14 years ago....

chocolatethunder782
Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 1:19pm
In his fourth race as a pro James Stewart had a six second lead after one lap. I wish I could have found his first race on YouTube, but this will have to suffice. I have been watching all the races from his rookie season all night and he was and still is the man. he was doing jump combos in this race that could only be replicated by the 250 class. I'm hoping he can make something happen this year.

https://youtu.be/72gtEMSFYsw
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newmann
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newmann 1/4/2016 6:03am
1/4/2016 6:03am
I still remember his daddy pitching a hissy fit at Dallas and storming out of the stadium when James was floundering around the track crashing multiple times with a supposedly bent front rotor.
KTMShane699
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KTMShane699 1/4/2016 6:17am
1/4/2016 6:17am
There is no doubt that James is one of, if not the most talented rider to grace a motocross bike so far. His ability to see different lines, try new things and make it work are nothing short of amazing.

Unfortunately for James, when his vision goes wrong it tends to go very wrong with spectacular crashes. I'd love to see James put an epic season together. As much as history is on his side for some spectacular rides, it's not on his side for putting together the entire season.

I hope I'm wrong. To see James Stewart come back and dominate would be one of the best comebacks in history. Sadly, I don't think that is what's going to happen.

But, there's a reason they run races despite people's predetermined opinions of what the outcome will be. There's always surprises every year. This year will be no different.

Shane
Sandberm
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Sandberm 1/4/2016 6:45am
1/4/2016 6:45am
I was at A2 in 2002. I cant remember when Stewart crashed but it wasnt long after the start in the main. He raced from dead last to finish second to Pingree that night.

He didnt so much as pass other riders as he just rode like they wernt there. Kind of reckless, kind of rude, kind of alpha male. You couldnt deny him, so you might as well move out of the way.

My other observation from that night was a negative one....McGrath was slow entering the whoops... It was kind of sad Pastrana on the other hand hit them full throttle. I cant remember who won the big bike class, just who was the fastest in the whops.
Juss
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Juss 1/4/2016 7:27am
1/4/2016 7:27am
Yet after 14 years JS7 is the guy were still talking about. The big draw., the guy with the longest lines in the pits, the one who sells the most T-Shirts etc etc etc. What is it about JS7? The hatters can never have a good thing to say? why are 75% of the threads about the dude? You think RD5 is putting asses in seats?

The Shop

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MarkF
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MarkF 1/4/2016 8:22am
1/4/2016 8:22am
That was the famous David Pingree "oops I broke my bike in half" race. Ouch!
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Phillip_Lamb 1/4/2016 8:26am
1/4/2016 8:26am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 8:31am
i like looking back at some old races, more so to see where a few guys used to be. Its always fun to see how some guy who is the man today started out as a three digit scrub. the other day i was watching races from 2007 and who should be leading a 125/250 heat? Marvin Musquin. if it wasnt for the announcers mentioning his name i wouldve never thought this guy was anything more than a privateer at first

oh btw podium was RC TP199 and DV12, which is significant. I believe it was RCs first win of the year and one of TP's only podiums
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CrGuy2T 1/4/2016 8:29am
1/4/2016 8:29am
Juss wrote:
Yet after 14 years JS7 is the guy were still talking about. The big draw., the guy with the longest lines in the pits, the one...
Yet after 14 years JS7 is the guy were still talking about. The big draw., the guy with the longest lines in the pits, the one who sells the most T-Shirts etc etc etc. What is it about JS7? The hatters can never have a good thing to say? why are 75% of the threads about the dude? You think RD5 is putting asses in seats?
This is why he won't have a problem ever looking for a ride. I saw on a thread a few days ago which is opinionated only. Something about riders under pressure or something. James sells whether he's winning, losing, or crashing.
chocolatethunder782 1/4/2016 9:59am
1/4/2016 9:59am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 9:59am
CrGuy2T wrote:
This is why he won't have a problem ever looking for a ride. I saw on a thread a few days ago which is opinionated only...
This is why he won't have a problem ever looking for a ride. I saw on a thread a few days ago which is opinionated only. Something about riders under pressure or something. James sells whether he's winning, losing, or crashing.
It's pretty amazing to think that he has been on factory equipment for so long. He has been filling the stands foe all these years. I was 14 when he turned pro and I'm 28 now. I hope he can keep it together all year.
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DP#201 1/4/2016 10:08am
1/4/2016 10:08am
KTMShane699 wrote:
There is no doubt that James is one of, if not the most talented rider to grace a motocross bike so far. His ability to see...
There is no doubt that James is one of, if not the most talented rider to grace a motocross bike so far. His ability to see different lines, try new things and make it work are nothing short of amazing.

