Stewart Tops Freestone Practice

Shan Moore | June 7, 2008

Temperatures reached the mid-90s today as James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto dominated Saturday practice at round three of the 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Series at Freestone Country Raceway in Wortham, Texas.

Stewart was nearly three seconds clear of the competition, with a lap time of 1:59.074, compared to Honda-mounted Andrew Short’s 2:01.893. Short’s teammate Davi Millsaps was third with a 2:02.166, while Suzuki-mounted privateer Cody Cooper followed with a 2:02.641.

Short, who calls the Texas track his home track, nearly won this race last year, running away with the first moto and then taking the early lead in the second moto before crashing out of contention. After Short’s crash, Yamaha’s Grant Langston went on to win.

Langston is still out of commission so Short will have to contend with Stewart this year, who is making his first appearance at the Texas track after missing several rounds last year with a knee injury.

Villopoto’s competition in the Lites division came from Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, who turned a 2:03.992, compared to a 2:02.835 for the Kawasaki-mounted Villopoto.

Villopoto’s teammate Brett Metcalfe was third-fastest with a 2:04.390, then came Geico Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard (2:05.097) and Austin Stroupe (2:05.395).

Stroupe took a hard digger in the second practice session and got a complete once-over by the medical crew, but the Kawasaki rider only knocked the win out of himself and will be ready for action tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s forecast calls for more hot and humid weather but also gives a 30% chance of thunderstorms which might give some welcomed relief.