Stewart Crashes Out of Phoenix SX
| January 15, 2005
Team Kawasaki’s James Stewart Jr. crashed hard and suffered a fractured left forearm during practice at Bank One Ballpark today. Stewart will miss round two of the THQ AMA Supercross Series tonight. He could be out for several weeks.
The crash occurred during the second 250cc practice session. The 19-year-old Floridian was practicing an approach that allowed him to triple jump in a rhythm section that included a tabletop jump near the left field foul pole. Stewart came up short, struck the lip of the tabletop and crashed. Medical personnel were on the scene quickly, and Stewart was conscious as he was carted from the stadium floor. He was later released from the Asterisk Mobile Medical Center with a splint on the left arm, which was in a sling.
“Obviously, it is not what we wanted to happen,” Kawasaki Director of Pro Racing Bruce Stjernstrom said. “He looked like he was riding very much under control. His laps times were really good, and it looked like he was doing everything the right way. I just think it was an unfortunate racing situation that happened, and there’s not much more to say about it really.”
Stjernstrom did not speculate how long Stewart would be out, but did add, “He won’t be at Anaheim [January 22], that much I can tell you.”
According to Kawasaki officials, the plan is to have Stewart re-evaulated early next week.
News of Stewart’s injury spread quickly through the Phoenix pit. Reigning THQ AMA Supercross Champion Chad Reed, for one, expressed disappointment upon hearing that Stewart was out of action.
“I waited a long time to get a chance to race against Bubba,” Reed said. “No one wanted to race against him more than me. He is a great athlete, and a great rider, and if what they are saying about him is true, then it is a real bummer.”
Prior to the crash, Stewart had posted the fastest lap time of the session, a time of 51.281 seconds.
