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James Stewart Jr.

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For other people named James Stewart, see James Stewart (disambiguation).
James Stewart Jr.
Stewart in 2004
Personal information
NicknameBubba
Born (1985-12-21) December 21, 1985 (age 39)
Bartow, Florida, U.S.
Sport
SportMotocross, Supercross
RetiredMay 17, 2019
Achievements and titles
World finals
  • 2006 FIM World Supercross Grand Prix Champion
  • 2007 FIM World Supercross Grand Prix Champion
  • 2006 Motocross of Nations Champion
  • 2008 Motocross of Nations Champion
  • 2009 FIM World Supercross Champion
Regional finals
  • 2003 AMA 125 West Supercross Champion
  • 2004 AMA 125 East Supercross Champion
National finals
  • 2002 AMA 125 Motocross National Champion
  • 2004 AMA 125 Motocross National Champion
  • 2007 AMA Supercross Champion
  • 2008 AMA Motocross National Champion
  • 2009 AMA Supercross Champion

James Stewart Jr. (born December 21, 1985)[citation needed] is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer, widely regarded as one of the most talented and dynamic riders in the history of the sport. Known for his raw speed and innovative riding techniques, Stewart earned two AMA Supercross 450cc championships, three AMA Motocross 450cc championships, and two 125cc AMA Supercross titles. He also claimed victory in 50 premier class Supercross races, 6th in all-time 250cc supercross west class wins, 3rd in all-time supercross 450cc class wins, and 1st in all-time 125cc wins[1], placing him among the most successful riders of all time.[2]

Nicknamed "Bubba," Stewart revolutionized motocross with his aggressive riding style and groundbreaking "scrub" technique, which allowed him to clear jumps faster and with more precision than his competitors.[3] This innovation not only changed how the sport was raced but also became a signature move emulated by racers worldwide. His contributions to the sport earned him the moniker "The Fastest Man on the Planet."[4]

Stewart's influence extended beyond the track, becoming the first African American rider to dominate motocross and supercross at the highest levels. His success and charisma helped expand the sport’s appeal to a broader audience.[5] He also starred in his own reality television series, Bubba’s World, which showcased his life and career, along with several video games such as James Stewart’s Motocross.

Since discontinuing racing in 2016 and formally retiring from professional racing in 2019, Stewart remained relatively quiet in the industry, until returning to the sport as an on-camera commentator for the AMA Motocross and Supercross championships in 2022.[6][7]

Career

[edit]

James Stewart Jr. was born on December 21, 1985, in Bartow, Florida,[8] and began racing motocross under the guidance of his father at the age of four. During his amateur career, Stewart achieved significant success, securing 84 race victories and 11 Loretta Lynn's Amateur National Championship titles between 1990 and 2001.[9]

Stewart turned professional in 2002,[10] joining Kawasaki and competing in the 125cc class of the AMA Western Regional Supercross Championship. Stewart earned his first professional victory at round 2 of the series and would stay competitive through the entire series, coming short of the title by only 7 points.[9] In the 2002 AMA Motocross season, he demonstrated a commanding performance in the 125cc class, winning his debut race of the series at Glen Helen Raceway and securing the title after winning 10 of the series' 12 rounds. In 2004, he transitioned to the AMA 125cc West Supercross series, securing another championship and further cementing his dominance in the class. Following this, he introduced the "scrub" technique, an innovation that minimized airtime over jumps and became a foundational skill for riders at the elite level.

In 2005, Stewart moved to the premier 450cc class with Kawasaki. The transitional year brought Stewart his first Supercross premier class win in Texas in round 12, but also inconsistency due to crashes and injuries. Despite these challenges, he would finish the series 10th in point standings.

