Even if James didnt crash..

Moto331
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Edited Date/Time 2/16/2012 8:47am
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as you know, but I did something the other day... I didnt look at Villopoto's body when he was riding a couple weeks ago.. I just stared at his bike, and pretended it was James riding it.

I was blown away. The speed.. I have always thought the fastest man in the world, was 07, sx supercross. STEWART. I am now wrong. I think this years sx with Villopoto is the fastest we have ever seen a person go in sx.Ryan Villopoto is so fast, mature, determined to win, and SMART. He was fine with Reed just right back there, no pressure like James would be in. He was very smart.

Im sorry, I just cant bet against Villo anymore. Stewart man, ive sat back and tried to figure out what is wrong with him, for the longest time. What on earth could it be... Didn know if it was just him on the yami, or what... Only thing I see is that he is NOT having fun on the bike. Not one bit. His back is more straight up and down then the empire state building, I think I WOULD PASS HIM IN THE CORNERS (lol) and yeah, Idk, but watching him back in the day, to now, hes just not even having fun. Its like he is so timid, and not wanting to hang it out AT ALL (and he still crashes in every main event..) Look at him back in the day on the kawi... He rode like Villopoto is now. Style, agression. Now, look at him! He looks so little, timid, and just not the same rider.

Whatever, just my 2 cents, but Villopoto is on a mission. No one will stop him.
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Hawwy
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2/15/2012 10:34am
RV is a stud on that Kawi...
Brackis
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2/15/2012 10:37am
Moto331 wrote:
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as...
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as you know, but I did something the other day... I didnt look at Villopoto's body when he was riding a couple weeks ago.. I just stared at his bike, and pretended it was James riding it.

I was blown away. The speed.. I have always thought the fastest man in the world, was 07, sx supercross. STEWART. I am now wrong. I think this years sx with Villopoto is the fastest we have ever seen a person go in sx.Ryan Villopoto is so fast, mature, determined to win, and SMART. He was fine with Reed just right back there, no pressure like James would be in. He was very smart.

Im sorry, I just cant bet against Villo anymore. Stewart man, ive sat back and tried to figure out what is wrong with him, for the longest time. What on earth could it be... Didn know if it was just him on the yami, or what... Only thing I see is that he is NOT having fun on the bike. Not one bit. His back is more straight up and down then the empire state building, I think I WOULD PASS HIM IN THE CORNERS (lol) and yeah, Idk, but watching him back in the day, to now, hes just not even having fun. Its like he is so timid, and not wanting to hang it out AT ALL (and he still crashes in every main event..) Look at him back in the day on the kawi... He rode like Villopoto is now. Style, agression. Now, look at him! He looks so little, timid, and just not the same rider.

Whatever, just my 2 cents, but Villopoto is on a mission. No one will stop him.
Completly agree
CR250Rider
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2/15/2012 10:38am
All James needed was a good start
WillyB
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2/15/2012 10:38am
As much as I hate to admit, I think James's legacy may be over. He does look very timid out there.

The Shop

kxking
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2/15/2012 10:43am
I sure hope he does better in the outdoors, cause as a fan, he just ain't riding the same in SX.....
Brackis
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2/15/2012 10:44am
CR250Rider wrote:
All James needed was a good start
would of been passed twice anyway
2/15/2012 10:50am
Villo is the man right now no doubt about it. I think RV and the 2007 James would be really close.
UAW_member
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2/15/2012 10:51am
James is going to break the King's all time supercross wins record. He is just trying to make it interesting for the fans.
Racer92
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2/15/2012 11:00am Edited Date/Time 2/15/2012 11:03am
Moto331 wrote:
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as...
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as you know, but I did something the other day... I didnt look at Villopoto's body when he was riding a couple weeks ago.. I just stared at his bike, and pretended it was James riding it.

I was blown away. The speed.. I have always thought the fastest man in the world, was 07, sx supercross. STEWART. I am now wrong. I think this years sx with Villopoto is the fastest we have ever seen a person go in sx.Ryan Villopoto is so fast, mature, determined to win, and SMART. He was fine with Reed just right back there, no pressure like James would be in. He was very smart.

