Cardinal Sin: I has committed it...

In the language of LOLcats, "I can has committed..." a terrible sin when I chose NOT to attend the AMA/Toyota trucks National Motocross championship round at Glen Helen this past weekend. There's no use listing my lame excuses because, well, they're lame. But I have not missed a National at the Glen since I moved to California in the winter of '97.

Funny thing is, I don't feel particularly guilty about it.

I will admit that I did feel a bit of a letdown when Stewart bowed out of the series. It seemed as if everyone else in the moto-world greeted that news with excitement, since it meant the title would no longer be a foregone conclusion. To me, it meant that instead of the championship going to the fastest, the AMA series turned into a "last man standing" deal. Which is actually how it should be; a champion has to be able to endure the entire series (unless he scores enough points to wrap it up a round or two early, of course...).

I do wonder, though, if Grant Langston feels the irony of the fact that BOTH of his American motocross championships were series in which James Stewart was unable to fully participate due to injuries. Of course, Grant cannot be blamed for the circumstances that presented themselves, and he deserves full respect for stepping up and achieving what his rivals simply failed to do. Langston won that title fair and square, no two ways about it.

I just didn't drive out to see it happen.

Update: James Stewart's knee surgery

I had heard some rumors on the internet about James Stewart's condition, but I wanted to wait until Kawasaki released the offical word. Well, here it is.

Looks like James made it to Glen Helen after all, and he is currently recovering from knee surgery. James says surgery went well, and his recovery is anticipated to be shorter than expected, but he won't race again until the start of the Supercross season.

Here's hoping his recovery is as complete and painless as possible. Get well, James... the motocross world needs you!

An Open Letter to James Stewart

Hey James, I know you’re probably not feeling like hearing advice from a spode like me. I mean, when I was your age, I was still in the novice class and now, decades later, most Vet beginners school me. So I really have no business offering you any pointers on racing; unfortunately, I’m not going to let that stop me.

But enough about me; here’s what I think you need to be doing right now: helping your team mate Tim Ferry win this championship.

Hey, I have no idea what you’re up to right about now… maybe you’re laying in bed recovering from knee surgery, maybe you’re on your boat chillin’ on the water somewhere, who knows? Kawasaki isn’t/hasn’t said, and your own website hasn’t been updated in over a year. But if you’re NOT laid up recuperating then you really oughta be out at the track everyday with Ferry helping him to “win one for the team.” Because that’s what team mates DO.

The way I see it, YOU are the reason Ferry is having the year of his life. Because he has been able to practice with you, watch your lines and this has helped him raise the level of his game. Look at his results when you were on the track; he was killing everyone but you and Ricky. Then check what happened after you bowed out: now he has trouble making a pass on Alessi stick.

Timmy needs you, James. He needs you in his corner, talking him through this thing, pointing out the fast way around the track. You really need to show up at Glen Helen and help him win the National Championship. What do you say?

Langston is the man to beat

Team Yamaha's Grant Langston is looking at another American National Motocross championship, after taking a strong win in Texas yesterday. Honda's Andrew Short and Red Bull KTM's Mike Alessi rounded out the podium for the first National motocross held in Texas in... too long.

Ironically, it was Short that started off strong, taking a page out of James Stewart's playbook by grabbing the holeshot and decisively checking out. Unfortunately for Short, he also channeled Stewart in the second moto when he crashed while out front, handing the lead (and points lead) over to Langston.

Kawasaki's Timmy Ferry set fastest time in Sunday qualifying, but once again could not buy a start and couldn't make the necessary passes to gain any ground on his rivals Short and Langston. It's not looking good for Ferry as the tour heads into Glen Helen this weekend for the final round.

Is Timmy Ferry gonna choke?

Man, I hope not.

Let me get one thing straight: I have no ill will towards Ferry. In fact, I really hope he can pull off this championship for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he seems to be a really nice guy. I mean, I have never actually met him outside of a autograph line, but I did have the good fortune to meet his wife, Evie, at the San Diego supercross (ironically, the one where Stewart won his very first SX in the 125 class), and she was such a nice person that he just HAS to be a good guy to win a woman like that!

Anyway, what would also be cool, of course, is the idea of a guy as old as Ferry doing the unthinkable: coming back to the factories after having been left for dead basically, and working hard enough to be in just the right place to win all the marbles after his superstar team mate gets taken out by an injury. You just can't write a better script. The only problem is that Grant Langston and Mike Alessi seem to be much hungrier for it right now.

