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/1542356
Stewart Re-Ups with Kawasaki L/awasaki announced last week l\hat it had signed lames Stewan to a new mukiple-year contract !o remain with the Kawasaki racint t€am. Accoading ao marketing manager gruce Sternjstrom, the company would not disclose the len$h of the new deal. "We are exceptionally pleased to be able to continue our long rela- rionship with .lames." said Kl'4C president Scott Kl/ama, "as it has been and will continue to be a rewarding one at both the personal and blsiness levels. Kawesaki takes treat pride in the competition equipment (hat we build and sell. We are equally p.oud of the com- petirors that ride for Kawasakiar the professional level. James, of course, is a valued member of our family." At (he lime of his signing, Stewart, 20, was leading the Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP Series and \nas in third place in rhe AMA Supercross Series. He had won eitht rounds of the Wo.ld GP Series this season and had been on rhe podium in all but three of the 2006 events. "James raises the bar for every- one on our leam with his winning attitude," said team manager l4ike Fasher "We are ven/ positive about the continuity of our racing program with.lames on board." !h !D Jomes Slewqrt Laffertv Nationdl Wins Missouri Enduro l-lTl1 s l'4rke Lafferw Dadded hrs lead rn l\the AMA Fl4F Rajng Nat,onal Enduro Senes overall sundrnts by rakrnt his sec- ond win of the year at a wet and muddy fourth round, held ar St. Joe State Park in Park Hills, ln4issouri, on April 30, Lafferty, who is in pursui! of an eiShth National Enduro title, topped fellow KTM rider Russell Bobbift of Georgia by seven points, with Stephen Edmonson ofVirginia, also riding a KTM, another point back. Lafferty opened up a four-point lead over both Bobbift and Edmonson after the first loop, which covered 50 miles of tiSht and rocky single-track, a5 a liSht rain fell intermittently on the event. DurinS the second loop, the litht rain turned into torrential downpour, but t"affert), continued to t:in another three points over Bobbitt and four over Edmonson to take the win. New rersey s Fred Ho€ss, ridinS a Gas Gas, took fourth, with Ohioan Cody Mastin, on a KTM, placinS fifth. Rich Lafferq/, l'4ike's brother. was in contention for a podium finish untilthe final check section, where he watered out while attemptint to pass a rider. He eventually finished ninth. with lour of I I rounds rn the book, Lafferty holds a l3-point lead over Bobbitt in the standings, 106-93, with Edmonson in third, another 16 points back with 77. Hoess is fourth with 59, and Rich lafferty is fifth with 57. Shan Moore Honda's Mike Childress and Steve HenSeveld enioyed a flawless ride en route to the Terrible's Town 250 win in Pahrump, Nevada. on April 29. lt was round three of the Best ln The Desen s Silver State Series. After drawing the first starting position, the tearn stayed rn front for all 242 miles to win by, literally, miles on their Eerkeley Honda/Precision Coocepts-backed XR650R, while crashes and DNFs took ou! several of the other lop Pro teams. Zip'Ty Bacing Yamaha racers Ty Davis and Russell Pearson were one of those teams, The duo ran second until a mechanical problem sidelined them about halfw-ay through the race. That moved Red Bull fiM's Chrrs Blais - who soloed on hls 525 XC, as he usually do€s - into second place overall, but his ride came to an end when he cmshed later in the race. At that point, Open Expens l'4ax Eddy jr. Chris Ray and Jeff Trulove found them- selves not only leading their class bu! run- ning second overall on thear MSS Racing KTIY. They avoided any incidents to hang on to the spot to the end. Thethird motorcycle finisher was Four- Stroke Pro-class winners Jeff Finerty and Robby Woods, on their John Burr Cycles YZ450E Fourth overall went to Brian Melsheimer and Manhew Zan8. on their Temecula Motorspons CRF450X, while Over 40 Pro winners Scott Glimp and Ron Purvines rounded out the top {ive motor- .ycles on their Motorex KTI'4 525 XC. "lt was a flawless day," Childress said. "lt was one of rhose days where norhing could go wrong. lpushed as hard as I could early in the morning without doinS something stupid and crashing. We kept switchint the bike between us and doint our jobs and both ridint as hard:s we could, and it paid off." And it paid off well. with Childress and HenSeveld splittinS the $5000 cash bonus offered by the race-sponsoaint Herbst family. While it was Childress' first Terrible's Town overall, thas marked Hengeveld's third time to collect the money, Mork tbtiyo o o o I Childress, Hengeveld Top Terrible's Town CYCLE NEWS o MAY 10, 2006 E o o 9 P o T / / --Iill i-r-,| r{Il Mike lofferty rerorded hir second win oI the yeor ot thc Leod Belt Notionql Enduro in ,Iliisouri. *x lr ? I t, Steve Hengeveld leomed up with Mike Childress fo win the TerribleS Town 25O in Nevodo.