2003 Steel City Chevy Trucks 125cc AMA Motocross Championship (Final Round)

This is the 11th and (unexpected) final round of the 2003 Chevy Trucks 125cc AMA Motocross Championship from Steel City Raceway in Delmont, PA.
Returning 125cc contenders like 125cc Sophomores Billy Laninovich and Eric Sorby, former 250cc riders Ryan Hughes and 5-time Arenacross champ Buddy Antunez, 2001 125cc MX champ Mike Brown, Grant Langston, 125cc East SX champ Branden Jesseman, Brock Sellards, Steve Boniface, Michael Byrne, Stephane Roncada, and defending (and 125cc West SX) champ James "Bubba" Stewart battle it out for the 2003 Chevy Trucks 125cc AMA Motocross Championship. After spending 2002 in retirement due to tons of concussions, Ryan Hughes makes a return to professional racing in the 125cc class for the first time since 1995, and his first pro season since 2001. The ESPN2 crew gets a front row seat to show us James Stewart's property. This is the last National for Warren "Duke" Finch as he announced he was stepping down as AMA head referee.
Originally, the Troy, OH race was SUPPOSED to be the final round of the season after severe floods forced a rescheduling after it originally preceded the Unadilla race, but the facility ended up being flooded again, which forced the AMA to cancel the race (and Ryan Hughes' last chance at winning his first Motocross championship that would've completed his career).
Enjoy.

[@teddybrooks4235]

I really miss all these real racers they really were great

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

James Stewart is likely the only one of these I don't miss. I miss Langston's gritty rides, Hughes with his tough-side aspect, Mike Brown with his riding, etc. I certainly don't miss these snoozefests James took us on in the 125cc class either.

[@WhiteLabelRoor]

7:52 "He hits that berm so hard, the berms gonna feel that tomorrow". Hahaha

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

lol at that, too.

[@telefunkenyou47]

That's one for the commentators!

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@telefunkenyou47 Haha

[@fatadam16]

Number 259 is in the house lol

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Adam Dombrowski Mm-hmm.

[@TXMX450]

bubba is a bad ass dirt scooter rider! mane

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Yeah, and he still is a good rider, but I think his reign of domination is done.

[@TripleWhopperWithCheese]

43:56 Yeah Bubba, I dont know why people are going to 4 strokes either. Two strokes rule!

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Stewart really was at home on that KX125; I think that with all the 250Fs coming to light, everyone thought 4-strokes were the way to go. Once Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki came out with their 4-stroke 250s in 2004, that's when the new era was beginning; Yamaha opened the floodgate in 2001 with their YZ250F, and KTM came out with their 4-stroke in 2005. I will say that 4-strokes were a good addition to the 125cc class because one part of me felt it was fair since Henry and Button rode the 400cc 4-strokes in the 250cc class from 1998-2000 (Henry in '98 and '99, Button in '99 and 2000).

[@convex7456]

MathewV21688 equal cc 2 strokes should race equal cc 4 strokes. 4 stroke guys saying their so much better when the get almost twice the bike. ITS BULLSHIT. LIBERAL BULLSHIT. LOL rant over

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

No matter how you slice it, it was rider rider rider all the way; I had that figured out from the very beginning. After 2001, I knew it was rider rider rider. The 250cc 2-strokes going head-to-head against the 250cc 4-strokes is something I'm not against, but my only complaint is that doing this has considerably discredited the 250cc 2-stroke because it wasn't long ago the riders on the 250cc 2-strokes went head-to-head against guys on the 450cc 4-strokes.

[@johnnybgood774]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames bubba was on the 250 2 smoke against the 4

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Yes he was -- in 2005. And James didn't even win a moto because he was on that KX250, and that Kawasaki had not come out with their 450F yet.

[@joshmore8608]

they should have 3 classes 125 and 250f and 450f

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

That probably should've been what was done as David Bailey touched on, but the fact remains that it's rider rider rider all the way.

