Despite several hundred more fans filing in to help fill the seats of the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena, night number two of the 2009 US Open of Supercross looked very much like the first. James looked to be in mid-season form, as he all but rode the wheels off his groundbreaking new YZ450 en route to his third career US Open title, and the cool 100K purse that comes along with it!

The evening kicked off like it did on Friday, with one-on-one match races tipping off the action. The top-ten from the day’s timed practice sessions lined up near the starting gate shortly after the conclusion of the opening ceremonies, with James drawing first blood from the hat full of names. Nick Wey was his worthy opponent, and the two quickly mounted their steeds and made their way into the staring gate to do battle. When it dropped, James cracked the throttle on his mighty new Yamaha, and proceeded on to the holeshot and a cushy win over Wey.

Heat race number three was once again the draw for James to sink his teeth into the night show, and just as he did in both races last night, he chose the third gate from the inside to get things crackin’! When the gate slammed, the mighty number one rocketed out to an impressive holeshot, and threw down eight near-flawless laps to take the heat race win ahead of Robby Kiniry and Davi Millsaps.

After nearly two hours of Semis, LCQs, and a solid FMX show, James and crew headed back to the line for the night two main event. As the number one qualifier, James once again had first pick of the gate, and he once again opted for what had become his lucky gate. With the MGM crowd on their feet, the gates dropped, but this time JS7’s favorite spot didn’t hook up quite as well, as Ryan Villopoto jumped out to the early lead. Buried toward the tail end of the top-ten, James snuck inside the pack as they exited turn number two, cutting off five to six guys to take over the third spot behind Villopoto and Dan Reardon. Crossing the line to start lap five, James threw a smooth pass on Reardon, and then set sail after Villopoto who had opened up a comfortable lead up front. Reeling off the fastest lap times of the night, James quickly crept up on RV’s rear wheel by lap nine, and on lap number 11 made a pass for the lead. Villopoto retaliated quickly with a stiff bump, but James blew back by to secure the lead for good, eventually winning by a comfortable margin.

After the race, James expressed his excitement for the entire team. “This is a really fun win for us. It’s been a while since we’ve raced, plus we have the new bike out here for the first time, so we’re really pumped. You know, the money is one thing, but our team works very hard, so this is rewarding for them, too!”

When asked about the main event battle, here’s what he had to say. “It’s always fun here. The US Open seems to offer up more bar banging than any other race, and it’s always a good time. That was the first time that Ryan and I have raced since the Vegas Supercross in May, so it’s cool to get back out here to rub some elbows. The new bike is awesome, too! I felt like I was underneath everybody in all the corners, and it all just came together for me tonight. Ryan was riding really well, but I just stayed patient and snuck by for the win.”

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The 2009 version of the infamous US Open of Supercross in Sin City, Nevada kicked off in style on Friday night in the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena, and JS7 (sporting bold number ones) came out swinging aboard his brand-new 2010 YZ450! Setting the pace from the start, James dropped lap times unmatched by his competition, as he confidently secured the number one qualifying position for the night show’s first stop—one-on-one match races!

That’s right, the top-ten qualifiers from today’s timed practice sessions moved straight into a special match-race segment of the program prior to the night’s heat races, with winners being awarded points toward their weekend total. The one-on-one heats were decided by a simple draw of the hat, and Wil Hahn was the lucky rider to pull James’ name into competition. “I just hope I don’t pull Stewart’s name,” Hahn commented just before pulling Stewart’s name. “I don’t want to be embarrassed this early in the weekend,” Wil said laughing. And just like that, the gate dropped, and James charged out to a quick lead and his first win of the night.

Fast-forward through two quick heat races, and James wheeled his shiny new Yami out of the MGM tunnel to grab the first pick of the gate for heat number three. Third from the left (inside) was his choice, and once again he rocketed out to a great jump, but this time had the number 100 of Josh Hansen to contend with. The two exchanged elbows for two corners before James grabbed a gear and checked out, cruising in for a seemingly easy win.

A few semis and a couple LCQs later, the main event qualifiers once again took center stage, with James once again choosing the third gate from the left to begin battle. After a swift kick of the foot by the starter, the gate dropped, and James charged his way to another holeshot. From there, the number one Yamaha would go unchallenged, as James pounded 20 quick laps to call it a night, cruising in ahead of Honda Red Bull Racing’s Davi Millsaps, and Geico Motorsports Honda’s Dan Reardon. “It was a good night,” James commented on the podium. “We’re still working some things out with the new bike, so it’s great to get it out here in a racing situation to see where we’re at. I’d like to thank all of the fans for coming out here tonight to support the event. Without you guys this event wouldn’t be possible, so thanks for showing up!”

Stay tuned tomorrow night as James goes for the overall win at the 2009 US Open!

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