James Stewart

With Supercross championships under his belt James Stewart's is considered the fastest active rider is SX and MX.

James Stewart is an enigma, a freak on two wheels. The things he can do, the lines he chooses and the speed he can carry are seemingly unreal at times. It might be boring from a racing standpoint to see him destroy a field of the world’s best motocross racers and cruise around the track. But even then he’s a pure joy to watch.

Stewart broke down racial barriers by becoming the first black superstar in the sport. Often referred to as the Tiger Woods of motocross, Stewart’s speed, style and personality were just what the sport needed, and he has become one of the new spokesmen for MX/SX. There’s no arguing that he has earned the right, seeing how he was the only man to consistently challenge Ricky Carmichael during his heyday. But before he was tasked with facing the GOAT, Stewart threw down in the toddler class on his Factory Kawasaki KX125. Many will still claim that JS was more fun to watch on the small-bore two-strokes. Eventually, Bubba made the jump into the premier division with mixed results.

As with almost every rider, making the switch to the big bikes was rough. Stewart saw plenty of time in the dirt and he soon became known for his gnarly get-offs. He soon got the hang of riding the big bikes, however, and when Kawasaki finally released its KX450F, Stewart finally had a real shot at winning titles. Once RC retired, Stewart had a clear path to the checkered flag. After missing the 2008 SX season with injury, Stew rebounded at the outdoors to pull off his own 24-for-24 win streak, something only Carmichael was able to achieve before. With an open spot on the Yamaha L&M Racing team, Stewart left Kawasaki for a fresh start after riding green his entire professional career.  

After taking the 2009 SX title, Stewart started the 2010 season of Supercross on the right foot by taking a win at Anaheim. But the star shortly afterward broke his wrist and was forced to sit out the rest of the season. Stewart re-signed with San Manuel Yamaha for 2011, entering a fierce battle with Ryan Villopoto for the Supercross crown. He won five rounds in the early half of the season, but ended the series on a losing streak. Stewart’s image also suffered after a run-in with law enforcement while trying to impersonate a police officer. He finished fourth overall in the ’11 SX Championship, and didn’t race in the outdoor nationals. 

James Stewart signed with the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGRMX) team for 2012, competing aboard the Muscle Milk/Toyota/JGRMX Yamaha YZ450F. He opened the season posting lackluster results in Anaheim and Phoenix, but then earned three podiums in a row, one of which was a win in Oakland. He then fluctuated between extremes; taking 15th in San Diego, grabbing third in Atlanta and even another win at Daytona Beach. In the following round at Indianapolis JS7 failed to make it out of qualifying after crashing in Heat 1 and his ability to contend for the 2012 title was effectively shot. He failed to race in the following round due to his injuries and returned to compete in Houston, where he went down once again after six laps and called it quits.

The then Yamaha rider sat out for the remainder of the season and rumors began to swirl about whether he would remain on the JGRMX team. By May of 2012, the rumors had been confirmed when Stewart announced his split with Joe Gibbs and his new contract with Yoshimura Suzuki. Bubba will race in the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship on his new Suzuki RM-Z450.

Even with his absence from six of the 17 rounds, Stewart managed to finish seventh overall in SX points in 2012. 

Stewart hit the ground running in the first round of the 2012 Motocross season at Hangtown, winning both motos aboard his new mount. He replicated the feat in the following round at Freestone and appeared to be riding at a pace no one else in the field could match. During the third round, however, Stewart crashed and injured his wrist marking the end of his short-lived stint at the top of the points list. He attempted returns in a few rounds later in the season, but couldn’t reach the speed he achieved during the opening motos of the year. After missing half the season, he finished in 11th overall.

Bubba will continue on the RM-Z450 in 2013 SX and MX.