2004 Glen Helen 125cc Moto 2 (James Stewart's Final 125cc Moto [on a KX250F])

This is the 2nd and final 125cc moto of the 2004 Motocross season from Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA.
In 2004, Team Kawasaki's James "Bubba" Stewart, Jr. was only 30 min. + 2 laps away from completing his 125cc career. During the National season, James had rode a KX125 to 10 wins in 11 races. His only moto and overall loss came in the 2nd moto at Red Bud due to 2 crashes and a seized clutch. Taking advantage of Stewart's misfortune was Yamaha of Troy's Mike Brown #3. Brown took the overall win with a 2-1; it was Brown's first 125cc Motocross win since May 2003 at the High Point National in a straight-up battle with fellow 30-year-old rival, KTM's Ryan Hughes. Hughes lost out on the 2003 title by just 7 points to his KTM teammate Grant Langston, but Ryan's 2004 season ended several races early due to an arm injury and riding a KTM 125cc 2-stroke.
Since winning the Red Bud race, Mike Brown had gone through a mid-season crisis. Brown missed the podium overall by just one point at Unadilla; since then, Brown had yet to earn an overall podium. Brown's results started suffering due to bike problems and pulling out of a moto at Millville for no reason at all. At Steel City, Mike Brown opted out of his 2-year-deal at Yamaha of Troy, saying he was burned out from racing in the states after nearly 4 complete seasons. Team Suzuki's Broc Hepler #60 took advantage of Brown's misfortunes and snagged 2nd overall from Brown; Mike would end up 3rd overall in the final points tally. Brown announced he would go back to Europe aboard a CAT Honda; he would return for the 2005 125cc Motocross season on a privateer Honda.
As for James Stewart, 2004 was a ho-hum year. He won all 125cc titles with the 125cc East Supercross title; Stewart had won the 125cc Motocross championship in 2002 with 10 wins out of 12, and the 125cc West Supercross title one year later in 2003 with 7 wins in 8 races. Stewart's dizzying pace left other competitors racing for 2nd place. James iced the 125cc East Supercross title at St. Louis with his 5th consecutive win; a practice crash at the penultimate round at Indy cost him his only chance at a perfect season. James would win the final round at Pontiac to tally 6 wins in the 7-race-series. James would make it 7 out of 8 with a shootout win at Vegas; in total, James won a record 18 125cc Supercross races going back to 2002 -- a record that has stood to this day.
Coming into this race, James had just surpassed history once again. At the last round at Steel City, James won his 27th career 125cc Motocross -- all on his KX125 -- surpassing Ricky Carmichael's record of 26, which Ricky set at the same place (Steel City) in 2001. This final round at Glen Helen would mark James' last ride in the 125cc class before he would advance to the 250cc class for 2005 and beyond. As an extra addition, the Motocross community would get to see James Stewart aboard a KX250F for the first and only time in his career. James got some pretty bad starts on that KX125, but he still managed to come through all the 250F 4-strokes to win 10 of the 11 races.
In this moto, James got the holeshot, and the race was immediately done. Stewart would run away with another piece of history -- a 125cc season record 11 victories out of 12. James had shattered his own record from 2002 when he won 10 races -- 1 more than Ricky Carmichael's 1999 record of 9 victories. The battle was for 2nd place, which went to Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Ivan Tedesco #29 -- the 125cc West Supercross champion. Stewart would win the moto, but AMSOIL Honda's Chris Gosselaar #35 would get 2nd overall, and Team Honda's Nathan Ramsey #25 would get 3rd overall (11-4) because Broc Hepler and Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Matt Walker #122 both crashed out in moto #2. As for James, he ran away with his 28th career 125cc National win; his record of 28 wins in 31 starts still stands to this very day.
Enjoy.

[@mikerellinger15]

This is an awesome piece of history! Thank you for the upload!!

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

You're very welcome. It's a little surprising that this turned out to be James Stewart's only race on a 4-stroke (250cc or 450cc) until December 2005 when Kawasaki came out with their new KX450F 4-stroke. You still had to give James a lot of credit for competing with the 450s in the 250cc class in 2005 MX on his 250cc 2-stroke though.