Unfortunately for James, when his vision goes wrong it tends to go very wrong with spectacular crashes. I'd love to see James put an epic season together. As much as history is on his side for some spectacular rides, it's not on his side for putting together the entire season.

I hope I'm wrong. To see James Stewart come back and dominate would be one of the best comebacks in history. Sadly, I don't think that is what's going to happen.

But, there's a reason they run races despite people's predetermined opinions of what the outcome will be. There's always surprises every year. This year will be no different.

Shane
The exact same thing could be said about Herlings, just his forte is sand and james's is sx. Wink both are exceptional athleetes.
JBlain619
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JBlain619 1/4/2016 10:09am
1/4/2016 10:09am
Juss wrote:
Yet after 14 years JS7 is the guy were still talking about. The big draw., the guy with the longest lines in the pits, the one...
Yet after 14 years JS7 is the guy were still talking about. The big draw., the guy with the longest lines in the pits, the one who sells the most T-Shirts etc etc etc. What is it about JS7? The hatters can never have a good thing to say? why are 75% of the threads about the dude? You think RD5 is putting asses in seats?
Nah, he's too busy putting championships in the record books!
aFACEdismembered 1/4/2016 10:14am
1/4/2016 10:14am
His ability to go fast on any track was never about power, but technique and skill. A lot of that was lost when everything went 450. It's no longer about setting up a corner perfectly to make a jump combo.

...and those triple lips. Talk about booters. I remember hearing at some point guys started scrubbing and clipping footpegs on lips so they mellowed them out. I wish it could go back to those days of abrupt jump faces and tough, non uniform, rhythm sections.
mjr119
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mjr119 1/4/2016 10:45am
1/4/2016 10:45am Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 10:46am
aFACEdismembered wrote:
His ability to go fast on any track was never about power, but technique and skill. A lot of that was lost when everything went 450...
His ability to go fast on any track was never about power, but technique and skill. A lot of that was lost when everything went 450. It's no longer about setting up a corner perfectly to make a jump combo.

...and those triple lips. Talk about booters. I remember hearing at some point guys started scrubbing and clipping footpegs on lips so they mellowed them out. I wish it could go back to those days of abrupt jump faces and tough, non uniform, rhythm sections.
THIS!

Well said. The 450 changes things so much. Especially indoors. People are doing the tough rythmns from the insides. Stewart was top on a 125. Fastest ever on a 125, because of his skill and technique.
KTMShane699
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KTMShane699 1/4/2016 10:57am
1/4/2016 10:57am
I see comments about James "filling the stands," but I wonder how attendance was last year compared to previous years without him? Not being negative, just curious if there was a real impact on attendance from him.

Shane
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Nom DeGuerre 1/4/2016 10:58am
1/4/2016 10:58am
And to think that many expect the same JS year after year, many other riders have or would have retired long ago. Like others have said, the volume of threads shows he is still the star of the show. When he finally calls it quits, Pro MX/SX will not be the same for some time.
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hvaughn88 1/4/2016 11:02am
1/4/2016 11:02am
KTMShane699 wrote:
I see comments about James "filling the stands," but I wonder how attendance was last year compared to previous years without him? Not being negative, just...
I see comments about James "filling the stands," but I wonder how attendance was last year compared to previous years without him? Not being negative, just curious if there was a real impact on attendance from him.

Shane
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people that seem to be there to drink ten $9 miller lites and get the cotton candy with the monster beany on top, I doubt it had much of an impact.
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KTMShane699 1/4/2016 11:35am
1/4/2016 11:35am
hvaughn88 wrote:
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people...
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people that seem to be there to drink ten $9 miller lites and get the cotton candy with the monster beany on top, I doubt it had much of an impact.
And I guess that was half of the point of my post. In terms of "asses in the seats" and revenue (which is what really matters to those putting on the show), he can show up or not and it won't have much of an impact on the sport as a whole.

