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James Stewart Suspended After Positive Drug Test

AMA Supercross and Motocross racer James Stewart has been provisionally suspended by the International Motorcycling Federation after a drug sample tested positive for amphetamines. The positive test was from the April 12 AMA Supercross round in Seattle. The three podium finishes in the 450 class in Seattle were tested.

Schwantz and Mackenzie on the Nurburgring box

A 500GP bike never fails to stop me in my tracks and that’s exactly what happened when I spotted this Schwantz example from the early nineties, proudly displayed on the Arai stand at the recent Motorcyclelive show.  On loan from Crescent Suzuki and accompanied by a rostrum publicity shot from the 1990 German GP at the Nurburgring, I felt the urge to write a few words on that special weekend. I started the year running my own 250 GP team with fairly standard TZ Yamahas but was drafted in as Kevin Schwantz’s team mate after Kevin Magee suffered a serious head injury at the second Grand Prix in Laguna Seca.  With no testing and some major Spanish food poisoning I finished 8th at the next round in Jerez then followed that up with a 5th place in Misano. Next up was the Nurburgring and after qualifying on the second row of the grid, my crew chief Geoff Crust informed me he had a premonition of a race day rostrum finish. He also told me I better make it come true as he was already looking forward to a few post race celebratory refreshments. While I hoped Crusty was the new mystic meg, the truth was I would have been more than happy to buy the beers if I made it to the flag inside the top five. I had an outside chance of catching one major scalp as Wayne Rainey was riding with a nasty hand injury but I suspected adrenalin would see him through the day. I also followed Mick Doohan a fair bit in practice but he was beginning to find his feet on the Rothmans Honda so was going to be another problem.  When the lights went out Schwantz and Rainey went straight to the front I while I hung in behind Doohan and Pier Francesco Chilli, and then it happened. Coming out of the bottom right hand hairpin, Doohan and Chilli simultaneously high sided in one of the most spectacular crashes of the season. I never liked seeing any fellow riders crash but I made the most of this early race gift and rode my 160bhp/115kg RGV hard to the flag, claiming my first podium of the season.  We partied hard (win or lose we always did) that night and I went on to have my best ever season finishing fourth overall in the championship. After the last round in Australia, I finished second to Kevin at Sugo in Japan then won in Malaysia at another international race that KS didn’t attend. I also tested at Eastern Creek for the following season but then was flicked from the team for reasons that still remain a mystery. Hey Ho!       

Why I love BSB's Showdown

It has lovers, haters and even many that still don't understand it but everyone in British bike racing is currently talking about the BSB Showdown.  With my rider's or team manager's hat on, I wasn't convinced when it was first announced in 2010 but I'm now totally converted and enjoy every part of the season as intensity increases.  And being a value for money Scot the best thing is you get four championships under one umbrella.  Championship # 1; In the early rounds everyone on the grid has aspirations of taking the title but as the season progresses, the focus narrows down to making sure you secure that top six showdown spot over the first nineteen races (riders can also drop their worst two results).  Championship #2; For the confident front runners, over these races, the real goal is the podium credit championship (3 for 1st ,2 for 2nd,1 for 3rd) which then gives them a points head start after things are put back to zero for the final seven race shoot-out.  Championship #3; The best of the rest championship (7th and below) that will be battled over the final races. Championship # 4;  Over the final seven races the British Superbike Champion is crowned. The recent adding and reshuffling a few top name riders for the Showdown has already spiced things up so hold on tight for the remaining five races!