[@amfk8079]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames its because this bike was not actually fully made by kawasaki, they only built the frame. it was part of the suzuki kawi partnership same deal as the klx400 and drz400 being the same bike. the 06 450 and 250f are the first bikes they built fully in house. James had a factory kawi deal not pro circuit. They didn't want him on a bike they didn't fully make. He was there brand at the time. Those 04-05 kx250fs and 03-06 rmz250s are identical in every way except radiator shroud shape. and rolled out of a suzuki factory

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@amfk8079 Well, either way, lucky you.

[@davidcooper4385]

Stewart took off like a bullet,i was there that day awesome to watch the 125 bad ass turn up the heat...

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Yeah he did. You could visibly see the difference there with James getting the holeshot on that 250F as opposed to starting around 6th-10th on that KX125.

[@robertrishel3685]

Stewart’s one race on equal equipment that’s year🤯. He managed to smoke everyone with a third less power throughout that year on a 125. We may never see another athlete of his caliber in the sport again. The man was pure genius on a motocross bike.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

No disagreements. When Stew announced he would ride the 250F at Glen Helen, you had to think a 1-1 sweep was inevitable after he won 27 races on a KX125.

[@amfk8079]

To be fair the 125s peak hp was higher. Those ktm 125s ripped. They just had no tourqe and need to be on the pipe, not easy to ride like that for 30 minutes. The real advantage is in the ease of riding. You don't have to clutch a 250f hardly at all compared to a 125, 125 needs momentum. I'd bet james wasn't that much slower on a 125 for 1 lap. But on lap 15 he was still fresh on the 250f.

[@Mxrider276]

Thank you once again my friend keep reminding people, I even forgot he rode the 250f and had everybody speechless ,I remember he didn't like the 250f but raced to prove he can win on it, man they never bring up these epic moments that will debate people on things today js7 proved alot of debates on these 2 stroke vs 4 stroke debates.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

You're very welcome. No disagreements on JS7 proving a lot of the 2-stroke/4-stroke debates. The one thing I truly believe he proved was that it was all the rider, not the bike that got the job done. Look what he did -- 11 overall wins and 23 moto wins, and if it wasn't for those two crashes in the second moto at Red Bud, he'd have gone 24-0 in 2004 instead of 23-1. You gotta admit that Stewart looked a lot better on the 250F at this race because his starts were WAY better than when he was on that KX125.

[@Mxrider276]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames i agree 100 percent , it was so many different brand name title sponsor 250 teams back then i noticed vs now its so limited.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@Mxrider276 I know. It kills me that the AMA or whatever is being really picky about sponsorship, and the fact that sponsorship is so cutthroat today -- either 1st place or nothing. How I long for the days where 2nd or 3rd were acceptable for sponsorship.

[@Mxrider276]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames I agree ,if you're team doesn't have a top elite title contender, your fighting or barely hanging on every year to a title sponsor ,now teams hang on to riders for 5 6 years in factory some not even contenders because of the name which imo part of the problem, back then they didn't do that ,they made you work back up to factory but also they had semi factory teams riders could fallback on and build not now we watch the same riders race each other on the same teams for years, not playing musical chairs with these riders at least for equipment sake who knows what these riders can do on different stuff ,but I can go on,i agree with u all the way.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@Mxrider276 It's terrible to see that this sport has become so cutthroat to make a living. Every day I ask myself how more 450cc rides can be available -- and if going back to the 250cc 2-strokes is the true answer.

[@tanwera]

Saw Stewart for about 15 seconds. ESPN then realized that they only had enough cameras to cover one race, so they decided to focus on the one behind Bubba. Meanwhile, Bubba finished first and last in his race; it apparently being a separate one and he the only competitor. Would have been nice if they gave him a bit more camera time.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Well, Stewart on that 250F just about guaranteed that he would be the winner for the day. I was glad to see James out of this class because he made the class a major snoozefest all throughout much of 2004. This series would've been so much more better if James just advanced to the 250cc class for the 250cc Motocross Championship, or if he was out with injury, or racing in Europe.