[@HWG-wm8ld]

Awesome that these are on here. My vhs tapes of old races are getting worn. I stopped watching the races around this season. Dudes crying, complaining, soap opera tv, and when they cut it to showing 20mins of only one Moto...done.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Glad to be of service. Super happy I got these races on blank DVDs w/ a DVD/VCR machine when I did. I ALMOST walked away from the sport after 2003, but Chad Reed really saved me when he beat Ricky 6 times in a row down the stretch in Supercross. After A2 was when I felt James just couldn't be beat and seeing him win by 30 seconds to a minute was total boredom at its finest.

[@ryanbarker4422]

That's right GO 2-strokes.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

For the time being.

[@gabrielfuenzalida9597]

Bubba the best. Is increible

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Not the GOAT ever -- not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

[@garysavala665]

A lot of guys won’t let bubba have his due . It’s not his fault he isn’t an aryan .

[@gabrielfuenzalida9597]

James the best in the history

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Not the GOAT -- remember that!

[@robhill7513]

Bubba says he smiles so much he himself said he looks like a dork but when you're the best.........smile my friend smile 😁😁😁😁

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

I never paid much attention to Bubba's smiles, but there's no denying he is the best. He definitely made the 125cc class a total snoozefest IMO though once he got the class figured out.

[@robhill7513]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames yes I agree, one of the only riders who could wreck as much as half way through the race and still run them down and win and always place

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@robhill7513 Can't deny that. I admit that James'' best years were on that 125 2-stroke, but when he went SX-only at the prime of his career, that was the beginning of the end.

[@robhill7513]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames it was. He dominated 125 class. I really believed he was still good in sx, I just think the competition was as good too.RC had a couple years on him in SX and took him a bit to adjust. Hated to see him go. I never really liked Chad Reed that well but got to give it to him, he is 38 and in SX that's ancient. Good to hear from you that is a fan of that era.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@robhill7513 A 28-3 record in 125 MX is definitely domination IMO. James did win 50 races in SX and 20 times in 450 MX; that's 98 total wins in AMA MX/SX, and only 2 away from the century mark 100 wins before that WADA suspension killed his career. Too bad, too -- that's something I feel NO RIDER deserves. I liked Carmichael, but it just got really boring seeing him win week after week; Chad Reed really saved me from leaving the sport after 2003 SX after McGrath unexpectedly retired. To this day, I still hold Chad Reed in my debt for keeping me a fan. He's always going to be my favorite of all time.

[@allprobogle]

James Stewart ! you said it your self , you want to be Known as The Greatest Racer of all Time. You made Kawi so much money now RV is soaking it up. Whoop his ass in 2014 supercross.

[@johnnybgood774]

Yup they used him and abused him i only likes Kawasaki because of james

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

And I liked Supercross because of McGrath and Motocross because of Ricky Carmichael.

[@pay2000]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames So predictable, never outside the box...

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@pay2000 You have to consider that JS wasn't even a pro when McGrath put Supercross on the sports radar, and Carmichael was beginning his reign of terror in 1997.

[@teddybrooks4235]

Good ol 2stroke days

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

No disagreements there.

[@ryanbarker4422]

I can't believe Ranerd is so far back.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Reynard was always a head case. Shocking enough that bad carpal tunnel was the solution to his frequent cases of arm pump.

[@wrecklesstrain1991]

DUDE THOSE BEAUTIFUL SCRUB PASSES ARE FUCKIN INSANE SOOO BEAUT AND MINT FUEGO FUEGO FIRE BROTHA

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Agreed. These were the good days, and still are.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Sure looked like it back then, did it? I still think his winning days are over judging from how his last 2 seasons went in '12 and '13.

[@marek35]

is Haines City called after Tony Haynes?

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

+marek35 Somehow, I doubt that.

[@marek35]

:D

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

marek35 lol

[@chupacabraracing181]

Lol no it's not...I'm from here BTW.

[@Alicethewolf2015]

Hi Mike

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Who's Mike?

[@pay2000]

Stew da GOAT

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

I still disagree.