Just about everyone knows about the supercross legend James Stewart. His reputation for claiming podium finishes and epic crashes lives on.
Known as Bubba Stewart, he competed in many AMA Motocross and Supercross Championships around the country. He soon became known as “The Fastest Man on The Planet” for his incredible speed and moving ahead of the pack in every race.
One remarkable example is that in 2008, James was able to win every race and every moto that the AMA Motocross season had thrown at him. He simply ate ’em all up, including his competitors. He’s only the second rider in history to accomplish this, with Ricky Carmichael having done this in both 2002 and 2004.
James Stewart Jr At a Glance
James was introduced to the competitive world of dirt bike racing by his dad. Given that his father raced motocross, he simply encouraged his son to take up the sport. Word on the street is that James was riding on his father’s lap while still in diapers.
Age the age of 4, James was already racing! We’re talking PeeWee 50’s here but nonetheless, this man was born to ride. By age 7 he already had a sponsorship deal underway and in the following years, he won many races as a teenager.
He even claimed 11 Amateur National Tirles and then he got started into professional supercross. Unfortunately, he struggled here due to numerous crashes and injuries which are typical.
How did he achieve all of this? Well, he was home schooled as he was clearly excelling in his skills behind the handlebars.
James “Bubba” Stewart Reputation
James Bubba Stewart garnered a reputation among the spectators. Some people loved his performance and some people just hated his lack of ethics. His riding was sometimes taken as simply reckless as he would mow down other riders on the track when overtaking.
Some people would tune in to see him not only win but who he would get into fights with on the track, whether on the track or in the pits. If he wasn’t in a fight, then he’d be on a podium or on a stretcher recovering from a crash.
Now, one thing is for sure – this man is competitive. He simply wants to win! He’s the type that will bring a 50 cal to a knife fight because that 1st place win is exactly what lights him up.
Some say his garage at home had more dirt bikes than he had pairs of underwear. Somehow, we’re not surprised. Clearly when you’re in it to win it, you’ll stop at nothing!
As a result, James Stewart has a net worth today of around $20 Million US dollars. This includes a large country estate, his own motocross track, numerous dirt bikes and a collection of hot road cars. What is he doing now? Well, he still spends his time riding motocross casually though has retired from racing to spend more time with his wife, Brianna Chavarria.
What we can learn
While James Stewart retired more than 5 years ago from competitive dirt bike riding, there’s so much that we can learn. This is true even if we’re not looking to win trophies or create a tribe of fans…or even the haters.
The world has become soft in the last 2 decades, but it’s clear that there are still men around who are powering through. Interestingly, thousands would come to see one man push through to win championships. Just like in life, way more people watching from the sidelines than actually being out there themselves.
If you want to win big, then you’ve gotta go big. No more binge-watching YouTube tutorials. You learn so much more about throwing a dirt bike around by actually doing it.
Get yourself behind the handlebars for 10,000 hours. At that place, you reach mastery.
