Stewart likely to win crown in Supercross

This year’s AMA Supercross champion probably will be determined when the series visits Sam Boyd Stadium next week.

James Stewart should clinch his first national Supercross title Saturday in Seattle during the year’s penultimate race.

One way or another the 22-year-old Floridian will cap a spectacular season May 5 when a capacity crowd of around 38,000 attends the Sam Boyd finale.

Stewart has won 11 times this season and takes a five-race winning streak into Qwest Field. He ranks sixth on the list of all-time Supercross winners with 22 titles.

“I’m going to Seattle to have a good time,” he said. “I’m happy that I’m in very good position. Seattle can be muddy at times, so I’m going to have to be careful there if that happens.”

Yamaha’s Chad Reed is the lone rider who can catch Stewart. Stewart’s Kawasaki teammate Tim Ferry is third.

Stewart, who has led 203 of this season’s 310 laps, leads Reed by 38 points.

First place is worth 25 points, and Stewart can clinch by finishing seventh or better in Seattle.

Reigning champion Ricky Carmichael, who has won twice this year, will not compete in Seattle or Las Vegas since shifting his focus to NASCAR stock-car racing.

• NASCAR — Las Vegan Alex Haase finished ninth April 19 in the NASCAR Grand National West Division race and has moved to seventh place in the series standings.

Haase, 17, continues his rookie season Saturday night at Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, Calif.

Joey Lagano, 16, won the Phoenix race. …

Former Las Vegas resident Scott Lynch is expected to compete in the first of 15 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

Brendan Gaughan is 14th in points with one top-10 finish in four races driving his No. 77 Chevrolet for the Las Vegas-based South Point Racing team.

• DRAG RACING — Jon Capps of Las Vegas was the No. 1 qualifier for last weekend’s International Hot Rod Association’s event in Rockingham, N.C. He advanced to the final round in the eight-car field, where he lost to Jack Wyatt.