James' Quiet Summer
When James Stewart announced he was going to skip the 2011 AMA Nationals, I wasn’t surprised. In announcing the decision, James said his bike wasn’t ready for the brutal outdoor series. But I think anyone who’s paid attention to James’ career—particularly the racers of the world—knew that something else was up.
While James’ Yamaha did look marginal underneath him for the most of the year in supercross, it probably wouldn’t take a miracle for his team to pull together a decent outdoor set-up that they could refine as the year went on. The L&M Yamaha team does, after all, have vast resources behind it, and even if it’s true that James is a poor test rider (as is often whispered), a quality test rider could probably sort out a good baseline to work from in short order.
The problem as I see it has less to do with the bike and more to do with James. I think the guy has fallen out of love with racing. And the funny thing is, I don’t entirely blame him.
Anyone who’s watched James Stewart ride for more than a lap can tell that he’s likely the most talented rider of his generation (if not any generation). Yet ironically, this crazy talent and all the trappings that come with it—the superb amateur career, the meteoric rise through the 125cc ranks, the immense expectations on his every performance—have probably turned racing into a bummer for James.
Think of it: if you were expected to win every race you entered on the basis of your remarkable speed (as James typically is), how long would it take for that expectation to wear on you? If you’re winning, as James did for much of his career, there’s the pressure of staying on top. And if you’re losing, which James has done his share of this year, everyone is wondering what’s wrong and second-guessing the sterling reputation you worked to create.
It’s a hard line to walk, and while James is still a young man, he’s walked that line for nearly 10 years now. Add to that, he’s already achieved most of the sport’s highest distinctions and made mountains of money. Those desires that drive most champions to claw to the top—the drive to prove oneself and make a fortune doing so—have already been fulfilled for James. It makes one wonder how much longer he will go on trying to live up to the thorny title of “Fastest Man on the Planet.”
No, I think James’ Yamaha would prove itself to be competitive if its rider were truly interested in taking it to the podium this summer. But I suspect James is probably happier to escape the spotlight for awhile and maybe to return to his all-too-scripted reality show. And it’s not the most irrational decision ever made: I imagine there’s probably more fun to be had horsing around with your friends on a giant estate than there is battling super-hungry and fit riders such as Villopoto, Dungey and Reed at boiling hot and notoriously rough motocross tracks all summer.
That being said, I hope someday James realizes that he need not live up to the massive expectations that the world places on him as a racer. I would love to see James return without the burden of constantly proving himself as the fastest guy everywhere and all of the time. This might help him stay off the ground more, of course, but more importantly for the fans, it might allow us all to marvel in his crazy talents for a few years more—even if he’s long had nothing to prove.