As an enthusiast and someone who really enjoys the sport for more than simple entertainment, Stewart is the real deal. His riding is borderline magical, and the enjoyment from watching him ride is second to none. But I think as enthusiasts, we are in the minority. His impact to the masses and racing is grossly overstated though. People may know the name and who he is, but few care if he's really there or not. They just want to see the races.

Shane
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hvaughn88 1/4/2016 11:57am
1/4/2016 11:57am
hvaughn88 wrote:
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people...
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people that seem to be there to drink ten $9 miller lites and get the cotton candy with the monster beany on top, I doubt it had much of an impact.
KTMShane699 wrote:
And I guess that was half of the point of my post. In terms of "asses in the seats" and revenue (which is what really matters...
And I guess that was half of the point of my post. In terms of "asses in the seats" and revenue (which is what really matters to those putting on the show), he can show up or not and it won't have much of an impact on the sport as a whole.

As an enthusiast and someone who really enjoys the sport for more than simple entertainment, Stewart is the real deal. His riding is borderline magical, and the enjoyment from watching him ride is second to none. But I think as enthusiasts, we are in the minority. His impact to the masses and racing is grossly overstated though. People may know the name and who he is, but few care if he's really there or not. They just want to see the races.

Shane
I have a love/hate relationship with going to the supercross races. I'm not a fan of big crowds, I'm not an autograph person so I don't really care to wade through the pits and stand in lines. And there's something to be said for being able to watch the races from my own home, with replay, etc. But damn, walking into the stadium for the first practice and smelling that race fuel and hearing the bikes (yes, even the 4 strokes), makes it worth the one time I go every year.
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Zycki11 1/4/2016 12:07pm
1/4/2016 12:07pm
I wish they would run a 250 class and 350 class. I know the top guys love the 450s but man do they make it boring for the most part. The days of truly charging into a corner and getting on the gas early are gone, now they have to charge hard and then roll the gas on for the most part.

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kiwifan 1/4/2016 12:12pm
1/4/2016 12:12pm
KTMShane699 wrote:
There is no doubt that James is one of, if not the most talented rider to grace a motocross bike so far. His ability to see...
There is no doubt that James is one of, if not the most talented rider to grace a motocross bike so far. His ability to see different lines, try new things and make it work are nothing short of amazing.

Unfortunately for James, when his vision goes wrong it tends to go very wrong with spectacular crashes. I'd love to see James put an epic season together. As much as history is on his side for some spectacular rides, it's not on his side for putting together the entire season.

I hope I'm wrong. To see James Stewart come back and dominate would be one of the best comebacks in history. Sadly, I don't think that is what's going to happen.

But, there's a reason they run races despite people's predetermined opinions of what the outcome will be. There's always surprises every year. This year will be no different.

Shane
I agree, I actually picked James to win the first round as it will be a mudfest, I hope he has a strong season but to be honest I haven't picked him to win the title.

5 rounds in we will have an idea about who are the real contenders, we certainly wont know it any earlier unless one rider wins every weekend, I would think that's highly unlikely, which is great for the sport.
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peelout 1/4/2016 12:16pm
1/4/2016 12:16pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 12:17pm
KTMShane699 wrote:
I see comments about James "filling the stands," but I wonder how attendance was last year compared to previous years without him? Not being negative, just...
I see comments about James "filling the stands," but I wonder how attendance was last year compared to previous years without him? Not being negative, just curious if there was a real impact on attendance from him.

Shane
hvaughn88 wrote:
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people...
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people that seem to be there to drink ten $9 miller lites and get the cotton candy with the monster beany on top, I doubt it had much of an impact.
i'm there to drink ten $9 beers bro, big whoop wanna fight about it?

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SF45 1/4/2016 12:17pm
1/4/2016 12:17pm
aFACEdismembered wrote:
His ability to go fast on any track was never about power, but technique and skill. A lot of that was lost when everything went 450...
His ability to go fast on any track was never about power, but technique and skill. A lot of that was lost when everything went 450. It's no longer about setting up a corner perfectly to make a jump combo.