And Timmy seems to be having a problem right now, at the worst possible time... because for most of this year, he was having the season of his life! Check out these results:

Hangtown: 3-3
Hi Point: 3-4
Southwick: 37-4
Budds Creek: 4-8
Red Bud: 4-4
Unadilla: 5-1 (Stewart out after crashing in practice)
Thunder valley: 11-1 (Stewart riding injured)
Washougal: 2-2 (Stewart injured in moto 2))

And then James called it a season... unfortunately Timmy, instead of taking over, seemed to take off as well:

Spring Creek: 8-6
Steel City: 4-7

So what's up? Is Ferry choking under the pressure? Right now, for tomorrow's national at Freestone in Texas, Timmy set second fastest lap... but the current points leader Langston is sitting on the pole. Ferry is only FOUR points out of first with four motos to go.

Timmy, you need to go 1-1 tomorrow and put this thing away.

It's over... James Stewart is out for the rest of the year.

I can't say I didn't suspect it, but it still bums me out: Kawasaki has just dropped the announcement (see it here courtesy Cycle News)... James Stewart is too injured to compete in any of the remaining races of 2007.

2007 National Championship... goodbye.

2007 Motocross Des Nations in America... no can do.

2007 U.S. Open... so long, payday.

Continued disrespect from misguided "fans"... unending.

I think they made the right decision, and James is showing a lot of maturity by thinking about longevity versus the short term. Those guys have nothing to be ashamed of... they had a great year!

James Stewart will NOT ride at the Motocross Des Nations!

Oh man, I know young James didn't like making this decision; here's the news release courtesy Racer X Online.

And as of this writing, Kawasaki has made no announcement about whether Stewart will race this weekend, so... maybe what I hoped for is coming true; maybe James will race the rest of the Nationals and try to win the title, then immediately go for surgery.

James, you're a big man to let go of the opportunity to race for your country IN your country at Budds Creek.

I hope James is healthy enough to go for the Title

I've been holding my breath... okay, not really, but here's how I see it: since Kawasaki has not issued any press releases yet about James Stewart's condition, then perhaps it's not as bad as it has seemed. Or in any case, they are putting off making a decision about either going for surgery (and scrapping the rest of the year) or going for the National Championship and THEN bowing out of the U.S. Open and the MXdN and getting the surgery then.

The latter is what I'm hoping for.

Yes, I know that with a 21-point deficit, James would need to basically win every single one of the six motos remaining in this season AND hope that somebody can stop Timmy Ferry or Andrew Short from finishing second in all of the motos. And that's asking A LOT. But, man, wouldn't it be something to watch?!

See, I think that James really, REALLY wants to add the 450F title to his list of accomplishments now, rather than later. And I don't blame him; it seems more than a few people have been calling his legitimacy into question because he's had a fairly tough three years in the class, at least outdoors. For some reason, some refuse to give him any credit for his two 125/250F class championships, preferring instead to speculate that the man just doesn't have what it takes to win in the "premier" class. Well, I say fooey to all that claptrap... but at the same time, I'd like James to just win this year and get it over with just to shut those people up.

I know... they'll never shut up no matter what he does.

I guess we'll find out this weekend what's really going on. I know the really smart move is to play it safe and NOT ride injured, just call it a season and get the knee cared for. However, professional motocross is anything but safe, so... what to do?

I hope he's healthy enough to go for it.

David Vuillemin seriously injured at Millville

Team MDK/Honda's David Vuillemin suffered more than a few broken bones as a result of his tangle at the start of the second 450F moto at yesterday's AMA National at Millville. According to this report on RacerX Online, the fan-friendly Frenchman broke his scapula, collarbone, three ribs, sternum and more after being run over. Yikes!

Trooper that he is, though, Vuillemin didn't let his injuries keep him from logging on to MotoTalk to let his well-wishers know what's up. "DV12" said he's catching a plane back to France to see his doctors.

And after seeing the movie "SicKo", I can't say I blame him. Get well quick, DV12!

Did the X Games suck... again?

I pretty much thought so. And I'm not alone: check out this hilarious piece by Racer X Canada's Steve Matthes. It's funny, but on the money.

Honestly, I was put off my feed... literally... when I saw Jake Brown take his infamous digger live while eating dinner at a sports bar in San Diego. That was enough to make me wary of watching any more... and I actually LIKE skateboarding and bmx vert stuff. But like a true motohead, I tuned in later that night to watch the Moto "X" best trick event... and was dismayed by the dude in jeans and the clapped out bike. And no, I wasn't completely surprised when he endoed after attempting the double back flip. The guy had cajones, I'll give him that, but... was he even supposed to be there?

So at that point, I was like "forget the X games"... but again, like the true motohead that I am, I checked out a late night replay of that sorry excuse for a supercross "race". How about ESPN making LiveNation look like motorsports gods? I didn't pay much attention to commentary... I know better than that!... and I just focused on the visuals and all I could think was that most pros have better practice tracks than what they "built" in the Home Depot Center. God, that was an ugly track.

