Travis Pastrana shocked the racing world when he unexpectedly turned up to race at the Daytona Supercross last week - and not only did he show up to race, he thrilled𒐪 the huge Daytona crowd by earning a dramatic heat race victory𝓀 over championship contender Kevin Windham.

In the grueling main eve൩nt Pastrana's time away from racing showed as he ran up front early, but fell back to tenth place after tiring and suffering a couple of crashes. Still, many were very impressed with the likeable star's first Supercross after an extended layoff.

Daytona is considered to be the most important round in the championship and with its Gary Bailey-designed track there's little doubt that it's the toughest. This Sa💯turday - in a move certain to delights his legions of fans - Pastrana is set to race again, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, roജund 11 of the AMA Supercross Series.

Pastrana's return to AMA racing after more than a year's absence has generated a great deal of enthusiasm for the upcoming St. Louis event. The former X-Games and AMA Supercross and Motocross champ is making a co🤡meback from a reoccurring knee injury and has decided to make a limited comeback to racing, competing in only select events.

"The initial plan was to race St. Louis, because it usually has 40- to 45-second lap times, which is one of the quicker courses and it also has really good soil for me," Pastrana said of selecting this Saturday's race as one 🗹of his comeback tracks.

Meanwhile, Yamaha's Chad Reed extended his lead in the series with his seventh win of the year last week in Daytona. Reed became the first foreign rider in 30 years to win the prestigious Daytona Supercross and now he tu✤rns to St. Louis, the track where last year he launched his six-race winning streak and pushed the championship chase to the final event. This year 🐈Reed comes into St. Louis with a 29-point lead over Windham and is heavily favored to win his first AMA Supercross title.

Windham is the only other rider to win besides Reed this year. He's a former winner at St. Louis and knows he needs to start winnജing if he's to have any chance of catching Reed in ꦬthe title chase. Windham's Factory Connection Honda team-mate Mike LaRocco is celebrating his 200th AMA Supercross race and even at 33 he's considered one of the favorites at St. Louis. LaRocco is locked in a great battle for third in the championship with Yamaha's David Vuillemin.

James Stewart is over halfway home to a perfect season in the AMA 125 East S🐼upercross Series. The 18-year-old Floridian will race at St. Louis for the f๊irst time and is looking to take his fifth straight win in the seven race East series.

Stewart has been so dominant this year that should he🥂 win and Eric Sorby finishes fifth or worse in St. Louis, Stewart will clinch the championship. It would mark📖 the earliest that any rider has clinched the title in 125 Supercross competition.

One of the big topics in the 125 class coming out of Daytona was the excellent second-place performance turned in by Suzuki's young ace Davi Millsaps. In only his third professional race Millsaps finished second. Wh🌄ile its unlikely that anyone will run with Stewart in the 125 class this year Mills♛aps is making a strong case as a 125 rider to watch in the future.