Im sorry, I just cant bet against Villo anymore. Stewart man, ive sat back and tried to figure out what is wrong with him, for the longest time. What on earth could it be... Didn know if it was just him on the yami, or what... Only thing I see is that he is NOT having fun on the bike. Not one bit. His back is more straight up and down then the empire state building, I think I WOULD PASS HIM IN THE CORNERS (lol) and yeah, Idk, but watching him back in the day, to now, hes just not even having fun. Its like he is so timid, and not wanting to hang it out AT ALL (and he still crashes in every main event..) Look at him back in the day on the kawi... He rode like Villopoto is now. Style, agression. Now, look at him! He looks so little, timid, and just not the same rider.

Whatever, just my 2 cents, but Villopoto is on a mission. No one will stop him.
RV is indeed the Fastest Man On The Planet now, but in all fairness James no doubt was nursing some mega tore up intercostal muscles in his ribs from the weekend before. I know he had said "broke ribs" on camera, but most likely is just tore up and bruised soft tissue. And if you ever had that you know how bad that hurts and how you just cant ride correctly like that. If his posture and body-english was off, my money is on FUBAR trunk/torso muscles and he's toughing it out.
Moto_Z
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2/15/2012 11:02am
I agree with points being made that James looks timid on the bike. His corner speed isn't half of what it used to be in his Kawi days. After watching the Go-Pro video from San Diego it's apparent he still has whoop speed that is tough to match; he blew by Dungey, making him look like he was on a enduro bike in the process. BUT, and this is a big one, he lacks the consistency of blasting through them every lap.

Villo and Reedy are as consistent as they come---something James could use at this point.

72 SX wins is looking more and more unlikely as each race passes for JS7. Time will tell.
Titan1
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2/15/2012 11:05am
Bubba has lost his bully...

I saw this article on Tiger Woods the other day, and the point of it made me think of James Stewart! Reed it and apply it to motocross and James Stewart

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/tiger-woods-once-feared-has-lost-hi…

Check out these lines:

"Bullies spend their lives picking people apart, creating fear. Then one day, someone isn’t afraid. And everything is lost.

It’s not an insult to say that Woods was a bully. It is said out of respect. He was one of the best and most fun stories in sports for years. In fact, I miss what golf was with him as a bully".

"Everyone used to crumble at the mere presence of him."

"What happens to a bully when that intimidation is gone? It’s not just that others see him differently. The bully sees himself differently, too."

RV, Chad, Dungey...those guys aren't afraid of James anymore. There is no more intimidation...and James feels it too, and so he's not the same any more, not in his eyes, and not in the eyes of his competitors.

Is this what happened to James? He doesn't "know", deep down, that he's the best anymore and its completely affected his game?
2/15/2012 11:07am
There's no way he would've caught Chad on Saturday...but you said a lot of other stuff I'm not sure I'm down with. Cheerful

RV's determined, no doubt. James just kinda seems like he's along for the ride, sadly, in more ways than one. RV's corner speed is ridiculous, the best...but overall I'm not sure he's faster than Stewart at his best ever. Either way, I think he will be eventually (many of the young guys right now may be).

It's just...Chad had the fastest lap at SD. Maybe I just can't accept Reed being faster than Stewart. I don't think he is. James was toying with him in '09, and I guess I don't see how Chad can be that much faster now. His endurance probably kicks ass since he's been doing outdoors, but...I don't know.
JBlain619
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2/15/2012 11:07am
Racer92 wrote:
RV is indeed the Fastest Man On The Planet now, but in all fairness James no doubt was nursing some mega tore up intercostal muscles in...
RV is indeed the Fastest Man On The Planet now, but in all fairness James no doubt was nursing some mega tore up intercostal muscles in his ribs from the weekend before. I know he had said "broke ribs" on camera, but most likely is just tore up and bruised soft tissue. And if you ever had that you know how bad that hurts and how you just cant ride correctly like that. If his posture and body-english was off, my money is on FUBAR trunk/torso muscles and he's toughing it out.
Well you hanging off his nuts can't be helping his ribs any!!! HAHAHAHA
Titan1
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2/15/2012 11:09am
Moto331 wrote:
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as...
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as you know, but I did something the other day... I didnt look at Villopoto's body when he was riding a couple weeks ago.. I just stared at his bike, and pretended it was James riding it.