I admit that I was surprised to see Chad Reed go backwards and give up a medal to Kevin Windham, but I'm not going to go as far as some and declare Reed washed up. That would be ridiculous. Although "ridiculous" is a good descriptor for the X games, sure...

Supermoto? Didn't even see it, but I heard a writer, of all things, got the bronze. What's up with that?? (good job, Pingree!)

I could be wrong, but I think the X games is on the way out. I'm sure someone who knows better has some facts and figures to point out that ratings were higher than ever and attendance skyrocketed and all that jazz, but just based on the scant attention being paid at the very packed sports bar I was dining at gave me a much different impression. All good things come to an end at some point, ya know?

Oh no! Stewart injured at Washougal...

Here's the update from Steve Bruhn's Weekend Window. It appears that James Stewart fell while running third (!) in the second moto, and was pinned under his bike for a while. He was able to stand up, but he was out of the race.

Stewart's mishap, among other unforeseen circumstances, allowed his Monster Kawasaki team mate Tim Ferry to take his first National win in, well, quite a few years. Good job, Timmy!

And please get well, James Stewart.

James Stewart: Heart Like a Lion

Holy cow. An injured James Stewart was able to summon up his inner reserves of... well, I don't know what... and pulled of what was probably the biggest win of his career. Stewart went 4-2 and it was good enough for the overall victory at the Thunder Valley track in Colorado.

Stewart's Monster Energy Kawasaki team mate, Tim Ferry, was able to salvage an 11th place in the first moto by winning the second moto, good enough for second overall. And Red Bull KTM's Mike Alessi took the third and final spot on the podium.

But it was Stewart who stole the show. Only a week after having to be carried off the track at Unadilla, James came out on Sunday morning and cruised through the first practice session... and then laid down the wood in the second session, setting fastest qualifying time. He took off with the lead in the first moto and led for most of the race, but then started to fade. By the time the checkers flew, James was passed by Davi Milsaps, Andrew Short and Mike Alessi.

I missed most of the second moto, so be sure to check out the Racer X post-show for the whole rundown.

James, I gotta give it up to you. Good job!

James Stewart says he'll be ready to race Thunder Valley

“Each day I feel better and better,”... ” My mobility has gotten a lot better and I think if it continues going this way, I will be ready for this weekend.” James Stewart said this, as reported in this press statement from the Monster Energy Kawasaki team, via Racer X Online.

Earlier reports of his crash (like this one by Guy B at Vital MX), which occurred only three laps into Sunday morning practice at Unadilla, noted that Stewart had to be carried "...off of the track on a backboard and to the local hospital to be checked out."

"Checked out" in this case meant getting a CAT scan. Maybe even two, according to this report at Racer X... apparently at some point James intended to get another CAT scan and a second opinion. What does it mean, if anything, that both the Racer X and Vital MX stories characterized the first hospital as "local?" Not a thing, I'm sure, but... if being "local" to the Unadilla facility means the hospital delivers substandard healthcare, then I'd probably get a second opinion myself. (To be fair, I must note that the Kawasaki press release simply referred to the place as a "hospital")

So, James is "sore" but getting better, and is currently under daily therapy to "... ease the muscle tension in his neck and back." He'll see how he feels in Saturday practice before he makes his final decision. Oh, how the internet will feed on this practice angle... I have no time for indulging that silly conversation.

One thing I've noticed about the official report is that they have managed to avoid the "c" word... well, I'm going to say it: concussion. I guess there's really no need for one to mention any injuries one did not actually incur. I could be reading too much into it; I actually hope that's the case, but...

What happened to the second opinion? You know what (I'm talking to James here... )? If you can afford more than one Ferrari, you can afford a second opinion. Of course, the point is not to amass multiple opinions, it's about getting expert medical care. I'm just saying, a single motocross race, even one where you have a realistic chance of picking up 50 championship points and getting one step closer to that huge, ginormous goal of you-know-what, well... it's just not worth losing mobility for life. Just to name one possible consequence.

I'm just saying, it's okay to sit out another round, James. Think about that before you even suit up on Saturday... your health is your responsibility, and yours alone.

I have to hand it to Villopoto

Ryan Villopoto has surprised me, I must admit. I truly thought that he would be playing catch-up to former MX2 World Champion Ben Townley, but instead, Townley has his hands full trying to keep up with Ryan!

Townley got off to a great start, winning the opening round. But Ryan hung tough in the points and finally uncorked it all at Budds Creek, storming to a dominant two-win performance. And his race at Red Bud was just as emphatic.

