Floridian Stewart Skyrockets to Stardom

Since 1985, when the American Motorcyclist Assn. brought 125cc bikes into supercross as a support series for the elite 250cc class, the 125s have never upstaged the main event.

That may change Saturday night at Edison Field when a sellout crowd roars its approval of James “Bubba” Stewart. He will be riding in only his third professional 125cc race, yet has quickly become a crowd favorite.

Stewart rides his Kawasaki KX bike with speed and daring characteristic of supercross riders, but two things set him apart:

* He is African American, the first rider of color to make an impact on the young stadium sport that has evolved from motocross.

* He is the youngest winner in supercross history. In his second race, last weekend in San Diego, Stewart was 16 years 21 days old when he took the checkered flag.

Winning, however, is nothing new to the 5-foot-6, 141-pound teenager from the central Florida town of Haines City. He joined the pro ranks after winning everything in sight as an amateur--from the time he was 4. He won a record 11 AMA national championships and in his final season--as a 15-year-old 10th grader--did not lose a moto.

Before he entered his first EA Sports Supercross as a professional two weeks ago at Edison Field, Stewart had been on the cover of several motocross magazines and the subject of an intense Kawasaki and Clear Channel Entertainment promotional program.

“After all that hype, everyone wondered how he’d respond, but he showed us he’s for real,” said David Bailey, a former national champion and now an ESPN analyst. “He’s an incredible talent.”

After falling twice and still finishing second in his Anaheim debut, Stewart smoked the field at San Diego, winning his heat and the 15-lap main event with lap times close to those of 250cc winner David Vuillemin, even though a 125 bike is about 15 horsepower down from a 250.

“I was so excited I almost wanted to cry,” said the smiling youngster in the Qualcomm Stadium winner’s circle. The crowd, 68,145, was the third largest in supercross history and most of the fans were on their feet from the time Stewart nearly went down in mid-race until he scaled the final jump at the finish line. He was fourth coming out of the first turn at the start but caught and passed leader Rodrig Thain on a high-speed right-hander on the third lap, then built up a 10-second lead before nearly falling.

“I missed a jump and got into the next corner too tight, so I had to go up and over the berm and back onto the track,” Stewart said. “I almost went over the handlebars before I saved it.”

Stewart dedicated his win to Tony Haynes, a family friend and former rider who was paralyzed in a riding accident when he was 14. Before his injury, Haynes rode with future professionals such as Ezra Lusk, Kevin Windham and Ricky Carmichael. Stewart rides with No. 259 on his bike, Haynes’ old number.

When Stewart took 259, he told Haynes, now 22, that he would try to take it to the top.

“I’m living my dream with James,” said Haynes, an aspiring hip-hop musician in Florida.

And how did Stewart celebrate?

“I went back to the hotel and had a couple of cookies with my family [father James Sr., mother Sonya and brother Malcolm, 9] and went to bed,” he said.

James Sr., 36, a one-time motocross rider who quit to steer young James’ career, is responsible for his son becoming a racer. Around the Kawasaki pits, he’s known as Big James.

“When I was 3 or 4, I tagged along with my dad to his races and rode around on my Suzuki ATV quad,” Bubba said. “Next thing I knew, I was racing it. But it wasn’t fast enough for me. I wanted a two-wheeler.”

Said Big James, “For his fourth birthday and Christmas, we gave him a Yamaha 50 and went racing.”

Young Stewart immediately attracted attention by winning races all over the Southeast, and by the time he was 7, he’d won his first championship, in the 50cc class at the Loretta Lynn Nationals, and was signed to a contract by Kawasaki.

To assure his son’s future four years ago, James Sr. bought 40 acres of farmland near Haines City and hired former supercross champion Mark Barnett to build three racing tracks, one for supercross, one for outdoor motocross and one for peewees, where friends of the Stewarts can ride.

Baseball stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin and Griffey’s son, Trey, are regulars at the Stewart tracks. Griffey, an avid supercross fan, plans to attend nearly all of Stewart’s races until spring training starts.

After winning his 11th national title, Stewart gave his winning bike to Griffey, who plans to hang it in his trophy room at home.

The Stewarts also raise cattle on the farm and as a change of pace from his motorcycle, James sometimes rides one of the heifers.

“I ride ‘em for fun, but I’m not thinking about taking up rodeo,” he said, grinning.

Stewart’s first racing idol was Jeff Matiasevich, a lanky rider from La Habra known as “the Chicken” when he won 125cc supercross championships in 1988-89.

“I watched him on TV and thought he was cool,” Stewart said. “He was so fast and he rode a Kawasaki. I talked about him so much that my friends started calling me ‘Baby Chicken.’”

Stewart often is called “the Jackie Robinson of Supercross” and he doesn’t take that thought lightly. But he also doesn’t dwell on his pioneering.

“It’s cool to be called a pioneer, but I don’t think about it much,” he said. “It doesn’t put any extra pressure on me because all I want to do is win, to do the best I can every race. I’ve never had any problems [with fellow riders or fans] and I don’t expect any. Other than racing and doing autograph sessions at the track, I keep pretty much to myself along with my dad and my trainer.”

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Staff writer Martin Henderson contributed to this report

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Supercross at a Glance

What: EA Supercross Series, third of 16 events for 250cc and 125cc motorcycles.

Where: Edison Field, Anaheim.

When: Saturday, 7 p.m., practice at 12:30 p.m.

Defending series champion: Ricky Carmichael, Havana, Fla.

Defending race champion: Jeremy McGrath, Encinitas.

Admission: $25-$40, children $10-$40, tickets available through Ticketmaster and Edison Field.

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