AMAIChevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship Series
Round S: Red Bud Trac
'N'Trail
BUCHANAN, MI, JULY 7
CjfV earn Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's
(Above) Buddy Antunez (100) led for
much of the first mota, while James
Stewart (far right) hit the deck.
(Left) Stewart recovered from his firsttum get-off to take the overall with a
2-1 tally.
.
James Stewart Jr. is truly in a
league of his own. His amazing
come-from-behind charge at Red Bud
in moto one was one of greatness.
The 16-year-old, Haines City, Florida,
resident crashed in the first turn of
the race and picked up his bike at the
back of the pack as the others rode
off. He adjusted himself and his bike
qUickly and "put his head down" for
the next 34 minutes, catching everybody except his latest rival Chad
Reed, and settling for second place.
His second-moto romp over the field
gave Stewart the overall win - his
fourth of the series - and an even
larger points lead.
"I actually had a decent start in
that first moto, but I ran into the back
of Brock Sellards and went over the
'bars," Stewart said at the end of the
day. "Next thing I know, I was on my
head and some other guys hit me,
and then I was picking up my bike. I
just put my head down and charged. I
passed a bunch of guys right away
and then just kept catching more and
more. My throttle was sticking,
though, and' almost went over the
'bars on the finish-line jump and
threw it away. When I would go to
pull a tear-off, the bike was like
'waaaaaa.' When I got into second, I
was pumped, but Chad was way too
far gone."
Speaking of Reed, the Boost
Mobile/Troy Racing/Yamaha-backed
rider took yet another moto win in the
first moto and was running up front in
the second moto when he slid out
before the finish line on the second
lap. It took a long time for Reed to
get his YZ250F started, and he eventually bump-started it by going down
a small hill on the track backward. By
then, he was spent from trying to
kick-start it and was in 34th place.
The Australian also put his head
down and charged, but could only
catch up to 22nd.
"That bike just wouldn't start," a
disappointed Reed said. "' kicked and
kicked, and by the time J got it started, I was done. When I fell, I landed
on my bad shoulder and I think it
came out a little again. As , was landing from jumps and hitting bumps,
the shoulder was real uncomfortable.·
By DAVE DERINGER
PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN
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12
JULY 17, 2002'
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