AMA Motocross rd.6 - New Berlin, NY - alpinestarsinc.com

The last time Team Sobe/No Fear/Samsung/Honda rider Kevin
Windham won an AMA Pro Racing race was on a rain-lashed
Saturday night in Anaheim, California. The date was January 8,
2005, and despite the fact he was still wiping mud from his
bloodshot eyes, Windham was extremely pleased. The last time
Kevin Windham won an AMA National Motocross Championship
round was on Sunday, July 23, 2003 at Washougal, Washington

Well, some two years on, on Sunday afternoon, July 15, 2007 at
the Unadilla Sports Center in New Berlin, New York, it all came
right for Kevin Windham who rode his factory Honda CRF450R to
victory at round six of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship.
The 35th anniversary of the facility hosting an AMA National -
Unadilla was also home of the 250cc United States Grand Prix of
Motocross from 1978 through 1992, as well as the Motocross des
Nations in 1987 — Unadilla is, undisputedly, the most storied and
historic race circuit in all of American motocross. This for
Windham to return to his winning ways at Unadilla makes the
score all that much the sweeter.

“I’ve been known through my career to have a lot of throttle
control, which you need at this track,” said Windham who used
1-3 moto scores to claim the top spot on the victory podium.
“I come into some of these hard-packed tracks with added
confidence. I was riding behind Andrew (Short) and we were kind
of closing in, but toward the end I kind of broke out the calculator
and started doing the math and knew I could get the win.”

Team Kawasaki’s Timmy Ferry was second overall at owner Ward
Robinson’s legendary facility, riding to 5-1 moto finishes, his
second moto charge to victory highly impressive. Team Honda’s
Andrew Short rode to 6-2 moto scores to finish off the podium.

Conspicuously absent on race day was 2007 Supercross
Champion and Motocross National Championship favorite (now
that Ricky Carmichael has gone to the showers) James Stewart.
Having crashed on the second lap of practice on Sunday, Stewart
was whisked to the hospital with a rumored concussion. No word
yet as to when he will return to action.

In the 250F Motocross Lites fray, the dominant Monster
Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team experienced a day of highs
and lows. In the opening moto, defending Lites National
Champion and series points leader Ryan Villopoto’s day was
ruined when his bike came unglued, the Washington native forced
to the side of the track, his race run. His teammate, Been
Townley, though atoned for the team’s misfortunes my handily
winning the moto aboard his KX250F. Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey was
second across the finish line, while Yamaha’s Broc Hepler,
returning after a long absence due to a serious injury, was third.

After an early race crash in moto number two, things looked
bleak for a Ben Townley overall victory. However, Townley
charged throughout the entire moto, fighting his way back to third
at the end, good enough for the Unadilla win. Once again, Ryan
Dungey placed in second, good enough for second overall in New
York. Yamaha of Troy pilot Jason Lawrence went 4-4 for third
overall. Team Sobe/No Fear/Samsung/Honda’s Josh Grant
finished out the day in fifth.

The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship will now head west to
Lakewood, Colorado, where the tour will race next Sunday, July
22, 2007. Alpinestarsinc.com - July 15th, 2007