James Stewart’s first supercross season in blue was a memorable one as the 2009 AMA contest went down to the last laps in Las Vegas. The L&M rider, who has part ownership of his team, successfully defended the crew’s title in the discipline with a record 11 victories (7 consecutively) from 17 and 15 podiums. After eschewing motocross, 2009 gave Stewart his second championship and the second in a row for the YZ450F; establishing the Floridian as the major force in world supercross.

Stewart was destined to fulfil a position in the annals of off-road motorcycle racing when he shone as a phenomenal teenage talent and swept the American amateur scene with an unheard-of 11 titles. With a bursting reputation for natural ability, innovation and bravery, Stewart immediately transferred his success to the professional arena and claimed the 125cc Motocross title at his first attempt, setting a record for wins with 10 from 12 events.

The following two seasons, 2003 and 2004, delivered more spoils as he secured firstly the West Coast Supercross series and then the East Coast the following year. 2004 also saw his crowning as 125 MX champ for the second time.

His move into the premier division on a 250cc two-stroke did not go smoothly. He faced injury problems that kept him sidelined for the 2005 campaign but recovered for 2006 where the only obstacle in the way of more triumph was the resolute form of rival Ricky Carmichael. He won his first Motocross of Nations crown that year and also collected 8 SX main event victories that gave him the status of runner-up in his first real attempt and the FIM World Supercross (run concurrently with the AMA schedule) championship.

2007 saw Stewart realise his Supercross ambition and he claimed the number one plate. He fared less well on the motocross circuit however and another injury problem meant he dropped to 7th in the standings; also being ruled out of the Motocross of Nations at Budds Creek.

2008 saw his fortunes reversed as the Supercross series was affected by a knee problem but he was fully fit for the Motocross calendar and he blitzed the competition, winning all 24 motos for a perfect outdoor season. A win for Team USA at the Motocross of Nations in the UK was added to more joy at the US Open and the high-profile Bercy SX in Paris, capping a decent end to the year that he finished as a Yamaha rider before launching into his 2009 onslaught.

African-American descendancy is not the only stand-out feature of Stewart’s sporting career; his tendency to revolutionise aspects of the sport is also striking. His aerial skill is widely-noted and his exceptional handling of a motorcycle resulted in techniques such as the ‘bubba scrub’ (where the machine is titled almost horizontally over a rise to reduce lost ‘air-time’) was frequently imitated and absorbed into the mainstream.

After giving the new YZ450F a triumphant debut competitive outing for the US Open in Las Vegas last autumn, Stewart is the undoubted favourite for 2010 but faces several potent rivals once the series gets underway in January.