Monster Energy Kawasaki's James Stewart reach♛ed the halfway point in his quest for a perfect se💛ason in the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF.

The series' point leader improved to 6-0 in overall victories for the season, while also extending his moto winningܫ-streak to a perfect 12 races at the 35th Annual Monster Energy/Kawasaki Motocross National Presented by Scott USA from Red Bud.

Rockstar/Makita Suzuki's Mike 🔴Alessi grabbed the opening Holeshot Award, his seventh in a row, and led the opening lap before getting passed by Stewart, who gradually extended his lead throughout 🐼the moto.

Alessi held on for second with Red Bull Honda's Andrew Sh꧙ort ꦕin third.

But Alessi, who has provided Stewart's nearest opposition so far this season, was hurt during a nasty accident𒐪 on the opening lap of moto two - when he fell hard and was then landed upon by several following riders - prompting the race to be stopped.

When the gates dropped for the restart, Stewart took the holeshot and never looked back, while Monster Energy Ka♈wa💫saki team-mate Tim Ferry finished second.

Short wrapped up second overall with a third-place run. Alessi's team-mate Michael Byrne posted a season-best third overall after a pair of fourtꦜh place moto resul𒊎ts.

"My starts have been pretty good," said Stewart. "I got the holeshot today. It was hot and I think that separated [the competition] a little bit.🌠 I knew I neede𝔉d to get a good start because Mike [Alessi] was definitely going to. [A perfect season] hasn't crossed my mind. It's not my goal. My goal is to win a championship. I just want to give myself the best opportunity to win. As long as I continue to get good starts and good gate picks I think that will help. Every year this track offers something different. There are a lot of good lines out there and when it gets rough I think it's actually safer."

Stewart currently holds a 79-point lead over Alessi in the AMA Motocross standings, but Mike is expected to miss at least🍷 the next few rounds due to shoulder fracture💫s.

Stewart's fellow Kawasaki rider ♌Ryan Villopoto grabbed first place in both of the AMA Motocross🀅 Lites motos to take his fifth overall victory and extend his title lead.

In the openi🥂ng moto, MDK/KTM's Ryan Sipes grabbed his second BTOSports.com Holeshot Award of the season and converted the good start into a career-best third place f🌸inish.

Villopoto came out of the first corner in the top five and quickly made passes to 🐠obtain the lead and remained unchallenged. Geico Powersports Honda's Trey Canard capitalised on a season-best start to finish second.

In the🧸 final moto, Villopoto notched his fifth Holeshot Award of the season to 💝lead flag-to-flag en route to the overall win. Canard followed with back-to-back seconds while Martin Davalos put together moto results of sixth and third to land on his first-career overall podium.

"I've won some of the Triple Crown's before," stated Villopoto, who has won the opening two rounds of the three-race Monster Energy/Kawasaki Triple Crown of Motocross. "I've never won three in a row so it'd be nice toও go to Steel City and wrap it up there. Once I saw how close Trey [Canard] was, I just put my head down and put in some quick laps. Three or four laps later I was about 19 seconds ahead💞. I figured he fell.

"Line selection is important. Some of the ruts are tricky. I probably ride the outside more than other people and it works for me. There is🐠 no chance I will ride a 450cc. I don't think I'd want to jump up and not have any idea of how well I could do. I'♊m sure I'd be a little off the pace and unable to ride two motos."

Villopoto now has a 95-point﷽ advantage over Rockstar/M🤡akita Suzuki's Ryan Dungey.