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.