I was blown away. The speed.. I have always thought the fastest man in the world, was 07, sx supercross. STEWART. I am now wrong. I think this years sx with Villopoto is the fastest we have ever seen a person go in sx.Ryan Villopoto is so fast, mature, determined to win, and SMART. He was fine with Reed just right back there, no pressure like James would be in. He was very smart.

Im sorry, I just cant bet against Villo anymore. Stewart man, ive sat back and tried to figure out what is wrong with him, for the longest time. What on earth could it be... Didn know if it was just him on the yami, or what... Only thing I see is that he is NOT having fun on the bike. Not one bit. His back is more straight up and down then the empire state building, I think I WOULD PASS HIM IN THE CORNERS (lol) and yeah, Idk, but watching him back in the day, to now, hes just not even having fun. Its like he is so timid, and not wanting to hang it out AT ALL (and he still crashes in every main event..) Look at him back in the day on the kawi... He rode like Villopoto is now. Style, agression. Now, look at him! He looks so little, timid, and just not the same rider.

Whatever, just my 2 cents, but Villopoto is on a mission. No one will stop him.
Racer92 wrote:
RV is indeed the Fastest Man On The Planet now, but in all fairness James no doubt was nursing some mega tore up intercostal muscles in...
RV is indeed the Fastest Man On The Planet now, but in all fairness James no doubt was nursing some mega tore up intercostal muscles in his ribs from the weekend before. I know he had said "broke ribs" on camera, but most likely is just tore up and bruised soft tissue. And if you ever had that you know how bad that hurts and how you just cant ride correctly like that. If his posture and body-english was off, my money is on FUBAR trunk/torso muscles and he's toughing it out.
But Reed had the fastest lap at San Diego? Smile
Krazyk2774
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2/15/2012 11:31am
I'm wondering if it might have something to do with concussions ? I mean James has taken some pretty big hits over the years , and maybe he just can't ride the razor's edge anymore. plus theres always someone younger , hungrier , and hitting their prime, it happens to everyone in time.
EvanR127
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2/15/2012 11:32am
Call me a stewart lover if u want but I really am not...

IMO its take more than a couple of races for the new talent to take over the fastest man title. IMO If by the start of 2013 if RV has more fastest practice/ race lap then he dethrones JS.
Lucifa.
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2/15/2012 11:32am
Moto331 wrote:
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as...
He still would of been 10 seconds back and gotten 3rd.. He would of been 18 points back or something like that.. Huge stewart fan as you know, but I did something the other day... I didnt look at Villopoto's body when he was riding a couple weeks ago.. I just stared at his bike, and pretended it was James riding it.

I was blown away. The speed.. I have always thought the fastest man in the world, was 07, sx supercross. STEWART. I am now wrong. I think this years sx with Villopoto is the fastest we have ever seen a person go in sx.Ryan Villopoto is so fast, mature, determined to win, and SMART. He was fine with Reed just right back there, no pressure like James would be in. He was very smart.

Im sorry, I just cant bet against Villo anymore. Stewart man, ive sat back and tried to figure out what is wrong with him, for the longest time. What on earth could it be... Didn know if it was just him on the yami, or what... Only thing I see is that he is NOT having fun on the bike. Not one bit. His back is more straight up and down then the empire state building, I think I WOULD PASS HIM IN THE CORNERS (lol) and yeah, Idk, but watching him back in the day, to now, hes just not even having fun. Its like he is so timid, and not wanting to hang it out AT ALL (and he still crashes in every main event..) Look at him back in the day on the kawi... He rode like Villopoto is now. Style, agression. Now, look at him! He looks so little, timid, and just not the same rider.

