HAINES CITY, Fla. — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Yoshimura Suzuki photo —
After attempting to return to Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, competition last Saturday night in Oakland, California’s O.co Coliseum, Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart has announced that he will be on the sidelines indefinitely this season.
Stewart, a 50-time race winner in the 450SX class and two-time series champion, started the main event in Oakland but pulled off-track and left the stadium about halfway through the race — citing blurred vision following the race in a team press release. The symptoms related to a crash and concussion that Stewart suffered in the opening race at Anaheim on Jan. 9.
Stewart released a statement through his social media channels as an official means of communication between he and his fans.
“I could tell from the (first) practice that things weren’t right from my A1 (Anaheim 1) incident,” Stewart said in the statement. “But I figured if I kept riding, things would get better. As the night went on things got worse and that’s what led me to pull off in the main. The worst part is, you never know how you’re gonna feel until you try. So that’s why I decided to try to race this weekend.
“You can practice during the week all you want but racing is completely different. It’s my fault (though) because instead of letting things heal 100 percent, I keep rushing to race for my fans and because I love to race. Clearly I’m not ready to race and after Saturday I felt like an idiot for trying to when I know I shouldn’t. I can tell you that I (would) rather never race again if I have to pull off like last Saturday. To me a person that pulls off is a quitter and as much as I hate quitters, I felt like one afterwards until I thought about everything.
“I shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I was there (because) I’m not a quitter and I keep trying to be superman for no reason. But it doesn’t matter anymore bc the people around me know who I am and my real fans know. So at this point, I’m gonna listen to my body and come back when I’m ready to race.
“It could be this weekend or a month from now, but I’m gonna do what’s best for me and not what’s best for the rest. I love you guys and I truly appreciate your support always. I came back to race and have fun this year and racing when I can’t function 100 percent, it isn’t racing or fun. So I’ll be back when I can do both of those things like the real js7 does. I want to personally thank all my sponsors for sticking behind me through all of this. I know you guys say I don’t need to thank (you) but it’s nice to have all of you in my corner always. And my fans, you know where my heart is and I can’t wait to be healthy so we all can enjoy the results together like always.”
Stewart is the second-winningest Supercross rider in history, with 50 victories to all-time leader Jeremy McGrath’s 72. He won the series title in 2007 and again in 2009, and is an 11-year veteran of the premier 450 Class, having ridden for Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing since the 2013 season. He missed the entirety of the 2015 season due to suspension by the FIM following a failed anti-doping test due to the prescription Adderall, which he failed to have properly cleared through a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption).
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 21-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
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