James Stewart Jr. facts for kids
Stewart in 2004
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Bubba |
| Born | December 21, 1985 Bartow, Florida, U.S. |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Motocross, Supercross |
| Retired | May 17, 2019 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| World finals |
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| Regional finals |
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| National finals |
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James Stewart Jr. (born December 21, 1985) is an American former professional motocross and Supercross racer. Many people think he is one of the most talented riders ever. He was known for his amazing speed and new riding tricks.
Stewart won two major AMA Supercross titles and three AMA Motocross titles. He also won many 125cc races. He is among the most successful riders of all time.
His nickname was "Bubba." He changed motocross with his exciting riding style. He invented a trick called the "scrub." This trick helped him clear jumps faster and more smoothly. The "scrub" became a famous move that other racers copied. Because of his speed, people called him "The Fastest Man on the Planet."
Stewart was also important off the track. He was the first African American rider to win big in motocross and supercross. His success helped more people get interested in the sport. He even had his own TV show, Bubba’s World, and was in video games like James Stewart’s Motocross.
He stopped racing in 2016 and officially retired in 2019. Now, he works as a commentator for motocross and supercross races.
Contents
Becoming a Motocross Star
James Stewart Jr. was born in Bartow, Florida, on December 21, 1985. He started racing motocross when he was just four years old. His father helped him learn and train. As a young rider, Stewart won a lot of races. He had 84 victories and 11 Loretta Lynn's Amateur National Championship titles between 1990 and 2001.
Stewart became a professional racer in 2002. He joined the Kawasaki team. He competed in the 125cc class. He won his first pro race very early in the season. In 2002, he won the AMA Motocross 125cc title. He won 10 out of 12 races that year. In 2004, he won another championship in the AMA 125cc West Supercross series. This showed how good he was in that class. Around this time, he introduced his famous "scrub" technique. This trick helped riders stay lower over jumps, saving time.
In 2005, Stewart moved up to the top 450cc class with Kawasaki. This first year was tough. He won his first 450cc Supercross race but also had crashes and injuries. He finished 10th overall that season.
Winning Championships
The years 2006 and 2007 were very successful for Stewart. He won many races in the AMA Supercross series. In 2006, he finished second overall. Later that year, he raced for Team USA at the Motocross of Nations in England. His team won, and Stewart rode very well.
In 2007, Stewart won his first AMA Supercross Championship. He won 13 out of 16 races that season! This made him the first African American to win a major motocross or supercross title. However, injuries kept him from racing the outdoor motocross season that year.
In 2008, Stewart missed the entire supercross season because of a knee injury. But he came back strong for the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. He achieved something very rare: a perfect season! He won all 24 races in the 450cc class. Only one other rider, Ricky Carmichael, had done this before. He also helped Team USA win the Motocross des Nations again.
The 2009 season brought Stewart his second AMA Supercross Championship. He had exciting battles with his rival, Chad Reed. Stewart won 11 out of 17 races and finished just four points ahead of Reed. This season is remembered for their intense competition.
From 2010 on, Stewart still had good moments and won races. But he faced challenges, including injuries and problems with new bikes. In 2012, he left his team, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Yamaha. He then signed with Yoshimura Suzuki. In 2013, he won several races in both supercross and motocross.
In 2015, Stewart received a temporary suspension. This was due to a rule violation regarding medication he was taking. He missed the whole 2015 season because of this. When he returned, he raced sometimes but struggled with injuries. The competition also became much tougher. His last race was on July 23, 2016.
On May 17, 2019, Stewart announced his retirement in a video. He said it was hard because he loved racing and the fans. But he no longer wanted the pressure of always having to win.
Other Racing and Ventures
Stewart tried other types of racing too. He competed in the X Games in 2009. He won a silver medal in the "best whip" competition. He also had plans to race NASCAR stock cars for a short time.
On March 28, 2010, his reality TV show Bubba's World started. It showed his life and career. The show ran for two seasons. In 2022, Bubba's World became a podcast. On the podcast, Stewart talks about current events in motocross and supercross racing.
Career Results
AMA Motocross and Supercross
| 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
- 18 wins in 125/250 AMA Supercross
- 50 wins in 450 AMA Supercross
- 20 wins in 250/450 AMA Motocross
- 116 total AMA wins
Awards and Recognition
Stewart won the 2002 AMA Rookie of the Year award.
In April 2003, Teen People magazine named him one of "20 Teens Who Will Change the World."
In 2022, James Stewart Jr. was honored by being inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Family Life
James Stewart Jr. has a younger brother named Malcolm Stewart. Malcolm is also a professional motocross racer.