Whatever, just my 2 cents, but Villopoto is on a mission. No one will stop him.
No.
Stephon
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2/15/2012 11:35am
kxking wrote:
I sure hope he does better in the outdoors, cause as a fan, he just ain't riding the same in SX.....
I'd be really surprised if James does outdoors. 30+2...twice in one day. The odds would not be in his favor to come out healthy...not with the current field. That said, I hope he proves me wrong.
peelout
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2/15/2012 11:42am
EvanR127 wrote:
Call me a stewart lover if u want but I really am not... IMO its take more than a couple of races for the new talent...
Call me a stewart lover if u want but I really am not...

IMO its take more than a couple of races for the new talent to take over the fastest man title. IMO If by the start of 2013 if RV has more fastest practice/ race lap then he dethrones JS.
so because stewart hasn't had a single fastest lap, in the main when it counts, he is still coined the fastest man?

lame.

the whole FMOTP naming shit is gayer than aids.
EvanR127
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2/15/2012 11:58am
EvanR127 wrote:
Call me a stewart lover if u want but I really am not... IMO its take more than a couple of races for the new talent...
Call me a stewart lover if u want but I really am not...

IMO its take more than a couple of races for the new talent to take over the fastest man title. IMO If by the start of 2013 if RV has more fastest practice/ race lap then he dethrones JS.
peelout wrote:
so because stewart hasn't had a single fastest lap, in the main when it counts, he is still coined the fastest man? lame. the whole FMOTP...
so because stewart hasn't had a single fastest lap, in the main when it counts, he is still coined the fastest man?

lame.

the whole FMOTP naming shit is gayer than aids.
No I am saying that the FMOTP is for seasons not races. Otherwise we would have a new FMOTP every race like when reed had the fastest lap in the main.
moto282
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2/15/2012 12:05pm
One rider has had the fastest lap time 5 out of the 6 rounds, has the most race wins, and is leading the championship. Based on that, he is currently the fastest SX rider IMO. Still lots of races left though, so that can all change.
2/15/2012 12:37pm
Titan1 wrote:
Bubba has lost his bully... I saw this article on Tiger Woods the other day, and the point of it made me think of James Stewart...
Bubba has lost his bully...

I saw this article on Tiger Woods the other day, and the point of it made me think of James Stewart! Reed it and apply it to motocross and James Stewart

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/tiger-woods-once-feared-has-lost-hi…

Check out these lines:

"Bullies spend their lives picking people apart, creating fear. Then one day, someone isn’t afraid. And everything is lost.

It’s not an insult to say that Woods was a bully. It is said out of respect. He was one of the best and most fun stories in sports for years. In fact, I miss what golf was with him as a bully".

"Everyone used to crumble at the mere presence of him."

"What happens to a bully when that intimidation is gone? It’s not just that others see him differently. The bully sees himself differently, too."

RV, Chad, Dungey...those guys aren't afraid of James anymore. There is no more intimidation...and James feels it too, and so he's not the same any more, not in his eyes, and not in the eyes of his competitors.

Is this what happened to James? He doesn't "know", deep down, that he's the best anymore and its completely affected his game?
This is an accurate theory and evidenced by the way James is now raced by the entire field.....shit even Alessi was going to fight him to the death in that heat race Saturday night.

In the past most riders would not disrupt the flow one bit if James was behind them, they were happy if he passed them quick and left them on their way to race " the others"
jtomasik
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2/15/2012 1:11pm
Titan1 wrote:
Bubba has lost his bully... I saw this article on Tiger Woods the other day, and the point of it made me think of James Stewart...
Bubba has lost his bully...

I saw this article on Tiger Woods the other day, and the point of it made me think of James Stewart! Reed it and apply it to motocross and James Stewart

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/tiger-woods-once-feared-has-lost-hi…

Check out these lines:

"Bullies spend their lives picking people apart, creating fear. Then one day, someone isn’t afraid. And everything is lost.

