James Stewart took victory in Atlanta – his first of the season. Image: Simon Cudby.

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s James Stewart has confessed it was a strange feeling leading the main event in Atlanta’s eighth round of Monster Energy Supercross, going on to take his first win of 2013.

Stewart trounced the competition in qualifying, in his heat race and the 450 class main event and became one of just three racers who have gone nine straight seasons with a win in Atlanta.

His day in Atlanta started strong, posting the fastest qualifying times during the day’s practice and then he grabbed the holeshot in his eight-lap heat race and led all laps to take the win.

Similarly, in the final, Stewart took the holeshot and rode flawlessly to lead all 20 laps to the chequered flag to notch-up his 45th career premier class win.

“What can I say, we won,” Stewart said. “This whole season has been kind of crazy, but it was basically a perfect day. I was fastest in qualifying, I holeshot the heat race, I holeshot the main event and I led every lap I was on.

“I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous because I haven’t been out there in a while, but I felt good and I was just trying to stay in my head and focus. I have to give it up to the Yoshimura Suzuki team, they’ve been working so hard and they’ve stood by me in this up-and-down year.

“Now I’m looking forward to building on this momentum and heading to St. Louis.”

Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s next event is the ninth round of the 2013 AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship on Saturday, 2 March, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.