Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128140
By DAVE DERINGER PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN PHOENIX, AZ, JAN. 26 ust four races into his pro career, Team Chevy Trucks/Kawasaki's James "Bubba" Stewart is now clearly in control of the 125cc Western Regional Supercross Series, as he has won two of those four races, finished second in the other two, and established a 25-point lead in the series standings. Aboard a Jeremy Albrecht-tuned, Chevy Trucks Kawasaki KX125, the 16-year-old walked away with a huge win in front of 49,123 fans at Phoenix's spectacular Bank One Ballpark. Stewart gated second in the final behind Powerade Holeshot awardwinner Casey Lytle and proceeded to pass him and run away from the pack throughout the next 15 laps. The performance was not entirely flawless, as the Floridian slid out in a corner just after landing from a triple jump at around the midway point, but his 13- second lead over eventual runner-up Travis Preston meant he could take his time remounting. Preston closed the gap to three seconds, but once again, Stewart got rolling and schooled his veteran competitors by eventually earning a four-second win over Amsoil/Dr. Martens Honda's Preston. "I'm just going out there and having fun," Stewart said. "I started pulling away and then started thinking and asked myself where second place was, and then I made some mistakes towards the middle of the race. I went down there in that corner but picked it up and then just rode my own race." Preston's strong second-place ride proves that his earlier wins are not flukes. Things are really coming together now for the 23-year-old from Hesperia, California, and he gives most of the credit to his bikes and team. "The team is awesome this year, and I just do as good as I can out (Left to rightl Travis Preston, .lames Stewart and Rodrig Thain celebrate on the podium after the 125cc main. there," Preston said. "They do as good as they can, and we all do good together. .. l'lI tell you what, though; people always say that it's not the bike, but it's the rider. I say it's the bike. I'm on a really good bike and on a great team, and it really motivates me to work hard. I can do all the big jumps easily, and it gives me a lot of confidence. " Preston holds a close third in the points and will not be going east for any races. "I'll just start testing for the outdoors after Anaheim, and I'm looking to do well out there, too." Boost Mobile/Yamaha/Troy Racing's Rodrig Thain finished on the podium again, but then announced that it will be his last supercross race of the year, even though he holds fourth in the points. A nagging shoulder injury will take the Frenchman off the tour for the next few months. Thain gated well in the final and rode in a lonely third for 14 of the 15 laps. He also finished second to Stewart in their heat race and seems to cue I e have his program down aboard the YZ250F. So, why the surgery now? "I was very glad to be on the podium tonight, but the shoulder is sore every weekend, and I cannot win a title this way," Thain said. "I'm going to have the three-hour surgery on Tuesday, and I want to be ready for the outdoors." Preston's Amsoil/Dr. Martens teammate, Christopher Gosselaar, also had another strong showing. After finishing third to Stewart and Thain in an earlier heat race, "Goose" started in eighth in the final and worked his way forward throughout the event. The Juniper Hills, California, resident is having one of his best years ever and is in sixth in the points. "So far, so good," Gosselaar said. "The team is great, and the bikes are so good this year, and I'm really n e _ S • FEBRUARY 6. 2002 13