Perhaps the only people busier than the rider in the Stewart camp in Dallas were his legal team but the troubled former champion did his best to face an obviously difficult event and tackle an edgy section of whoops. He lucked out half way through the race and knocked into Reed – something of an unwilling shot of revenge for Reed’s misdemeanour in Atlanta several weeks ago – and ended the battle for second place. Stewart took fourth and Reed eighth.

Toronto winner Ryan Dungey tangled with a backmarker to drop out of second and finish third to Villopoto (riding with a loose seat) while Trey Canard dared to look what was going on behind him.

The upshot of this latest episode is that with only St Louis, Seattle, Salt Lake and Las Vegas to run Villopoto carries just a 6 point advantage over Reed and 7 from Dungey.

Justin Barcia is on-course for his first SX Lites crown after second place to Dean Wilson means a 13 point gap with just one round to go.