Stewart and Reed in Hangtown

AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship

Nov. 01, 2005 By ORC STAFF
Sacramento, CA - May 19, 2002

Chevy Trucks Kawasaki is winning the much-hyped Brown/Langston/Reed/Stewart 125 class showdown with it's sensational rookie James "Bubba" Stewart. Stewart has won three out of 4 motos so far, including a perfect 1-1 at Hangtown, and he is now 20 points ahead of Grant Langston in second.

Stewart won easily in the dry first moto, and after a hard rain turned the track muddy, he struggled without goggles but still made his way back to the front after passing Suzuki teammates Branden Jesseman and Danny Smith.

Langston rode well but had a little trouble in the mud later, Reed had bad starts, and Brown struggled with starts too and spent his day fighting through traffic.

"In the first moto I got the holeshot, said Stewart, "I was pumped. I felt real confident on my concrete starts. I just felt good. I got out front and I just started pulling away and by the middle of the race I had a 25 second lead and I just kept pushing. At the end they started catching me a lot. I was cruising because I had to save something for the second moto. In the second moto my start sucked. I almost did a 180. I was coming off the gate. I planned on just riding off the gate but with all those bikes around me I almost forgot what I was supposed to do and I just gassed it and spun out. The first lap was tough I was trying to stay up. I almost landed on Brown and a couple of other guys on a little step down because they didn't jump it. I took a little chance I had to jump it. I just stayed up and went into third. They (Danny Smith and Jesseman) were actually pulling me for a little while. For a couple laps I reeled them so much I was too close to them and I didn't want to follow them so I had to pick it up just that little extra to get around them both and I went from third to first in one lap. Luckily a lapper messed up Danny Smith and I got around the inside of him. I stayed up. Then my rolloffs broke and I had to take off my goggles and I couldn't see. It was good though I had a good time. I am glad I won in the dry and I am glad I won in the mud. There were two totally different conditions in about an hour."

Langston said he knee was bothering him more than last weekend. "I am going to see doctors tomorrow," he said, "I was going to go back east and stay with Brock (Sellards) but I am going to go back to (southern) California and see the doctors. I started off too slow. James just cleared out. I didn't have enough speed. From about the 15 minute mark I started picking up a little. There was just this huge gaggle of riders gathering up behind me. I could hear them but I didn't want to turn around because I would start worrying. I didn't even want to know who was behind me. I didn't even look at the pit board or anything. Then Chad got behind me and I knew it was him because I could hear him. We both picked it up and the last sort of 10 minutes was good. Our fastest lap was the last lap and we hit before the finish line. In the second moto I just rode like a fairy. I am not much of a mud rider, and that's not Tim Ferry. I have never been good in the rain or the mud. I was having to make the best of it. At one stage I thought I could get a 4th place finish. After a couple of lapped riders hit the biggest puddles in the track and sprayed me I had to throw my goggles and the last three laps I think every lapped rider that came up hit the biggest puddle in front of me. At one stage I could not even see. I was wiping my eyes with a dirty glove. Those last two laps were terrible. Unfortunately James pulled some points on us which is not what I wanted to happen."

Chad Reed was third overall, and need to start making things happen if he wants to keep Stewart from keeping away in series points. "I had fun today," said Reed, "I wanted to win but I guess I made it one better than last week. I had a good race. I just have to make the beginning of the race a little better, get a good start and push a little bit harder in the beginning. When it started raining I was looking forward to it. I like riding in the mud. At one stage when I got in 4th I started catching those guys a few seconds a lap. I just lost my brakes. That was a bit unfortunate. Both front and back were just really fading. It's just one of those things that you come across in the mud. It was unfortunate but I just have to pick it up from now on."

 125cc AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship - Round 2

1. 1-1 James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki
2. 3-4 Chad Reed, Australia, Yamaha
3. 2-6 Grant Langston, South Africa, KTM
4. 7-2 Danny Smith, Middleton, Idaho, Suzuki
5. 8-3 Branden Jesseman, Pombell, Pa., Suzuki
6. 4-8 Mike Brown, Piney Flats, TN, Kawasaki
7. 5-11 Ernesto Fonseca, Costa Rica, Honda
8. 11-10 Bobby Bonds, Bakersfield, Ca., Kawasaki
9. 6-15 Buddy Antunez, Temecula, Ca., Suzuki
10. 12-13 Matt Walker, McRae, GA, Kawasaki

 125cc Season Points Standings After Round 2

1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 97 pts
2. Grant Langston, South Africa, KTM, 77 pts
3. Chad Reed, Australia, Yamaha, 75 pts
4. Danny Smith, Middleton, Idaho, Suzuki, 68 pts
5. Mike Brown, Piney Flats, TN, Kawasaki, 67 pts
6. Ernesto Fonseca, Costa Rica, Honda, 54 pts
7. Matt Walker, McRae, GA, Kawasaki, 48 pts
8. Bobby Bonds, Bakersfield, CA,. Kawasaki, 43 pts
9. Damon Huffman, Canyon Country, CA., Suzuki, 40 pts
10. Branden Jesseman, Pombell, Pa., Suzuki 37 pts

 

Comments On This Article?


Off-Road.com Newsletter
Join our Weekly Newsletter to get the latest off-road news, reviews, events, and alerts!