Ever since injuring his wrist during crash at Thunder Valley MX, round 3 of the 2012 AMA Motocross series, James Stewart’s performances have been up and down.
The seven-time AMA champion took time off to recover, but returned to 2013 AMA Supercross in top form. Though he had some issues with crashes and starts during main events, Stewart was able to grab one win at Atlanta Supercross in the Georgia Dome aboard the Suzuki RM-Z450.
But at Minneapolis SX, Stewart crashed, upsetting his previous wrist injury. Due to the seriousness of the injury, Stewart has decided to opt out of the remaining Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 2013 AMA Supercross season.
During his down time, Stewart expects to be “rested, rehabbed and ready to race” at the season opener round of AMA Pro Motocross this May.
James Stewart (Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z 450 Motocross) says: “The decision to sit out the last few races is a tough one for all of us. The Supercross season hasn’t been going the best, but I’ve been having a great time racing, thanks to the fans and my Yoshimura Suzuki team.
“They’ve all been supporting me the whole time. So to have this last little injury – I hurt my wrist in the heat race and then again in the main event – was a disappointment. I think this is the smart decision for us overall and now I’m going to focus on recovering and getting ready for the motocross season. I’m psyched to be on the gate for Hangtown and now I just want to get the 2013 AMA Pro Motocross Championship.”
Although he only grabbed one win, it kept some records going for Stewart. He is just one of three races to have gone nine straight seasons with a win.
Besides that win, Stewart also took podium finishes in St. Louis and Indianapolis, won eight of his heat races, and was the fastest qualifier at seven rounds.
The first round of the 2013 AMA Motocross Championship gets underway Saturday, May 18, with the Hangtown Motocross Classic in Sacramento, Calif.