Stewart in 2007

The 2006 and 2007 seasons saw Stewart achieve significant milestones. He won several rounds in the AMA Supercross series, finishing second overall behind Ricky Carmichael. Later that year, he represented Team USA at the Motocross des Nations in Matterley Basin, England, alongside Ryan Villopoto and Ivan Tedesco. The team secured victory, with Stewart contributing strong performances in his motos. Stewart claimed his first AMA Supercross Championship in 2007, winning 13 of 16 races during the season. This achievement made him the first African American to win a major motocross or supercross title. However, injuries forced him to miss the outdoor motocross season.

In 2008, after missing the entirety of the supercross season due to a torn ACL, Stewart achieved one of the rarest accomplishments in motocross history: a perfect season in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. After recruiting Aldon Baker[11] to help him heal from the injury, he would go on to win all 24 motos in the 450cc class, joining Ricky Carmichael as the only riders to complete such a feat.[12] He also represented Team USA again at the Motocross des Nations, held at Donington Park in England, contributing to another team victory.

The 2009 season saw Stewart claim his second AMA Supercross Championship. Over the course of the season, he engaged in intense battles with close rival Chad Reed, ultimately landing four points ahead of Reed and winning 11 of 17 rounds to secure the title. This season in particular is remembered for the intensely competitive rivalry between Stewart and Reed.[13]

James Stewart in 2013

From 2010 onward, Stewart's career was marked by intermittent success. He delivered strong performances, including race wins, but struggled with the new Yahama bike he had been assigned to ride in 2012,[14][15][16] eventually leading to his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing after only one year.[17][18] One day after announcing his split from JGRMX and Yamaha, Stewart signed to ride with Yoshimura Suzuki aboard their RMZ-450.[19] In 2013, he won multiple rounds in both supercross and motocross, though injuries continued to impact his results. In 2015, Stewart was suspended for 16 months for failing an anti-doping test after failing to submit the proper paperwork for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for medically-prescribed Adderall.[20] As a result, he missed the entire 2015 season. Upon his return, Stewart competed sporadically but was unable to recapture his previous dominance due to ongoing injuries and the increasingly competitive field. His final race would be on July 23, 2016 in Washougal, Washington, finishing 15th overall.[21]

On May 17, 2019, Stewart announced his retirement in a video posted to YouTube.[22] "Where I'm at in my life, I think it's time to say I'm retiring. I've retired," he said in part. "It's hard for sure, because I love racing and I love the fans, I love the opening ceremonies, I love the autograph lines, but I don't miss the sweat and tears and training and having to feel like you have to win every race and having to be James Stewart. I don't love doing that anymore."[23]

Other racing pursuits

[edit]

Stewart made his X Games debut on July 30, 2009 at X Games XV, and placed second in the best whip competition with 21% of the votes, winning his first X Games medal.[24] He suffered a deep bruise to his bone and muscle in his left shoulder during seeding trials for SuperMoto on July 31, forcing him to drop out of the games.[25]

In October 2011, Stewart signed to race for Joe Gibbs Racing, with a multiyear contract to run for JGRMX in motocross as well as plans to run NASCAR stock car races in the K&N Pro Series East and Nationwide Series.[26] At the end of the 2012 supercross season, Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing and JGRMX. Stewart said that he would be open to racing with Gibbs in the future but stated that he wanted to get back to being competitive in motorcycle racing, and that a change was necessary.[27]

Other business ventures

[edit]

On March 28, 2010, Stewart's reality show Bubba's World debuted and ran 10 episodes. The second season started in December, offered 13 episodes and concluded Feb. 24. There has been no announcement about a third season.[28] In 2022, the Bubba's World title transitioned from documenting the day to day life of Stewart into a podcast format discussing current events within motocross and supercross racing.[29]

Career results

[edit]

