Stewart fights back with wet San Francisco win.

James Stewart overcame appalling weather conditions at San Francisco's fourth round of the 2006 AMA Supercross championship to end reigning champion Ricky Carmichael's two race win streak - extending Stewart's World SX GP championship advantage and placing him within 2-points of the AMA championship lead.

Nick Wey plodded his Honda through the mud to claim the Toyota Holeshot Award to start the reduced 12-lap AMA Supercross main event, but would surrender the lead to Stewart by the end of the first lap, with Suzuki rider Carmichael in third.

Stewart would lead Carmichael for eight laps before a jump pass by Carmichael on lap nine shot him into the lead. However, RC's lead did not last long as Stewart regrouped and retook the position on the next lap. From there on Stewart never looked back to win his second AMA - and fourth World SX GP - main event of the season so far. Carmichael finished second, while privateer Wey held on to finish third.

"The first few laps I was in my own world (and was thinking) I just wanted to finish," said Stewart in the post-race press conference. "I made a few mistakes, but I think it was just more the track than me making mistakes. I knew (Carmichael) was behind me. I could hear the crowd going crazy and I didn't know if he had crashed or if he was right up on me.

"He passed me after I cased it in the rhythm section. When he got in front of me, I was thinking 'this is kind of over'. Then I caught back up to him and ended up making it happen from there."

In the AMA Supercross Lites main event, Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto won the Holeshot Award for the also reduced eight lap race, but his lead would be short lived after a crash at the end of the opening lap gave the advantage to Yamaha's Brett Metcalfe.

In turn, Metcalfe's tenure at the top soon came to a halt when he crashed in the whoop section before the start straight allowing, Ramsey - who was running a few seconds back in second - to take the lead. Nate was then able to hold off a late-race charge from Metcalfe, who wound up crossing the finish line just one bike length behind.

"It was such a fun race, it was one of those dog paddlers," said Ramsey, describing the legs-off-the-bike riding style he used in the mud conditions. "We had a bad go of it in the first (heat) race, so winning this really makes everything okay."

Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series Event Results, San Francisco
1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki
2. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla., Suzuki
3. Nicholas Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Honda
4. Michael Byrne, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
5. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
6. Tyler Evans, Corona, Calif., Suzuki
7. Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda
8. Jeff Gibson, Blacklick, Ohio, Honda
9. Ryan Clark, Waddell, Ariz., Honda
10. Jason Thomas, Melrose, Fla., Honda

Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series Season Standings
1. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla., Suzuki, 92
2. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 90
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha, 82
4. Nicholas Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Honda, 61
5. Michael Byrne, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 58
6. Mike LaRocco, Corona, Calif., Honda, 55
7. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 51
8. Ernesto Fonseca, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 48
9. Travis Preston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda, 47
10. Jeremy McGrath, Encinitas, Calif., Honda, 44

Amp'd Mobile World Supercross GP Season Standings
1. James Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 140
2. Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla., Suzuki, 136
3. Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha, 122
4. Nicholas Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Honda, 98
5. Michael Byrne, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 96
6. Ivan Tedesco, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki, 95
7. Jeff Gibson, Westerville, Ohio, Honda, 74
8. Jason Thomas, Melrose, Fla., Honda, 73
9. Ryan Clark, Phoenix, Honda, 69
10. Tyler Evans, Corona, Calif., Suzuki, 51

Amp'd Mobile Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Event Results, San Francisco
1. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., KTM
2. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha
3. Mike Alessi, Apple Valley, Calif., KTM
4. Jason Lawrence, Murrieta, Calif., Suzuki
5. Ryan Mills, Clintondale, N.Y., Suzuki
6. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki
7. Billy Laninovich, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda
8. Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Honda
9. Ryan Morais, Menifee, Calif., Suzuki
10. Marco Dube, Quebec, Canada, Yamaha

Amp'd Mobile Western Regional AMA Supercross Lites Season Standings
1. Nathan Ramsey, Menifee, Calif., KTM, 79
2. Billy Laninovich, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 74
3. Andrew Short, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 71
4. Grant Langston, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki, 69
5. Ryan Villopoto, Poulsbo, Wash., Kawasaki, 64
6. Brett Metcalfe, Murrieta, Calif., Yamaha, 60
7. Mike Alessi, Victorville, Calif., KTM, 57
8. Paul Carpenter, Ithaca, N.Y., Honda, 49
9. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Honda, 39
10. Eric Sorby, Sun City, Calif., Honda, 33