[@johnslaughter7110]

I also never knew he rode a four stroke 250. I learn new things thanks to your excellent uploads. I wish he had the 450 four stroke for Carmichaels last full year. It would have made a great year even better if that is even possible.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Actually, this was Stewart's ONLY 125cc National on the KX250F; he also DID have a 450cc 4-stroke available for Carmichael's last full year (2006) -- it was 2005 that Kawasaki didn't have a 450cc available and Stewart paid for it big time. I agree that having a 4-stroke would've been a better fight for RC, but 2005 was James' 250cc/450cc rookie season, which was interrupted by injury, and made 2006 James' official rookie season. With James on that KX250, I honestly doubted he would win a moto, but Kawasaki really screwed the pooch for sure -- they thought James would do the same he did in the 125cc class, especially on a 125cc 2-stroke, but there was NO WAY the 250cc class would let Stewart cakewalk the series. That has to have been James' first real lesson, too. This is the 250cc class -- they could give less than two shits if your name is James Stewart, or how much you dominated the 125cc class. I admire James' efforts, but you could tell that his hard riding was going to land him in trouble at times, and it did.

[@johnslaughter7110]

You are correct. Hey, I'm getting old. I bow to your superior knowledge. Please keep up the excellent work posting these races. Thank you!

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

I like to go back and watch these old races when I get the time. I don't think I'll be posting anymore races unfortunately, but I am glad to give people back some memories of back in the day :)

[@johntaylor1858]

Classic race

[@amfk8079]

This one is because suzuki and kawi could not agree when they went to design a 450 together so the ended there manufacturing partnership agreement. Kawi broke a frame in Japan in 2005 and ended up scraping the 05 gen1kx450 all together. No way Factory kawi was going to put there main man on an unproven machine after what happened the year before in japan

[@jamescameron7633]

Awesome

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Glad you liked it. Stewart finishing out his 125cc career on the 250F.

[@paulf144]

The coverage was ish. The fastest man in the class and we barely. EVERY TIME I saw James race in person he did something that made me say "that boy ain't right in the head". It was mind boggling. HE was the show in that lass and the producers refused to acknowledge it.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Well, I would certainly want to see more than just another runaway with James on that 250F myself.

[@amfk8079]

I have the same bike he Is riding. I'm rebuilding it as a 259 tribute.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Lucky you.

[@paulf144]

The amount of video of James Stewart that the production company didn't air in his 125 days is a travesty.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

I certainly wouldn't tune in if the ESPN2 crew just focused on James Stewart from beginning to end. We definitely want to see battles -- whether they're for 1st place or not.

[@johnslaughter7110]

Motocross and Supercross just seems boring without James Stewart. Let the hatemail begin,,,

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Personally, I think the sport is doing just fine without James Stewart out there. Once he went to San Manuel Yamaha at the prime of his career, that was the first of his worst decisions -- going Supercross-only. Next was all his off-track incidents in 2011, and next, burning bridges with Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki. If James is not willing to privateer things and just stay out in no-man's-land, just retire already and stop leaving so many fans in wonder. Chad Reed saved himself from that pathway and then some by funding his own team in 2011 w/ TwoTwo Motorsports Honda. Look where that got Reed.

[@johnslaughter7110]

Mathewv21688...I couldn't agree more about the move to Yamaha and all the rest, but come on, don't you miss the fly or die attitude? Just seems dull without him, but I concede the point. And by the way, Thank you for posting all this great motorcycle racing.I just keep watching it over and over! Many, many thanks!

