Stewart outraces rival to win title

James Stewart didn’t show up for a news conference Friday morning, but he was at Sam Boyd Stadium when it counted most.

The 23-year-old from Haines City, Fla., survived a mid-race brush with reigning AMA Supercross champion and arch rival Chad Reed to win his second series championship in the past two years.

They admit to not liking each other.

The AMA, which sanctions the series, fined and suspended Stewart’s teammate, Kyle Chisholm, for intentionally running into Reed a week ago in the penultimate race in Salt Lake City to allegedly enhance Stewart’s title chances.

Stewart started the race with a six-point lead over Reed, and he needed to finish only third to clinch the championship.

And that’s what he did.

"I’m so happy I don’t know what to say," Stewart said as tears ran down his cheeks.

While the focus of the sold-old crowd of about 38,000 was on the battle between Stewart and Reed, Ryan Villopoto of Seattle raced his Suzuki to victory in the 20-lap feature race.

Villopoto, who won two weeks ago in Seattle, finished eight seconds ahead of Reed.

Stewart got the holeshot to start the race but lost the lead to Villopoto on the third lap when Stewart bobbled.

Stewar was comfortably sitting in second, but Reed began to charge.

Reed, 27, pulled within a few yards and 1.4 seconds of Stewart on the 11th lap.

Reed had made it clear he would do anything to win the championship, and he made his move on the 15th lap on the portion of the track that runs outside of the stadium.

Reed moved inside Stewart and initiated contact that forced Stewart into the vinyl-covered foam barriers.

Stewart masterfully kept his Yamaha upright.

Stewart essentially could have declared the last four circuits as victory laps because no rider was with 50 yards of him.

He certainly wasn’t going to try to challenge Reed.

"I gave it very thing I had," said Reed, an Australian living in Tampa, Fla., who was a runner-up for the 12th time this year. "We had a good season."