It’s not an insult to say that Woods was a bully. It is said out of respect. He was one of the best and most fun stories in sports for years. In fact, I miss what golf was with him as a bully".

"Everyone used to crumble at the mere presence of him."

"What happens to a bully when that intimidation is gone? It’s not just that others see him differently. The bully sees himself differently, too."

RV, Chad, Dungey...those guys aren't afraid of James anymore. There is no more intimidation...and James feels it too, and so he's not the same any more, not in his eyes, and not in the eyes of his competitors.

Is this what happened to James? He doesn't "know", deep down, that he's the best anymore and its completely affected his game?
Eh, maybe, maybe not. Stew was the "bully" of the 125's, wasn't when he moved to big bores and RC was around, but then was again after RC retired. I think his latest rash of issues come from him being part-time. Am I wrong, or did his dominance stop shortly after he quit the outdoors?

Or maybe it's just the Yamaha...lol...
Smitch
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2/15/2012 3:59pm
jtomasik wrote:
Eh, maybe, maybe not. Stew was the "bully" of the 125's, wasn't when he moved to big bores and RC was around, but then was again...
Eh, maybe, maybe not. Stew was the "bully" of the 125's, wasn't when he moved to big bores and RC was around, but then was again after RC retired. I think his latest rash of issues come from him being part-time. Am I wrong, or did his dominance stop shortly after he quit the outdoors?

Or maybe it's just the Yamaha...lol...
Pathetic..
2thefront
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2/15/2012 4:18pm
Obviously James is not the fastest guy out there right now and maybe that's in his head a little. I assure you he has not reached the potential yet with that team though. He is not comfortable yet.

Villopoto is peaking right now. He's in shape and as healthy as you can be in MX, he's been on the same team for a while, solid bike...he's simply got it going on. I still think James will have something for him if they can get him comfortable on that bike...Might be a big IF, but it will get better.
2/15/2012 4:18pm Edited Date/Time 2/15/2012 4:19pm
kxking wrote:
I sure hope he does better in the outdoors, cause as a fan, he just ain't riding the same in SX.....
Stephon wrote:
I'd be really surprised if James does outdoors. 30+2...twice in one day. The odds would not be in his favor to come out healthy...not with the...
I'd be really surprised if James does outdoors. 30+2...twice in one day. The odds would not be in his favor to come out healthy...not with the current field. That said, I hope he proves me wrong.
I actually think James would fare much better outdoors than indoors. I'm not a fan of any particular rider so don't take this opinion as homerism but I do think James has some set up issues with the bike. DV alluded to this I believe. It's almost like his set up is unforgiving and one slight mistake is costly ... he crashes.

Btw, his contract with JGR is for both supercross and motocross. So we get to see him outdoors this year.
Stephon
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2/15/2012 4:23pm
kxking wrote:
I sure hope he does better in the outdoors, cause as a fan, he just ain't riding the same in SX.....
Stephon wrote:
I'd be really surprised if James does outdoors. 30+2...twice in one day. The odds would not be in his favor to come out healthy...not with the...
I'd be really surprised if James does outdoors. 30+2...twice in one day. The odds would not be in his favor to come out healthy...not with the current field. That said, I hope he proves me wrong.
I actually think James would fare much better outdoors than indoors. I'm not a fan of any particular rider so don't take this opinion as homerism...
I actually think James would fare much better outdoors than indoors. I'm not a fan of any particular rider so don't take this opinion as homerism but I do think James has some set up issues with the bike. DV alluded to this I believe. It's almost like his set up is unforgiving and one slight mistake is costly ... he crashes.

Btw, his contract with JGR is for both supercross and motocross. So we get to see him outdoors this year.
Correct if I'm wrong, but I think his contract is for Supercross with Motocross being optional.

