Angel heart!
By TMX Archives on 14th Jul 05
As I type these words, the New York City chapter of the infamous Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is having its annual Fourth of July party. Right outside my window. As I type these words, the New York City chapter of the infamous Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is having its annual Fourth of July party. Right outside my window. The street is lined with Harleys and the sidewalk is swarming with men wearing black leather vests and deadpan scowls. Some have tattoos where their hair used to be while others are cultivating the classic ponytail-and-beard look. All of them look like they would just as soon kill you as say hello.They don't like it when you call them a gang, yet they ride around with 'Crime Inc.' graphics on their bikes (a similar logo adorns the inside of their HQ's front door). I've spoken with a few of them from time to time and the ones who will acknowledge your presence are actually really nice. They'll stop and pose for photos with tourists and one of them even built a little sidewalk shelter for a local alley cat.But if you talk to people who have been around this particular part of New York's East Village for a while, you'll hear plenty of stories about unfortunate guys who have caught a serious pummeling at their hands. And if you read through some old newspaper reports, you'll wonder why on earth you signed a lease in a building next door to them.Caring for stray cats and dealing out merciless beatings. That's the duality of human nature and we're all capable of either extreme. Some of us are just better at ignoring - or maybe suppressing - that particular part of our psyches. The fact is, these are guys who have a certain lifestyle and philosophy in common. We may not agree with it - we may not even like it - but then we don't have to join the club.What's all this got to do with motocross? Maybe nothing. Maybe the recent around-the-clock sonic booms of the Angels' bikes have finally gotten to me. But there's something about those guys who have cast aside our 'normal' behaviour and societal politeness in favor of something more basic, something more...raw. They are who they are and they don't care if you like it or not.I've discussed young James Stewart at length several times in these pages. He is, without question, one of the most exciting riders the sport has ever seen. His 'Bubba Scrub' technique has already been adopted by several competitors, much like Jeremy McGrath's BMX-informed riding style influenced MC's generation. At 19 years of age, he has two AMA 125cc MX championships to his name, plus two 125cc SX titles and 11 Loretta Lynn's amateur national titles. He is the youngest 125 national champion in the sport's history and in 2002 he won 10 of 12 races for the 125 outdoor title, an all-time record. Hollywood is already knocking and James has become friends with people like Michael Jordan and the recently insane Tom Cruise.So why does it feel like, all of a sudden, Bubba's career is crumbling? His debut year in the premier 250 class has been marred by injury, inconsistency and wild rumours. When he broke his arm at the second supercross of the season, the fans felt let down. He came back strong though and on the eve of the outdoor national season anticipation was high.Bubba's outdoor troubles began at the season-opening Hangtown national. James crashed twice in the first moto and finished sixth, then pulled off the track during the second race. Speculation was rampant - was Bubba's injured thumb more serious than people had thought? The official line from Kawasaki was that Stewart was feeling light-headed but, either way, it was a costly DNF. High Point brought two thrilling battles with Carmichael but Stewart seemed to lack the conditioning to hang with the champ all the way and he had to settle for 2-2 on the day.At round three James pulled out of the first moto and didn't even turn up for the second. The official word from Kawasaki was that he had complained of light-headedness, he received treatment from track medics and everyone agreed that it would be best if he didn't continue.While James looked to be back to his old self the following weekend at Budds Creek, going 2-3 for third overall, he refused to discuss the events of Southwick with reporters. This, of course, fueled rampant speculation - both online and in the pits - about what the problem could be. Was he more sick than he's letting on? Was he out of shape? Partying too much? Nobody knew. And worse yet, nobody 'inside' was saying a word.Just yesterday at Red Bud, things got even worse. Stewart once again went 2-3 for third on the day but the real story on the day was his second-moto collision with Kevin Windham. The two riders tangled while battling for second on lap three and K-Dub went down. From that point on, Stewart was greeted with a chorus of boos as he made his way around the track. Astonishingly, Windham - possibly the most naturally talented rider in America - actually caught back up to Stewart. And in a gesture that restores a little of my faith in humanity, he waved his competitor by. It was a classy move, if you ask me. Windham was the faster rider and James felt bad (the booing probably didn't help).Did I mention that all this came only a day after the AMA announced that Stewart and team-mate Michael Byrne were docked 25 points by the AMA for using illegal fuel?Right now, James Stewart is being pulled in a million different directions. His lifelong dream of being at the top of the sport is a reality but it feels like it's all going wrong.I never thought I'd say this but I think James needs to take a cue from the Hells Angels. Bubba, I've seen Ricky Carmichael - now the most respected rider on US soil - greeted by thousands of booing 'fans'. This, too, shall pass - you just need to stay true to yourself. You know who you are and what you need to do. So cue up the Super Furry Animals' 'The Man Don't Give a ***k' and get down to the business of being a champion. Like the plaque above the Angels' door says -'When In Doubt, Knock 'Em Out'.Words by Jeff Kocan, courtesy Racer X Photo by Steve Cox