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Stewart completes first Anaheim sweep

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Times Staff Writer

James Stewart rode into supercross history Saturday night by becoming the first rider to win all three of the season’s races at Angel Stadium.

Stewart, 21, held off Chad Reed by less than two seconds to capture the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross race after winning the two previous races in Anaheim last month.

Timmy Ferry was third and Nicholas Wey of Murrieta fourth in the 20-lap main event.

Stewart also won last month in Phoenix, giving the Kawasaki rider four wins in the season’s first five races and making him the clear favorite to win his first championship in supercross, the stadium version of off-road motorcycle racing.

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“I’m just having a good time, and I’m going to keep my head down” going forward, Stewart said.

Stewart’s only loss this year came a week ago in San Francisco, when five-time AMA champion Ricky Carmichael won. But Carmichael is running only a partial schedule as he tries to become a stock car driver; he didn’t compete Saturday night.

The AMA series, which first began racing at Angel Stadium in 1976, has held three races a season there since 2001.

Stewart, of Haines City, Fla., jumped in front on the opening lap but wobbled on Lap 5, allowing Reed to briefly take the lead on his Yamaha in front of a sellout crowd of 45,050. But moments later Reed slipped, with Stewart retaking the lead.

In the sport’s lower-level series, Supercross Lites, Kawasaki rider Ryan Villopoto of Poulsbo, Wash., cruised to a 16-second win over Honda’s Joshua Grant of Riverside in the 15-lap main event. It was his third straight win and fourth in five races this year.

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james.peltz@latimes.com

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