I hope he goes outdoors, but I certainly don't expect it. I'd be more surprised actually.
TDeath21
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2/15/2012 4:28pm
Stewart barely held it together mentally in 2009 (with some help from Chisholm). That was with only Reed running his pace. In 2010, Villopoto worked on his SX game a bit and came in better than 2009. Dungey also came into the class, and Reed was still there as well. Obviously Stewart got injured with Partridge at Phoenix and we didn't see him all year. In 2011, Stewart returned and was nowhere near as dominant as he has been in years past. This was because, unlike 2009, there were four other guys who can run his pace instead of just one. Stewart's problem is his mental game, and with four other guys who can run your pace, the mental game plays a huge part. That's where Reed, Dungey, and Villopoto are so strong, and that's why they were the top 3 in SX last year, and Stewart was a distant 4th.
2/15/2012 4:35pm
Stephon wrote:
I'd be really surprised if James does outdoors. 30+2...twice in one day. The odds would not be in his favor to come out healthy...not with the...
I'd be really surprised if James does outdoors. 30+2...twice in one day. The odds would not be in his favor to come out healthy...not with the current field. That said, I hope he proves me wrong.
I actually think James would fare much better outdoors than indoors. I'm not a fan of any particular rider so don't take this opinion as homerism...
I actually think James would fare much better outdoors than indoors. I'm not a fan of any particular rider so don't take this opinion as homerism but I do think James has some set up issues with the bike. DV alluded to this I believe. It's almost like his set up is unforgiving and one slight mistake is costly ... he crashes.

Btw, his contract with JGR is for both supercross and motocross. So we get to see him outdoors this year.
Stephon wrote:
Correct if I'm wrong, but I think his contract is for Supercross with Motocross being optional. I hope he goes outdoors, but I certainly don't expect...
Correct if I'm wrong, but I think his contract is for Supercross with Motocross being optional.

I hope he goes outdoors, but I certainly don't expect it. I'd be more surprised actually.
Here it is from the horses mouth ...

What are you doing for the summer of 2012?
We're racing. We'll be ready to go. I think not racing outdoors this year sucked. For sure it sucked.

Here's the rest of the interview with ESPN when he signed with JGR:

James Stewart signs with JGR
October 27, 2011

James Stewart said his move to Joe Gibbs Racing to race on Yamaha through 2014, officially announced Tuesday, is like the Beatles "getting the band back together."

With JGRMX, Stewart will rejoin familiar company from his Kawaskai days; former mechanic Jeremy Albrecht, who now is the team manager; engine builder Dean Baker and Spencer Bloomer, JGR's R&D technician who was a support tech at Team Green when Stewart was an amateur.

Stewart, who finished fourth in the 2011 AMA Supercross series and then sat out the AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the third consecutive year, said he never stopped riding over the summer. Instead, he was pounding laps with his brother Malcolm while also trying to figure out what brand and team he wanted to ride for in 2012.

He tested on all five brands and fielded offers from many teams before ultimately settling on JGRMX in a deal that also will give him future opportunities to race with four wheels for the team's NASCAR operation. He has a test scheduled in a few weeks in a late model car, he said.

First though, Stewart, a five time AMA Supercross/Motocross champion, said he has two goals: to win both titles in the same year and to beat Jeremy McGrath's career supercross win record, which stands at 72. He currently has 42 wins.

Stewart talked with ESPN.com about his deal with JGRMX before the announcement.

ESPN.com: When did this process begin?
James Stewart: I want to say around Millville [July], so it's been a while. I came up and checked out the facility and kind of knew. I was in a position this year where we just couldn't find the setup we needed and I was looking for a change. With the team based around me, we just didn't have the resources to figure it out. It made sense to go this route.

It took this long, too -- up until last week. That's when I made my decision because I couldn't sleep anymore. I was having issues sleeping, trying to figure out which brand and what opportunity I was going to take.

You're James Stewart. How could you not have the resources available to you?
JGR is different. If you don't like the cut of the seat they'll cut it down and make four of them. Before, [I would get] 'We don't have an extra seat as an option'. JGR opens it up to the NASCAR side of things where they have CNC machines and they can build stuff and really make the Yamahas fit for me.

