Motocross
James Stewart's magical moments
A look at James Stewart’s career highs.
Injuries kept James Stewart from making his usual waves in 2016, but instead of focusing on that, let’s take a look at a few of the more remarkable achievements from Stewart’s downright amazing career.
The Rookie Champion
James won two 125 AMA SX championships
© Jeff Kardas/Getty Images
When Stewart burst onto the professional scene in 2002 it came as no surprise when he started winning races right away. After all, the industry had been bracing for the highly-touted rookie’s arrival for several years as he mercilessly blasted his way through the amateurs. But when he won the 125 AMA Motocross Championship in his rookie year, it was still mind blowing. Even the world’s best racers often take a season or two to figure out how to get things done at the pro level! Unfortunately for the competition it was a sign of things to come—Stewart would go on to win another 125 motocross championship, as well as two 125 AMA Supercross championships before jumping to the premier class in 2005.
The Supercross Champion
Stewart is the second best driver of all-time SX
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
There are several high profile racing series that take place around the globe, but when it comes to the minds of the manufacturers, AMA Supercross is the most important. It’s more accessible to the mainstream, more people see it, and its single-race format is easier to understand for non-enthusiasts. Not surprisingly, more effort and money goes into winning the 450SX title than any other dirt bike championship on Earth, and Stewart has won it twice (2007 and 2009). Most of those wins weren’t close either—Stewart is so good most of his victories have come by huge margins, and he’s even second on the all-time supercross win list with 50, trailing only Jeremy McGrath (72 wins), the undisputed King of Supercross.
The Perfect Champion
He won all twenty-four motos of the summer in 2008
© Red Bull Content Pool
Stewart is considered a supercross specialist, and while his sharp, mind-blowingly fast style goes with supercross like marinara on meatballs, his best season of racing actually took place in AMA Motocross in 2008. Stewart was absolutely incredible that year, and if want to get technical, he was perfect. Seriously. He won all twenty-four motos of the summer to score a ridiculous 600 of 600 available points. The only other person to have recorded that feat is Ricky Carmichael, and his nickname is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). You know when you’re in the company of champions who bear monikers like that, you’re one of the greatest who ever lived!
The Game Changing Champion
The Bubba Scrub
© Red Bull Content Pool
If you’re a fan of dirt bike racing you’ve surely heard of The Bubba Scrub, but in case you haven’t, it’s a move riders use to stay low and fast off jumps by literally sliding their bikes sideways off jump faces and flying flat through the air. Its inventor? James “Bubba” Stewart, of course! It was a move he’d perfected on his own during practice, but when he finally busted it out in competition at Budds Creek years ago, everyone was left wondering what on Earth they’d seen. Since then it’s become a staple in every serious racer’s handbook, from kids on 80s to the sport’s highest levels.