Stewart, James, Jr.

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James Stewart Jr.

1985—

Motorcycle racer

James Stewart Jr. has been called the Tiger Woods of motorcycle racing. But even Woods didn't have a boatload of sponsors and a collection of fancy sports-cars by the time he was 16. Stewart has emerged as the dominant force in motocross (outdoor, dirt-track motorbike racing, usually in a rural setting) and supercross (motocross's indoor cousin, usually found in large stadiums in metropolitan areas). By his early twenties, Stewart had already logged enough victories and series championships to place him among the sport's all-time leaders. Moreover, in the sport pursued by an overwhelming majority of white participants, Stewart has achieved far more than any other African American in history. By the time he is done racing, he may well have achieved more than anyone of any race or ethnicity.

James Stewart Jr. was born on December 21, 1985, in Bartow, Florida. His father was a professional motocross racer in Central Florida, so James Jr. was exposed to motorcycles and racing practically from birth. When he was just days old, James Sr. took him for his first ride, and as a toddler he would climb around on the bike, under the close supervision of his father. James Jr. started riding motorcycles when he was three years old. He was given his first bike on his fourth birthday, and that year he entered his first race. By the time he was seven, Stewart had won his first national amateur championship and picked up his first sponsor. The Stewart clan traveled the country in a motorhome so that young James could compete on the national circuit. James and his younger brother Malcolm were homeschooled by their mother, Sonya, in order to accommodate the family's itinerant lifestyle.

As Stewart rose through the amateur ranks, he picked up the nickname Bubba, which may have been a variant of his family's preferred pet name for him: Boogie. In 1993, Stewart's racing idol, Tony Haynes—one of the few African-American standouts in a sport dominated by Caucasians—broke his neck in a crash and was paralyzed from the waist down, ending his motocross career. Stewart asked Haynes if he could have his racing number, 259. Haynes agreed, and Stewart vowed to take the number to the top of the profession.

In his early teens, Stewart rose to unprecedented heights in motocross/supercross for someone so young. He developed a successful style that featured not only high speed, but an ability to capture "big air" on his jumps. In 1997 the Stewarts bought 40 acres of land in Haines City, Florida, so they could build their own motocross track to practice on. They also built a home on the site.

Stewart continued to bring home trophies in prodigious numbers. He won an unprecedented 11 national amateur championships in all, assembling what has been called the most impressive amateur career in the history of American motocross racing. In January of 2002, having just turned 16, Stewart turned professional—though the distinction between amateur and professional becomes rather murky when one considers the number of sponsorship and endorsement deals he had already racked up by that time. In his first pro race at Edison International Field in Anaheim, California, he placed a respectable third. Competing in the 125cc class, he went on to win nine national titles in his rookie season, good for the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Lites National Motocross Championship, making him the youngest rider ever to claim the title. He was also named AMA Rookie of the Year.

Coming off of his spectacular rookie season, Stewart was named one of "20 Teens Who Will Change the World" in the April 2003 issue of Teen People. That year, he claimed the AMA Supercross Lites West Championship by winning seven out of the eight rounds that make up the series. He was slowed down, however, by a big crash at a race in Las Vegas, in which he broke his collarbone. The injury forced him to miss several important races. Once recovered, however, Stewart quickly returned to his dominant form. He won every remaining race of the AMA Lites National Championship Series, good enough for a third-place overall finish in the series, despite missing four of the 11 races. Stewart's domination of the 125cc class was partly the result of his innovative riding style. His most unique move was what he called "the Bubba Scrub," which involves taking jumps at a lower-than-normal trajectory and turning the bike so that it is nearly parallel to the ground. The move both saves time and looks good to spectators. In addition, Stewart is aggressive on turns, taking a sharper angle than many other racers are willing to attempt.

2004 brought Stewart's career to even greater heights. So thorough was his mastery of the 125cc division that some writers took to calling him the Tiger Woods of motorbike racing, a nod to both his superlative skill and his success in a sport with few minorities among its elite participants. Stewart entered 12 races in 2004, and won 11 of them, earning him another AMA Lites National Motocross Championship. At 18 years old, Stewart finished the 2004 season with four AMA series titles and a record 47 AMA Lites race victories.

Following his amazing 2004 season, Stewart "graduated" to the bigger, faster 250cc class in 2005. Unfortunately, his first season in that division was marred by a series of injuries. He broke his arm practicing for the second round of the championship series, forcing him to miss nine races. In his return race, he placed third, and then went on to win two of the next three rounds. However, a broken thumb and a bacterial infection in his digestive tract later in the season further hampered his performance.

At a Glance …

Born on December 21, 1985, in Bartow, FL.

Career:

Amateur motorbike racer, 1990-2001; professional motorbike racer, 2002—.

Awards:

AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Lites National Motocross Championship, 2002, 2004; AMA Rookie of the Year, 2002; "20 Teens Who Will Change the World," Teen People, 2003.

Addresses:

Team Office—c/o Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA, 9950 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA, 92618.

Entering the 2006 season, Stewart was determined to establish a "new beginning." He shed the number 259 he had worn throughout his career to honor Tony Haynes, and donned the number 7. He also decided to dump his longtime nickname "Bubba," though not all of his fans got the message right away. Stewart's new beginning has been an auspicious one. He enjoyed a solid season in 2006, winning a number of big races and finishing second only to superstar Ricky Carmichael in the overall AMA standings. As the 2006-07 season began, a passing of the torch appeared to be taking place. Carmichael, who had dominated the 250cc division for several years, announced that he was leaving the circuit after the season. Stewart, through his performance—which included five consecutive victories as of mid-February 2007—announced that he was more than ready to bear that torch for years to come.