Stewart runs away with Daytona
After Chad Reed laid down the fastest laps in practice and dominated his heat race, it looked like the Yamaha rider would repeat his 2005 win under the lights on the Speedway infield.
But James Stewart had another idea.
Stewart, the points leader in the Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series, took over the lead in the first lap of the main event from Kyle Lewis and powered to a commanding gap.
Five-time Daytona Supercross winner Ricky Carmichael was on the move, however, following Honda's Kevin Windham past Lewis and then passing Windham a few laps later as the two entered the long whoop section down the front straight.
By then, however, Stewart had built up an 8-second lead. As the two entered lapped traffic, Stewart added a couple more seconds to his lead, and Carmichael was unable to close the gap.
Stewart said his early lead was key to the win, as well as keeping control on the difficult track.
"I was just struggling with the track all night long, but in the main event, I got a good start and I just rode and rode," Stewart said. "I know this track can come up and bite you, especially with it being a little dark and [the lines] changing every lap."
Although he's used to winning here, Carmichael said he was happy with getting the runner-up spot at what he says will be his last Daytona Supercross.
"I wasn't riding good in practice or my heat," said Carmichael, who transferred to the main with a fourth in the heat race that Stewart won. "I'm surprised I did that good in the main. With a good start, I still don't know that I could have gotten the job done… But I rode strong in the main event and I ended it on a good note and got out of here safe."
Despite a poor start, Reed was able to engineer a late charge to move into third by the checkered flag.
"Practice went OK," said Reed. "But throughout the night program, I struggled with my lines, and it was a frustrating main event from me."
The win gives Stewart a 24-point lead on Reed for the championship, 235 to 211. Tim Ferry is third, 44 more points back.
In the Supercross Lites main event, Andrew McFarlane claimed the holeshot, but Ben Townley was all over the Suzuki rider and made the pass for the lead as they entered the whoop second on lap two, pulling Tommy Hahn with him.
Meanwhile, Jeff and Mike Alessi were making a charge from back in the pack, with Mike ultimately taking third behind Townley and Hahn.
With his fifth at Daytona, Ryan Morais leads the SX Lites West with 56 points, while Darcy Lange is 4 points back in second, and Ben Townley, who now has two wins but earned no points in the first round, is 2 more points back in third.
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© 2007, American Motorcyclist Association