Ryan Villopoto, you are indeed the man. Keep up the good work!

An unbelievable battle at Red Bud

Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart finished 1-2 overall, again, but that simple fact does not begin to tell the story. It truly was a battle royale, with both rider pushing the other into making critical mistakes. James took the moto one win after RC nearly fell in a turn, and then Ricky took the decisive second moto win, and overall, after James endo'd in another rutted turn.

I saw the first motos live on Motocross.com, for the second week in a row, and I have to tell ya, they are doing a great job!

Check out the Primm Motocross Collection... online!

I have to admit, I have no idea how long his website has been up and running, but if you have never seen the Primm Motocross Collection in person, his site is the next best thing. Simply a must-see for any motocross fan. Enjoy!

Hambone Watch, Round 7: Grand Prix of France

Our man in Europe, Sean "Swifty" Hamblin, took his Team Swift Suzuki RMZ250F to two 20th place finishes, respectively to finish... well, 20th overall on the day at the Circuite du Puy d Poursay in Saint-Jean d'Angeley in France today.

Sean picked up three points, but dropped to 19th in the overall World Championship standings. Which is ironic (to me), because my World Motocross teams are running in 18th position in the Motocross Dream fantasy standings. I just had to throw that in there...

I'll bring more Hamblin news when I find some... hang in there, Sean!

Check out Leticia's segment at Southwick!

Racer X Online is doing the coolest things ever in conjuction with Motocross.com, bringing us some fantastic Preview and Review shows for each of the Nationals this year, as well as eventually bring live, same day video webcasts starting with the Budds Creek round!

You can check out the Southwick Preview show here, which features a segment of our favorite motogirl, Leticia Cline, doing a special piece on Team Makita Suzuki rookie hotshot (hotshit?) Ryan Dungey. Leticia makes Ryan look pretty good, I think!

Good job to all!

So now it's about "parity"?

Imagine, if you will, that you were James Stewart. Seriously, let your thoughts wander to what it would be like...
... to have been superfast since nearly the very first time you swung your pre-pubescent leg over a motorcycle.
... to have not only won, but DOMINATED at every amateur level in which you competed.
... to have dedicated your life to becoming just like your motocross heroes, foregoing normal youthful activities in pursuit of your goal.
... to break into the professional ranks and quickly prove yourself as a force to be reckoned with, setting win records along the way.
... to develop to the point where you are acknowledged as the fastest Supercross racer on the planet, and to literally have the "keys to the sport" handed over to you by the best racer of all time.

You can see the light at the end of the tunnel; you are closing in on your dream of being the dominant active rider in the sport. Every time you go to the starting line, you look at your competitors and say to yourself, "I can beat ALL of them." And if a certain nemesis running the #4 plate is on the line, you know that, well, sometimes you can beat him too... but everyone else is covered. All of your hard work is paying off; all of those years of dedication are coming due. And all of a sudden, the sanctioning body of your sport announces that it is considering introducing new rules meant to nullify your domination.

How would that make you feel?

Would that make you consider changing your game plan? Would it make you feel unappreciated? Castigated? Isolated?

Would you go back into your video library of old races, back during the days of Jeremy McGrath, or back when Ricky was winning every single moto... would you go back to see what the AMA's response was back then? What did they do to achieve this "parity" when the King of Supercross was on a roll? If you did take the time to review that history, you would find nothing. Nothing was done about it. There were no suggestions that the bikes were "too fast for pros" or anything of the sort.

But somehow it's different now. So, how does that make you feel?

Parity, loosely defined, means a situation of equality. That things are equal. A strange goal, to be sure, in professional motocross where the OEM teams spend millions of dollars striving for technical superiority over one another just as the riders devote hundreds of hours to practice and training to hopefully achieve some physical advantage over their competitors. The AMA seems to think that they can legislate some sort of technical "even playing field"; heck, that's what the rule book is for. Ultimately, the idea is that the bikes are somewhat evenly matched and it's up to the riders to make the difference. Is that NOT what's happening right now?

If so, why all the talk about "parity?" Instead of equality, it almost seems that they are really seeking some type of INequality; a way of closing the gap between Stewart and the rest of the pack.

What if the AMA were actually able to make that happen? Again, if you were James Stewart, how would that make you feel?

Probably ready to take a closer look at NASCAR...

Vote for Leticia!

All Things Motocross' very own Leticia Cline (possessive, ain't I?) is in the running for the annual Maxim magazine "Hometown Hotties" contest. Okay, she ain't really my homegirl, seeing how she's from Orlando and all that. But never mind that, head over to her page at Maxim to see her pics and her video and to show her some love by tossing her a vote. You know you want to!