An iconic relationship in the motocross world ended recently. James Stewart is no longer a Fox Sponsored rider, and will be wearing Answer gear, Aplinestars Boots, and Bell Helmets for the near future.
The recent end to their relationship took the motocross industry by surprise, as they had been together since Stewart’s PW50 days. The break up is even more surpising considering the fact that the match was almost perfect. Both were fresh, edgy, hip and cool. Fox made flashy gear to match James’ flashy riding style. Fox had been a long-term sponsor of the previous king of motocross, Ricky Carmichael, so it was only logical for them to sponsor the next big thing.
Despite the perfectness in their prior relationship, it is over. Stewart has moved on from his Fox Racing days and is ready to approach the 2009 season in his new kit. But what is the true story behind the end to this classic pair?
Pete Fox Talks Out
-Photo by Paul Buckley.
President and CEO of Fox Racing, Pete Fox recently talked with MXA regarding Stewart, and revealed a number of interesting facts.
It turns out that the truth behind Stewart’s leaving was his desire for a Supercross only contract. Fox is dedicated to the sport as a whole, and clearly does not approve of the Supercross only craze. Stewart, along with his move to the San Manuel Yamaha team, decided to make a monumental decision in not riding the Motocross series. Whether this decision was fueled by laziness, money, or just personal desire, I believe that it is the wrong decision. Clearly, Fox Racing agrees with me on this issue, and feels strongly enough to let James Stewart and possible hundreds of thousands of dollars slip from their grasp.
Since our beginning, Fox has been totally committed to motocross and Supercross. We feel strongly that our sport and Industry need both series to be healthy, and Fox will always support both series. That is where Fox’s priorities and path recently separated from James. We wish James luck with his Supercross career. Fox remains committed to the entire sport of both Supercross and motocross.
-Pete Fox
Fox is Dedicated to the Sport
-Photo from Fox Head Inc..
For me, the greatest part about the recent happenings is what it tells us about Fox Racing. There is no doubt that Fox Racing has gone big. They could probably survive on their casual clothing line alone. They do not need motocross and Supercross, and furthermore, they do not need to support the sport at the grass roots level that they do.
But, by allowing one of their main riders to leave just to prove a point that they support Motocross as well as Supercross is a testament to their dedication to the sport as a whole and a sign that they are not going anywhere soon.
Supercross Only is Lame
-Photo from Transworld Motocross.
No matter how glamorous and popular Supercross becomes, the bottom line is that for hardcore Motocross riders, Supercross only contracts are lame, to say the least. Supercross only abandons the roots and the core fanbase of the sport and is little more than a ritzy demonstration of style and class.
Sure, there can be great racing and great battles in Supercross, but Motocross is where the real racing takes place. Motocross takes endurance, speed, skill, talent, and proper bike set up. A rider can only succeed at Motocross with the perfect combination of preparation and talent.
Stewart, Reed, and McGrath before them all decided to leave the grass roots Motocross season to concentrate only on Supercross. This decision is wrong, in my opinion, as it abandons the true fans of the sport. I truthfully hope that the dedicated group of riders currently coming up through the ranks such as Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, and Trey Canard will reverse this trend and see the true value in the Motocross Series.
Conclusion
James Stewart has been sponsored by Fox Racing for almost his entire career. This relationship has ended for the 2009 season and Stewart has moved onto Answer Racing. The truth behind this change is Stewart’s Supercross only contract for 2009. While this follows the trend of many of the recent Motocross stars, I believe, as does Fox Racing that it is the wrong direction for the sport. Because of this sentiment, they dropped their sponsorship of Stewart, and I totally support this move as it sends the message that they are totally dedicated to Motocross as well as Supercross.
Thanks to Cori Chesnutt for the tip about Pete Fox MXA Interview
What are your feelings on this topic? Did Fox have a right to end their relationship with Stewart based solely on his Supercross only contract? Will the upcoming crop of dedicated riders reverse the Supercross only contract trend? Let me know in the comments.
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Its funny how you guys published this without getting both sides of the story. As its stated in the March edition of TWMX with the 1 on 1, Pete Fox lied about thier contract and told the world just what you published. James even mentions that Fox was willing to work with James and his decision to race supercross only…. What is the title of this? “The Truth Behind the James Stewart / Fox Racing / Answer Racing Debacle” HA
Hey Isaac, as the author of this article, I must say that as you mentioned the interview with Pete Fox was in the March issue of TWMX. If you’ve noticed, this article was posted in November of 2008, before Stewart had talked out on the issue. On the date of publishing, this opinion of Stewart’s had not been made public and I was not aware of those details. I wrote this article with the information I had, there was no way for me to have known about Fox’s alleged lies or the fact that they were willing to work with the Supercross-only contract if all of the information I had when I published the article pointed in a different direction. That being said, thank you for your comment, we appreciate and respect your opinion.
Defending champ not returning to defend? Fastest guy on 2 wheels? How sad for the sport as well as all the bubba fans. Is it just coincidence that the year James doesn’t race, Reed goes outdoors? Seems pretty shady to me.
Lame is right. Motocross is the true test of our pastime and passion. The “King – Show Time” lost some respect for choosing not to race outdoors as did Reed amd now Stewart. That is one reason why the GOAT is the greatest – aside from the fact that he took it from Show Time, figured out to beat probably the fastest SX rider of all time (Bubba) and completely dominated outdoors like no other has or will (and would still smoke the current guys outdoors). I wear Fox gear and have for years and whether by design or otherwise I will continue to support FOX as they are certainly supporting my favorite sport. BUY FOX and keep riding. Bubba is super fast, but will never be the greatest… He just gave that possibility up for ever.