Stewart was able to sweep the Holeshot Award for the second week in a row as the AMA Motocross began their final moto. Track conditions continued to deteriorate with consistent rain. Suzuki City Biloxi, MS/OTSFF Suzuki's Cody Cooper capitalised on a great start to grab second and battled with Stewart for the top spot.
A native of New Zealand, Cooper excelled in the conditions and kept Stewart in sight the entire moto. A mid-moto fall by Stewart brought Cooper within striking distance, but the Kawasaki rider kept his head down and prevailed to improve to 16-0 in motos and 8-0 in overall victories.
"This track has always been tough for me, especially the last three years," explained Stewart. "This is the first moto I've finished since 2004. I stuck with it in the second moto, so you have no idea how excited I am right now. I had to pull my goggles off like five laps into the moto. I got roost in my face and then spun [my tyre] off the face of a jump and went down.
"I had to spin the mud off [my tyres] and as soon as I got going I knew I needed to push because Cody [Cooper] was going to be right there. I just need to keep going race by race. If I keep that mindset I'll be better off [towards the championship]."
Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Michael Byrne continued his recent run of strong performances to finish third. Combined with a third place in the first moto, he finished second overall. Cooper's impressive showing helped him reach his first career podium in third after a fifth-place finish in the opening moto.
Stewart currently holds a 120-point lead over teammate Ferry in the AMA Motocross standings. In AMA Motocross Lites, Villopoto has a 109-point advantage over Dungey.