AMA Motocross and Supercross

[edit]
Year Rnd
1 		Rnd
2 		Rnd
3 		Rnd
4 		Rnd
5 		Rnd
6 		Rnd
7 		Rnd
8 		Rnd
9 		Rnd
10 		Rnd
11 		Rnd
12 		Rnd
13 		Rnd
14 		Rnd
15 		Rnd
16 		Rnd
17 		Average
Finish 		Podium
Percent 		Place
2002 SX-W 2 1 2 1 11 - - - - - 10 - - 16 1 1 - 5.00 67% 2nd
2002 125 MX 1 1 12 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - 2.33 83% 1st
2003 SX-W 2 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - - - 1 1 21 - 3.33 89% 1st
2003 125 MX OUT OUT OUT OUT 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - - 1.00 100% 3rd
2004 SX-E - - - - - - 1 1 1 1 1 OUT 1 - - 1 - 1.00 100% 1st
2004 125 MX 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - 1.50 92% 1st
2005 250 SX 5 OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT 3 1 4 1 1 OUT - 2.50 67% 10th
2005 250 MX 12 2 38 3 3 37 OUT OUT OUT 11 OUT OUT - - - - - 15.10 43% 10th
2006 450 SX 1 3 3 1 8 1 17 3 2 6 1 1 1 2 1 1 - 3.25 81% 2nd
2006 450 MX 1 39 4 OUT 2 40 3 1 4 2 2 1 - - - - - 9.00 64% 4th
2007 450 SX 1 1 1 2 1 1 5 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1.38 94% 1st
2007 450 MX 2 2 2 2 2 OUT 1 8 OUT OUT OUT OUT - - - - - 2.71 86% 7th
2008 450 SX 2 1 OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT 1.50 100% 23rd
2008 450 MX 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - 1.00 100% 1st
2009 450 SX 19 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 7 1 2 1 1 2 1 3 2.70 88% 1st
2009 450 MX OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT - - - - - OUT OUT OUT
2010 450 SX 1 15 3 OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT 6.33 67% 20th
2010 450 MX OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT 11 OUT OUT OUT - - - - - 11.00 0% 35th
2011 450 SX 3 1 2 1 1 15 3 4 9 2 18 4 4 1 1 10 15 5.52 53% 4th
2011 450 MX OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT - - - - - OUT OUT OUT
2012 450 SX 6 8 3 1 2 15 6 3 5 1 OUT OUT 20 OUT OUT OUT OUT 6.36 45% 7th
2012 450 MX 1 1 40 13 OUT 3 OUT OUT OUT 15 OUT OUT - - - - - 12.16 50% 12th
2013 450 SX 8 7 12 19 4 4 20 1 2 8 3 7 19 18 OUT OUT OUT 9.64 21% 10th
2013 450 MX 3 7 4 19 12 10 2 3 1 11 40 OUT - - - - - 10.18 36% 5th
2014 450 SX 17 4 2 2 7 1 1 11 7 18 1 1 1 5 2 22 22 7.29 47% 4th
2014 450 MX 6 4 2 1 8 13 16 OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT 7.14 28% 9th
2016 450 SX 40 OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT 15 15 OUT OUT OUT - - - - - 23.33 0% 31st
  • 28 wins in 125/250 AMA Motocross 10-2002 7-2003 11-2004
  • 18 wins in 125/250 AMA Supercross
  • 50 wins in 450 AMA Supercross 3-2005 8-2006 13-2007 1-2008 11-2009 1-2010 5-2011 2-2012 1-2013 5-2014
  • 20 wins in 250/450 AMA Motocross 3-2006 1-2007 12-2008 2-2012 1-2013 1-2014
  • 98 total AMA wins 10-2002 7-2003 11-2004 3-2005 11-2006 14-2007 13-2008 11-2009 1-2010 5-2011 4-2012 2-2013 5-2014

Awards

[edit]

Stewart won 2002 AMA Rookie of the Year.[30]

He was also named one of "20 Teens Who Will Change the World" in the April 2003 issue of Teen People magazine.[citation needed]

in 2022, Stewart was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.[31]

Personal life

[edit]

The younger brother to James Stewart Jr. is fellow motocross racer Malcolm Stewart.