...and those triple lips. Talk about booters. I remember hearing at some point guys started scrubbing and clipping footpegs on lips so they mellowed them out. I wish it could go back to those days of abrupt jump faces and tough, non uniform, rhythm sections.
He had that intense riding style until about 2012, then switched to the 450 old-man-consistent-race-car-driving style we see so much today. Watch some races from 2009 and compare them to today.
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hvaughn88 1/4/2016 12:24pm
1/4/2016 12:24pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2016 12:24pm
KTMShane699 wrote:
I see comments about James "filling the stands," but I wonder how attendance was last year compared to previous years without him? Not being negative, just...
I see comments about James "filling the stands," but I wonder how attendance was last year compared to previous years without him? Not being negative, just curious if there was a real impact on attendance from him.

Shane
hvaughn88 wrote:
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people...
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people that seem to be there to drink ten $9 miller lites and get the cotton candy with the monster beany on top, I doubt it had much of an impact.
peelout wrote:
i'm there to drink ten $9 beers bro, big whoop wanna fight about it?

Let's lay down some ground rules: we won't mess up each other's hair and won't mess up each others' spray tans.
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resetjet 1/4/2016 12:40pm
1/4/2016 12:40pm
I love his kamikazee style. James "the cow" Stewart.
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GrapeApe 1/4/2016 12:50pm
1/4/2016 12:50pm
hvaughn88 wrote:
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people...
Judging by the number of people I've overheard in the stands tell their friend that "Carmichael should get the win tonight" and the number of people that seem to be there to drink ten $9 miller lites and get the cotton candy with the monster beany on top, I doubt it had much of an impact.
peelout wrote:
i'm there to drink ten $9 beers bro, big whoop wanna fight about it?

hvaughn88 wrote:
Let's lay down some ground rules: we won't mess up each other's hair and won't mess up each others' spray tans.
I couldn't imagine heading into a fight without rules protecting sunglasses and Affliction shirts, but, hey, this is your deal best of luck . . .
hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 1/4/2016 12:57pm
1/4/2016 12:57pm
peelout wrote:
i'm there to drink ten $9 beers bro, big whoop wanna fight about it?

hvaughn88 wrote:
Let's lay down some ground rules: we won't mess up each other's hair and won't mess up each others' spray tans.
GrapeApe wrote:
I couldn't imagine heading into a fight without rules protecting sunglasses and Affliction shirts, but, hey, this is your deal best of luck . . .
Bro, the affliction shirt comes off beforehand. Makes chest day worth it.
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GrapeApe 1/4/2016 1:14pm
1/4/2016 1:14pm
hvaughn88 wrote:
Let's lay down some ground rules: we won't mess up each other's hair and won't mess up each others' spray tans.
GrapeApe wrote:
I couldn't imagine heading into a fight without rules protecting sunglasses and Affliction shirts, but, hey, this is your deal best of luck . . .
hvaughn88 wrote:
Bro, the affliction shirt comes off beforehand. Makes chest day worth it.
I hate to admit but my chest piece isn't totally finished yet, so I still go shirt on. Just a little more shading and coloring on the flaming skull wearing a half-shell Monster helmet, and I'll never wear a shirt to an event again.
peelout
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peelout 1/4/2016 1:16pm
1/4/2016 1:16pm
GrapeApe wrote:
I couldn't imagine heading into a fight without rules protecting sunglasses and Affliction shirts, but, hey, this is your deal best of luck . . .
hvaughn88 wrote:
Bro, the affliction shirt comes off beforehand. Makes chest day worth it.
GrapeApe wrote:
I hate to admit but my chest piece isn't totally finished yet, so I still go shirt on. Just a little more shading and coloring on...
I hate to admit but my chest piece isn't totally finished yet, so I still go shirt on. Just a little more shading and coloring on the flaming skull wearing a half-shell Monster helmet, and I'll never wear a shirt to an event again.
Skuzzy do your work too bro? sik
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hvaughn88 1/4/2016 1:16pm
1/4/2016 1:16pm
GrapeApe wrote:
I couldn't imagine heading into a fight without rules protecting sunglasses and Affliction shirts, but, hey, this is your deal best of luck . . .
hvaughn88 wrote:
Bro, the affliction shirt comes off beforehand. Makes chest day worth it.
GrapeApe wrote:
I hate to admit but my chest piece isn't totally finished yet, so I still go shirt on. Just a little more shading and coloring on...
I hate to admit but my chest piece isn't totally finished yet, so I still go shirt on. Just a little more shading and coloring on the flaming skull wearing a half-shell Monster helmet, and I'll never wear a shirt to an event again.
But you'll still wear your SOA vest if it's cold, right?

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