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

I don't miss it at all. I just knew that Stewart in that red-zone speed was going to result in trouble, and it did. How many races he gave away should be a prime example (Daytona '11, Houston '11), along with his poor riding choices (Phoenix '10), and I think the WADA suspension is the final nail in James's coffin. You're very welcome on all the posts of classic races. Hope you have liked all that I've posted because all that you see on my channel (save for a few races taken down from copyrights) is my entire collection of races. :)

[@johnslaughter7110]

I have you to thank for still being up at 2:15 in the morning watching a race that happened 13 years ago. Instead of becoming a professional motorcycle racer I spent all my money on booze and women, the rest I just wasted.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Well, where I live in Hawaii, it's now 12:02 AM. Whoops, well that won't get anyone anywhere. I remember I was in my 3rd year of high school when this race took place myself.

[@johnnybgood774]

The GOD

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Strictly 125s only is where I agree; overall, certainly not.

[@johnnybgood774]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames can't deny it

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@johnnybgood774 125s only -- NOT both classes overall.

[@johnnybgood774]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames all classes

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

@@johnnybgood774 Not overall. He still never passed Ricky in terms of overall wins, and never will.

[@johnslaughter7110]

Let's agree to disagree.I miss the sitting on the edge of your seat excitement. I wish he would have sponsored himself also, But that suspension the A.M.A gave him was a travesty of justice. It seemed to take all the wind out of his sails. As far as Reed goes, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. O.K. he was a whiner and never achieved the speed of Ricky or James.I broke my own rule. I'm going to have a serious talk with myself.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

I miss that excitement, too, but Vegas '17 gave us quite a bit of that. I just wish that Reed won that race if it weren't for Anderson's cheap shot. James sponsoring himself would've gone a long way like Chad Reed forming his own team, which brought his passion for Supercross back. The only thing I despise from both RC and Stewart was that they both ruined Reed's prime years for winning races; I still despise that to this day. Now, with RC retired as of 2008 and McGrath retired as of 2003 (2006 officially), Chad Reed is the ONLY reason I have left to follow this sport. Once he leaves, I won't have anybody to cheer for, especially with Ryan Dungey announcing his retirement just a couple of days ago.

[@madskrillz2]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames "Ruined"? That makes no sense. He simply got beat. All there is to it. That's like saying Dungey had his prime ruined by RV.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Yes I say "ruined" because Stewart and Carmichael split a lot of the wins between each other and left Reed to just go for 3rd. Just think -- Chad could have had as many as 20 more wins if it wasn't for that #4 and #7.

[@madskrillz2]

@@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames Ok? Just think, RC would have 8283738 more wins if it wasn't for Chad Reed. Chad Reed could never win anything unless his best competition was hurt.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Reed was better than RC in '03 when he won the final 6 races of the Supercross season. Unfortunately, that knee injury RC suffered in November 2003 was a blessing in disguise because after Stewart advanced to the 250cc class for 2005, and Chad Reed having problems with his new '05 Yamaha (and not going to the World Supercross rounds in Canada), Reed was having to find more speed, but he did the next best thing: stay consistent. I won't disagree with people who say that Reed was more consistent than McGrath.

[@marthamryglod291]

Stock motor plus a pipe.

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

Uh-huh.

[@justinrichards5746]

Those bikes were such piles of junk

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

I highly disagree with that.

[@JoshuaDomoslai]

I heard all the issues with 04’ but that was Kawis first year for the 4 stroke. 2005 was much better. I had a 2005 that I rode almost every weekend. Raced once a month at glen helen with SRA, valves always stayed in spec. Mine was crazy reliable. Loved that bike

[@JokersWild70]

Who were his serious competitors, no one? Yes, he's probably the fastest guy to ever race motocross, but he has no real competition here besides Ramsey and Tedesco. Broc Hepler was playing hide n seek I guess? LOL

[@MathewVsSportsMediaandGames]

On the contrary, Mike Brown showed us something at Red Bud with the 2-1 for the overall win after Stewart crashed twice and lost his clutch. But after that, Brown faded out of contention with bad luck and just pulling out of motos for no reason (reference Millville), and busting a shoulder at Steel City. Hepler crashed in this moto, but that was only a prelude to how his career turned out (save for winning the 125cc race at Phoenix 2005).