Stewart goes for the three-peat

The U.S. supercross series runs three races at Angel Stadium early each season, and no rider -- not even five-time series champion Ricky Carmichael -- has ever swept them.

James Stewart wants to change that tonight.

The 21-year-old Kawasaki rider won the first two Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross events at the stadium last month, as well as a race in Phoenix, before losing to Carmichael last weekend in San Francisco.

But Carmichael is riding only a limited schedule this year for Team Makita Suzuki as he tries to launch a career as a stock car driver, and he won’t be in the field for the series’ fifth race of the season tonight.

That leaves Stewart in a strong position to score the series’ first Anaheim sweep in supercross, the stadium version of off-road motorcycle racing.

“We just have to go back and refocus,” Stewart said after finishing second to Carmichael last week. “You get stronger as the year gets on.”

Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., also leads in points with 97. Yamaha’s Chad Reed is second with 80.

Reed, who won the series title in 2004, keeps nipping at the heels of Stewart and Carmichael but hasn’t yet won this year. The Tampa, Fla., rider finished second in the second Anaheim race and was third in the three other events.

Also hoping for a spot on the podium, where the top three finishers of each race are celebrated, is Stewart’s teammate, Timmy Ferry of Largo, Fla., who was fourth last week, along with a trio of California-based Honda riders: Nicholas Wey of Murrieta, David Vuillemin of Menifee and Travis Preston of Hesperia. They finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, last week.

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The Perris Auto Speedway in Riverside County starts its 12th season tonight with USAC/CRA sprint car racing. But last year’s series champion, Cory Kruseman of Ventura, and runner-up Damion Gardner of Concord, Calif., are scheduled to miss the opener on the half-mile oval because of other commitments.

james.peltz@latimes.com