1987, when he was 16 years, four months and 21 days old - by :1 10 JANUARY 23,2002' cue I e n e _ s Sellards' Red Bull KTM teammate David Pingree was the quickest of the 22 riders off the gate to start the main event, but he slid wide in the left-hander at the end of the start straight, and Boost Mobile/Yamaha/Troy Racing's Rodrig Thain powered his YZ250F into the lead through the long whoops section. Pingree, Boost Mobile/Yamaha/Troy Racing's Ivan Tedesco and Stewart gave chase, followed by Team Shark/Plano Honda's Travis Elliott, Skittles/Berni Honda's Josh Coppins and Mach 1 Motorsports' Craig Decker. Red Bull KTM rider Brock Sellards suffered another disappointment when he crashed in the early going, losing his front fender and dropping to the rear of the pack. Sellards would wind up 15th. Stewart wasted no time in getting to the front. He put an aggressive, veteran-like block-pass on Tedesco for third in the right-hander after the whoops for third place during lap two, and then claimed second - more or less by default - when Pingree crashed in the right-hander before the whoops a lap later. Pingree was up quickly, and he would go on to finish fourth. "I just lost the front end," Pingree sa id later. "It was a little bit marbly there, and I think I just kind of was still on the front brake because I started leaning into the rut and it just pushed. It was kind of a bummer, but... fourth ... so I'm not too far out of it yet. I think my speed is there. Bubba is probably a little bit faster, but that's because he is pushing the ragged edge, and he is making it work. I'm going to just try and be consistent for the whole series. My starts are there, my bike is fast. I just need to be consistently on the podi-