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Stewart off to winning start with ’10 YZ450F
AMA Supercross Champion James Stewart inaugurated the 2010 YZ450F in perfect fashion after sweeping the high-profile US Open Indoor event at the glitzy setting of Las Vegas and walking away with the 100,000 dollar grand prize with victory on both Friday and Saturday nights.
Vegas saw not only the maiden competitive outing for the completely new machine but also the first meeting in several months for the 23 year old (24 in December) who abstained from any motocross activity in the summer (he won every outdoor moto of the 2008 season) to be fully prepared for the upcoming 2010 campaign that begins in Los Angeles in January.
The San Manuel rider had two very different evenings. He cleared-off to ace Friday’s main event but started poorly and had to work his way through the pack until reaching leader Ryan Villopoto by mid-race on Saturday. “I am just happy to get out here and race tonight,” he said after the first race. “There is a lot of work that I have to do, but the bike worked great tonight. This is always a fun event and I am excited to be a part of it.”
“The US Open seems to offer up more bar banging than any other race, and it’s always a good time,” he commented on his official website in the wake of the second sprint. “That was the first time that Ryan and I have raced since the Vegas Supercross in May, so it’s cool to get back out here to rub some elbows. The new bike is awesome, too! I felt like I was underneath everybody in all the corners and it all just came together for me. Ryan was riding really well, but I just stayed patient and snuck by for the win.”
Stewart and his team now head across the Atlantic for some headlining appearances at premier European Supercross venues. The first will be at Genoa in Italy and then the Bercy SX in Paris. The 2010 AMA Supercross contest begins on January 9th at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim for the first of 17 rounds.
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