Kid's stuff!
By TMX Archives on 8th Feb 05
SOMEONE ONCE said that if you want to make God laugh you only need to make a plan. And whether you believe in God or not you have to admit he seems to have a pretty good sense of humour as he saw fit to reach down and slap James Stewart clean off his KX250 during Friday practice for the Phoenix SX (either literally or metaphorically, of course). The resulting broken arm knocked Bubba out of the title race only one round into the 2005 THQ AMA supercross series or, as it officially came to be known around the globe, The Perfect Storm. This was, of course, meant to be the greatest season our sport has ever seen. A 250 class containing names like Carmichael, Reed, Windham, LaRocco, Pastrana, Stewart and even McGrath...the mind reeled at the possibilities for on-track moments of unbridled competition and creative athletic genius. So many titles (and perhaps more important, so much potential) concentrated in one series that our enthusiasm got the best of us. The hype machine also got the best of us. When that #259 Kawasaki took a tumble with poor James under it, well, we just couldn't bear to watch. It was the death of a dream season and the look on Stewart's face said it all as he emerged from the Asterisk Mobile Medical Unit. A quick look at the motocross barometer - otherwise known as the internet message boards - showed fans in a state of shock, panic and massive, massive disappointment. Before the second round could even officially begin, people were ready to abandon hope for the entire season. And it would get worse. Travis Pastrana, still in pain due to a dislocated wrist he suffered at the Weston-Super-Mare beach race, announced that he would withdraw from the series until he was fully healed. And the reality of Jeremy McGrath's part-time return to the sport was truly felt in San Francisco - the first race for which he wasn't on the roster. But those two paled in comparison to Stewart's early exit. We knew from the beginning that MC was only racing selected rounds and we're accustomed to Pastrana being injured in much the same way that we're accustomed to seeing the sun rise each morning. With Stewart, however, it was different. In a way, many people seem to think that his entire career is already somehow damaged. While this is certainly, well, nuts, it is at least partially understandable. After all, Stewart did make "My whole life as about January 8" his mantra leading up to the series opener and each interview he gave threw more fuel on the '05 SX fire. Everyone involved kept feeding the hype machine and as January 8 loomed on the horizon the buzz was spreading like a California wildfire. But nothing puts out a fire like a flood, which is pretty much what we got on January 8. Anaheim suffered two straight weeks of heavy rains and the first round mud bath meant that the real start to the action would have to wait a week (although don't tell that to round one winner Kevin Windham). Stewart's injury, however, did as much to douse the flames as any rain possibly could. It was unfortunate but it isn't quite as catastrophic as many seem to think. History has shown that it is almost impossible to win a 250 SX title in your first year in the premier class. And while many expected Stewart to give it a good run, once again, history has proven itself right. This sort of thing happens all the time...but is there a chance that it could be a good thing? James Stewart has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of our sport in a very short time. At 19 years old he has a car collection that would put most others to shame, including a Porsche, a Ferrari 360 Spider, a Lamborghini and a Cadillac Escalade. He's got one of the most tricked-out rigs in the pits and his face adorns giant, backlit Oakley ads in Sunglass Huts in shopping malls across the nation. Did I mention that his buddy Tom Cruise is producing a feature film about Stewart's life? Now I'm certainly not going to accuse James of getting caught up in the trappings of early fame but...well, he seems to be caught up in the trappings of early fame. I can't blame him - if I had his money at 19 I'd probably have bought a corner lot in Amsterdam and built some sort of psychedelic mansion with robotic servants. The point is it's easy to take your eye off the ball - if only for a second. My guess is that right now James is discovering the relative hollowness of earthly possessions. How do you think he feels, seeing millions of dollars worth of automobiles while his arm is encased in heavy plaster? My guess - practically inconsolable. Stewart is a born competitor and this time on the sidelines could well serve to remind him of just that. At the end of the day this could be the turning point in his career - the point where he realises, deep down, that he must race and he must win. And as that cast becomes more and more claustrophobic that inner fire will only burn brighter. It's time to put away childish things, James, however grown-up they may appear right now. Fancy car collections are for grown men who feel the need to act like children. You're a kid who needs to race like a man. Words by Jeff Kocan, courtesy RacerX