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, also called "Bubba," changed motocross with his exciting riding style. He invented the "scrub" technique. This trick helped him go over jumps faster and more smoothly than anyone else. Other racers around the world started using his "scrub" move. Because of his speed, people called him "The Fastest Man on the Planet."
James Stewart Jr. also made history as 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.
After stopping racing in 2016 and officially retiring in 2019, Stewart returned to the sport in 2022. He became a commentator for the AMA Motocross and Supercross championships.
Contents
Stewart's Racing Journey
James Stewart Jr. was born on December 21, 1985, in Bartow, Florida. He started racing motocross when he was just four years old. His father helped him learn and practice. As a young rider, Stewart won a lot. He had 84 race victories and 11 Loretta Lynn's Amateur National Championship titles between 1990 and 2001.
Becoming a Pro Rider
Stewart became a professional racer in 2002. He joined the Kawasaki team. He raced in the 125cc class of the AMA Western Regional Supercross Championship. Stewart won his first professional race early in the series. He almost won the championship, finishing only 7 points behind the leader.
In the 2002 AMA Motocross season, he was very strong in the 125cc class. He won his first race at Glen Helen Raceway. He then won 10 out of 12 races to become the champion. 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. It became a key skill for top riders.
Moving to the Top Class
In 2005, Stewart moved up to the main 450cc class with Kawasaki. This first year was a bit tough. He won his first big Supercross race in Texas. But he also had some crashes and injuries. Even with these challenges, he finished 10th in the series.
The years 2006 and 2007 were very important for Stewart. He won many races in the AMA Supercross series. He finished second overall in 2006. Later that year, he raced for Team USA at the Motocross des 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 in the outdoor motocross season that year.
A Perfect Season and More Wins
In 2008, Stewart missed the whole supercross season because of a knee injury. After working hard to recover, he did something amazing. He had a perfect season in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. He won all 24 races in the 450cc class. Only one other rider, Ricky Carmichael, had ever done this before. He also helped Team USA win the Motocross des Nations again in England.
The 2009 season brought Stewart his second AMA Supercross Championship. He had many close races 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 exciting rivalry.
From 2010 on, Stewart continued to win races. However, he also faced more injuries. In 2012, he struggled with a new Yamaha bike. He later left Joe Gibbs Racing and signed with Yoshimura Suzuki. In 2013, he won several races in both supercross and motocross. His last race was on July 23, 2016.
On May 17, 2019, Stewart announced he was retiring from racing. He said he still loved racing and the fans. But he no longer enjoyed the hard training and the pressure to win every race. Since 2023, he has been a regular commentator for the AMA SuperMotocross World Championship.
Other Interests and Ventures
Stewart also tried other types of racing. He competed in the X Games in 2009. He won a silver medal in the "best whip" competition. He also signed a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2011. There were plans for him to race NASCAR stock car races. However, he decided to focus on motorcycle racing again.
Stewart also had a reality TV show called Bubba's World. It showed his daily life and racing career. The show ran for two seasons. In 2022, Bubba's World became a podcast. It talks about current events in motocross and supercross racing.
Career Highlights
AMA Motocross and Supercross Wins
| 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
- In 2002, James Stewart Jr. won the 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, Stewart was added to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Stewart's Family Life
James Stewart Jr. has a younger brother, Malcolm Stewart, who is also a motocross racer.