On March 28th, 2011, Stewart was arrested for impersonating a police officer, after attempting to stop another vehicle containing two off-duty highway-patrol troopers using red and blue police-style flashing lights.[32] Stewart pled "no contest" and was sentenced to 75 hours of community service.[33]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Updated 125/250 Class Pro Motocross Wins List". Racer X. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  2. ^ "James Stewart Information and Statistics". Racer X. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  3. ^ Coombs, Davey (2023-01-31). "Davey Coombs Recalls James Stewart's First Bubba Scrub at 2003 Budds Creek National". Racer X. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  4. ^ Gaffney, Jack (28 February 2021). "The Fastest Man On the Planet – A James Stewart Retrospective". PrimeTimeSportsTalk.com. Archived from the original on 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  5. ^ Higgins, Matt (2009-08-01). "Oversize Talent, Unrivaled Personality". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  6. ^ "James Stewart To Make Broadcast Debut". Cycle News. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  7. ^ "How to Watch Supercross on TV: Full 2025 SMX Broadcast Schedule, Playoff Dates Released". Racer X. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  8. ^ "Common Tread". Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  9. ^ a b Live, Supercross (2022-10-30). "James Stewart inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". Monster Energy AMA Supercross. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  10. ^ Barker, John (2002-10-16). "Haines City Motocross Racer, 16, Has Record-Breaking Season". The Ledger. Retrieved 2025-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "Between the Motos: Aldon Baker". Racer X. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  12. ^ Weigandt, Jason (2022-05-16). "Recapping the Full 2008 AMA Motocross Season". Racer X. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  13. ^ MXA (2020-04-02). "FLASHBACK FRIDAY | STEWART VS. REED 2009 SLUGFEST". Motocross Action Magazine. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  14. ^ Hilderbrand, JC (2010-01-30). "James Stewart Out for San Francisco SX". motorcycle-usa.com. Archived from the original on 2014-09-10. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  15. ^ "Interview: James Stewart".
  16. ^ "Team San Manuel Yamaha's James Stewart Withdraws from the Motocross Outdoor National Series Race Series".
  17. ^ Smith, BJ (2012-05-06). "James Stewart released from contract with JGR". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  18. ^ Smith, BJ (2012-05-14). "James Stewart explains why he left JGRMX". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  19. ^ Waheed, Adam (2012-05-07). "James Stewart Signs with Yoshimura Suzuki". Motorcycle USA. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  20. ^ "Breaking News: James Stewart Suspended for 16 Months".
  21. ^ "Observations: Washougal - Motocross". Racer X. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  22. ^ Seven (2019-05-17). #7 FINAL EPISODE. Retrieved 2025-01-04 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ Stallo, Chase (2019-05-17). "James Stewart Announces Retirement". Racer X. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  24. ^ "Moto X Best Whip Results". 31 July 2009.
  25. ^ "Outposts". The Los Angeles Times. July 31, 2009.
  26. ^ Ryan, Nate (October 24, 2011). "Motocross' James Stewart joins Gibbs team with eye on NASCAR". USA Today. McLean, VA: Gannett Co. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
  27. ^ Leistikow, Chad (May 6, 2012). "Supercross star James Stewart splits with Joe Gibbs Racing". USA Today.
  28. ^ "'Bubba's World': What's its status? – the TV Guy – Orlando Sentinel". Archived from the original on 2011-04-01. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  29. ^ Bubba's World w/ James Stewart (2021-12-10). "JAMES STEWART RETIRED IN 2012!" // EP. 0.1 Bubba's World w/ James Stewart. Retrieved 2025-01-04 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ "James Stewart becomes AMA Rookie of the Year". www.motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  31. ^ Burgess, Joy (2022-07-20). "AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Announced". American Motorcyclist Association. Retrieved 2025-01-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ Higgins, Matt (2011-03-29). "James Stewart issues apology after arrest". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  33. ^ "James Stewart sentenced to community service". ESPN.com. 2011-11-11. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
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