Written by:
AMA Communications
American Motorcyclist Association
11/03/2008
Pickerington, OH
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is proud to announce that James Stewart, the newly crowned champion of the 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, is one of five nominees for the 2008 AMA SPEED Athlete of the Year award. The winner will be announced at the 2008 AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Sunday evening, Nov. 23, at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Ala.
Dating back to 1976, the AMA SPEED Athlete of the Year award is the highest honor bestowed on a professional motorcycle racer competing in AMA events. Past recipients of the award include such legendary names as Bob Hannah, Scott Parker, Kenny Roberts and Ricky Carmichael.
Nominees who have been announced for this year's award include Stewart, AMA Flat Track Champion Kenny Coolbeth and AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies.
Stewart, from Haines City, Fla., earned his nomination by winning all 24 motos in the 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF to claim the No. 1 plate. He's only the second rider in the history of the sport to accomplish this clean sweep. The first was Carmichael.
"I am truly honored to be nominated and proud to be in the company of the other nominees, and humbled by those who have received this award previously," Stewart said after learning of his nomination.
In addition to winning the 2008 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, Stewart was part of Monster Energy's AMA Team USA three-rider crew that claimed the coveted Chamberlain Trophy at the 2008 Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations held Sept. 27-28, in Donington Park, Great Britain.
Stewart adds the AMA Motocross title to a trophy case that includes the 2007 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.
