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/128210
AMA 1 25cc Western Regional Supercross Series Round 7: Texas Stadium playground and embracing in front of the enthusiastic Dallas fans. With a riding display (and lap times to back it) that would have surely challenged both Reed and Carmichael in the 250cc class, Stewart's return to the AMA/THQ Supercross Series was an historic one, as he became the first African American to win an AMA Supercross title. And, unbeknownst to the motorsports press, Stewart rolled into Dallas having suffered an ugly f1eshburning injury during training about four weeks ago. High drama quashed by the Kawasaki/Stewart PR juggernaut, according to Stewart it's a wonder he even showed up in Dallas. "This is my first week riding on a motorcycle for like four weeks," Stewart said. "I got hurt pretty bad, and nobody knew about it. I burned my leg real bad. Had like secondand third-degree burns, and there was the possibility I wasn't going to race this weekend. It was that bad. The news started leaking out. Not that I burned my leg, but that I got hurt and stuff. But I was pumped to come here tonight, even though I was a little bit worried." A mere 17 years old and already the greatest 125cc racer on the planet, Stewart's two practice sessions alone heightened the amplitude in the stadium like no other rider Carmichael and Reed included. His blazing, head-turning assaults on the whoop section were highlighted by his only miscue of the day - where his bike porpoised in the whoops, and he apparently racked himself on his gas tank. A moment to catch his breath and a pat on the back from mechanic Jeremy Albrecht, and Stewart was back on the track, wringing out his KX 125 to every limit Kawasaki's design team could ever figure. Now all that remains for Stewart is the Dave Coombs Sr. 125cc EastlWest Shootout in Las Vegas, a race he wants to win again this year, not only for himself and his sponsors, but for all his buddies he races against in the Western Region as well. "Branden Jesseman rode an awesome season," Stewart said. "It's pretty tough over there with Brock Sellards, [Ivan] Tedesco and stuff. But you know, I'm ready to go out there and try to do the same thing I did last year. And I just want to set the record straight - I brought it over here, so tell those guys [the riders of the Eastern Region J to bring it!" Two other riders who "brought it" in Dallas were Preston and Walker. At the post-race press conference, IRVING, TX, APR. 12 hat started out this season as a fistfight on wheels all but came to a close on Saturday in Dallas as Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's James Stewart Jr. laid claim to the 125cc Western Regional Supercross title and had the bad boys around him singing his praises while mending fences of their own. "James Stewart is a step ahead of everybody else in this class," said Pro Circuit/Kawasaki/Chevy Trucks' Matt Walker. Walker, who finished third in Dallas behind Stewart and Travis Preston, was the first to congratulate Stewart on the track - the two dropping their 125s like BMX bikes on a W (Right) James Stewart was unbelievably fast at Dallas. He smoked the 125cc class en route to clinching the Western Regional 125cc SX title. (Below) Billy Laninovich (132) grabbed the holeshot ahead of Steve Mertens (120). Stewart (behind Laninovich) snuck by them all on the inside. 12 APRIL 23,2003' cue I e n e _ s