To put it in perspective, it would be like [being] a football coach and [being] told you could only recruit from Texas and Alabama, as opposed to the whole country. That was the biggest difference for us. Over there [L&M] we didn't have everything, especially with the times being the way they are. We didn't have the resources to say 'All right, let's build a new side plate, let's build new suspension'. We just didn't have that. Here we do: We can see what we're doing instead of shooting in the dark.

What happened at L&M?
There were so many negative things going on that it put me in a spot where I wasn't enjoying what I was doing. It was more drama, and I didn't want to do that again next year. It wasn't like I built this thing from the ground up. The way I look at it, all the issues we had this year made me a better person and we were within nine points of winning the championship with two races left.

Then it wasn't the brand?
If I didn't feel like I could win here [on Yamaha] then I wouldn't have come back. I had an opportunity to ride every single brand. I rode every single bike. This time it's what team I wanted to be on and how I gel with the team. To be honest, I gel with the Suzuki guys really well. I gel with everybody, but I felt like the situation to go racing and not have to worry about anything ... this was the best place to do that. I could up their racing program and they can support my future of eventually going into NASCAR. I felt like that was a strong package.

You rode every brand. Did you feel wanted by every single brand?
The only team I never pursued was Kawasaki. Obviously I rode the bike. I had a stock one and a few that were set up. I had an offer from factory Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, JGR, my old team, and a few other teams, so I had a lot offers. Even KTM. I really think it came down to, I knew where [Ryan] Dungey was going and, when the outdoor season started, I felt like it gave me a chance to sit back and check things out and spend some time with my decision. When the Gibbs deal came up, as far as a racing team, I knew that was the team I wanted to be on. Once we locked the manufacturer in it was an easy decision to make.

What do they have that you've never had before?
Resources that will allow us do whatever we need to win races. I think I've always had that but when it comes down to it, the tools in the toolbox are a lot bigger. We have four of the top engineers in NASCAR working on my motorcycle. That's the difference. And being able to run whatever we want, whatever is best. When you get locked in to a factory you have to run whatever they have. This opens it up. That's the cool part.

What are you doing for the summer of 2012?
We're racing. We'll be ready to go. I think not racing outdoors this year sucked. For sure it sucked.


Is this a fresh start?
I think it's more about going to a racing team and worrying about racing. I want to say it's business as usual and the mistakes we made in 2011, I hope, are not around next year. What I struggled with in 2011 was when I wasn't perfect things went bad really quickly. That's why we would go from a good night, way out front, to flipping over the handlebars. I believe that we've put our finger on it and found a better setup where those problems shouldn't happen and I don't have to be perfect all the time to try to win races. I think we'll be better off.

http://espn.go.com/action/fmx/story/_/id/7147730/james-stewart-talks-nascar-signing-joe-gibbs-racing
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2/15/2012 5:03pm
Here it is from the horses mouth ... [b]What are you doing for the summer of 2012?[/b] We're racing. We'll be ready to go. I think...
Here it is from the horses mouth ...

What are you doing for the summer of 2012?
We're racing. We'll be ready to go. I think not racing outdoors this year sucked. For sure it sucked.

Here's the rest of the interview with ESPN when he signed with JGR:

James Stewart signs with JGR
October 27, 2011

James Stewart said his move to Joe Gibbs Racing to race on Yamaha through 2014, officially announced Tuesday, is like the Beatles "getting the band back together."

With JGRMX, Stewart will rejoin familiar company from his Kawaskai days; former mechanic Jeremy Albrecht, who now is the team manager; engine builder Dean Baker and Spencer Bloomer, JGR's R&D technician who was a support tech at Team Green when Stewart was an amateur.

Stewart, who finished fourth in the 2011 AMA Supercross series and then sat out the AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the third consecutive year, said he never stopped riding over the summer. Instead, he was pounding laps with his brother Malcolm while also trying to figure out what brand and team he wanted to ride for in 2012.

