After long consideration from Stewart's team is this the final straw?
und 17 of the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross season: That was the last time James Stewart has won a main event. Many people thought Stewart would jump right into the 2016 season and not miss a beat, especially being known as one of the greatest riders to ever race Supercross, but that has not been the case for James Stewart. This year has been full of injuries, inconsistent riding and just flat out bad luck.
Stewart was coming off of a 16 month suspension from the sport after testing positive for a banned substance back in 2015. He was then banned for the 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, as well as the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross season. It was a huge blow to one of the sports' greatest riders, but vowed that he would return to this sport with a vengeance, looking to compete and fight for another Championship. So far, that hasn't worked out well for Stewart.
Through 14 rounds of the Supercross season, Stewart has finished in just four of them. He suffered a concussion in the opening round when Ryan Dungey t-boned him and sent him hard into the dirt. He missed the next two races then pulled off on his first race back due to blurry vision. Stewart crashed in Daytona, hurting his back. In Santa Clara, Stewart was riding well until his Yoshimura Suzuki was having mechanical problems, forcing him off the track once again. This past weekend , he was run into by Weston Peick when Peick decided to triple into a corner after Stewart doubled it, a stupid move on Peick's end.
In the four races Stewart has finished, he has failed to finish inside the top 10 with a best finish of 14th on the year, not even close to Stewart's standards. “It’s been frustrating in the sense I know my team, and I know I’m better than this,” said Stewart in a recent interview. “But at the same time, with the bad comes the good, and I’ve realized throughout my career that the only way you can get through these situations is to keep fighting.
It has been very obvious that Stewart has not been his dominant self this year. Although he has had over a year to train, nothing can compare to putting in real laps against other riders; something Stewart wasn't able to do. To me, he hasn't looked very good. I know that he has been dealing with injuries, but in several races this season, he looks like he is just out of gas after six or seven laps and doesn't seem to put up much of a fight when riders go to pass him which is not like Stewart at all.
So what does the future hold in store for James Stewart? I've read all over on social media people who are suggessting that Stewart should retire. That he is past his prime, and doesn't have it anymore. I have wondered that myself this season as I've been surprised with how much Stewart has struggled, but I have to believe that Stewart still has some fuel left in the tank. Does Stewart retire? From what I have read, it doesn't seem likely. In a recent interview, Stewart stated that he wouldn't be wasting his time if he didn't think he could win.
“If I didn’t think I can win races and be a Supercross champion again, I wouldn’t race, I don’t do this for the money; I do this for winning.”
A lot of people may think that Stewart's days are numbered, and that may be possible, but I think he will perform much better this summer in the outdoor season and will come back much stronger in 2017. Stewart still has the speed and the skills to win a championship. He just needs to stay in shape and stay healthy. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Stewart. James is a prideful guy, and I don't believe that he will continue to race if he can't stay healthy and be competitive. I think he will give it one more and if the 2017 Supercross season comes and goes and he is unable to stay healthy and compete for a title, I think Stewart will seriously consider retirement.
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