He tested on all five brands and fielded offers from many teams before ultimately settling on JGRMX in a deal that also will give him future opportunities to race with four wheels for the team's NASCAR operation. He has a test scheduled in a few weeks in a late model car, he said.

First though, Stewart, a five time AMA Supercross/Motocross champion, said he has two goals: to win both titles in the same year and to beat Jeremy McGrath's career supercross win record, which stands at 72. He currently has 42 wins.

Stewart talked with ESPN.com about his deal with JGRMX before the announcement.

ESPN.com: When did this process begin?
James Stewart: I want to say around Millville [July], so it's been a while. I came up and checked out the facility and kind of knew. I was in a position this year where we just couldn't find the setup we needed and I was looking for a change. With the team based around me, we just didn't have the resources to figure it out. It made sense to go this route.

It took this long, too -- up until last week. That's when I made my decision because I couldn't sleep anymore. I was having issues sleeping, trying to figure out which brand and what opportunity I was going to take.

You're James Stewart. How could you not have the resources available to you?
JGR is different. If you don't like the cut of the seat they'll cut it down and make four of them. Before, [I would get] 'We don't have an extra seat as an option'. JGR opens it up to the NASCAR side of things where they have CNC machines and they can build stuff and really make the Yamahas fit for me.

To put it in perspective, it would be like [being] a football coach and [being] told you could only recruit from Texas and Alabama, as opposed to the whole country. That was the biggest difference for us. Over there [L&M] we didn't have everything, especially with the times being the way they are. We didn't have the resources to say 'All right, let's build a new side plate, let's build new suspension'. We just didn't have that. Here we do: We can see what we're doing instead of shooting in the dark.

What happened at L&M?
There were so many negative things going on that it put me in a spot where I wasn't enjoying what I was doing. It was more drama, and I didn't want to do that again next year. It wasn't like I built this thing from the ground up. The way I look at it, all the issues we had this year made me a better person and we were within nine points of winning the championship with two races left.

Then it wasn't the brand?
If I didn't feel like I could win here [on Yamaha] then I wouldn't have come back. I had an opportunity to ride every single brand. I rode every single bike. This time it's what team I wanted to be on and how I gel with the team. To be honest, I gel with the Suzuki guys really well. I gel with everybody, but I felt like the situation to go racing and not have to worry about anything ... this was the best place to do that. I could up their racing program and they can support my future of eventually going into NASCAR. I felt like that was a strong package.

You rode every brand. Did you feel wanted by every single brand?
The only team I never pursued was Kawasaki. Obviously I rode the bike. I had a stock one and a few that were set up. I had an offer from factory Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, JGR, my old team, and a few other teams, so I had a lot offers. Even KTM. I really think it came down to, I knew where [Ryan] Dungey was going and, when the outdoor season started, I felt like it gave me a chance to sit back and check things out and spend some time with my decision. When the Gibbs deal came up, as far as a racing team, I knew that was the team I wanted to be on. Once we locked the manufacturer in it was an easy decision to make.

What do they have that you've never had before?
Resources that will allow us do whatever we need to win races. I think I've always had that but when it comes down to it, the tools in the toolbox are a lot bigger. We have four of the top engineers in NASCAR working on my motorcycle. That's the difference. And being able to run whatever we want, whatever is best. When you get locked in to a factory you have to run whatever they have. This opens it up. That's the cool part.

What are you doing for the summer of 2012?
We're racing. We'll be ready to go. I think not racing outdoors this year sucked. For sure it sucked.


Is this a fresh start?
I think it's more about going to a racing team and worrying about racing. I want to say it's business as usual and the mistakes we made in 2011, I hope, are not around next year. What I struggled with in 2011 was when I wasn't perfect things went bad really quickly. That's why we would go from a good night, way out front, to flipping over the handlebars. I believe that we've put our finger on it and found a better setup where those problems shouldn't happen and I don't have to be perfect all the time to try to win races. I think we'll be better off.

http://espn.go.com/action/fmx/story/_/id/7147730/james-stewart-talks-nascar-signing-joe-gibbs-racing
If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you...

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