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Malcolm Stewart

posted Sep 15, 2008 to Featured Articles by FLmx
from the Sep 2008 issue

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Text: Jenn Sheppard

Pics: Photo Frank

Home in Haines City – the Heart of Florida is the center of the state - Malcolm Stewart sits with his video game controller in hand, waiting for the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay to pass. At this time, he’s allowed to play his game. The downpour of rain in Central Florida lasts for days; as expected, Malcolm hasn’t been on his bike in a while…

MALCOLM STEWART: But that would be fun.

FLmx: How is the weather, anyway?

MS: We’re like a hit and miss. It’ll rain, and then it’ll stop. It’s on and off.

FLmx: What do you do when you’re bored?

MS: Just play video games. Sit on my butt all day.

FLmx: Do you go to the gym?

MS: Yeah. I go to the gym and then when I come back and there’s nothing else to do because it’s raining. It’s too windy to bike ride outside.

FLmx: Can you describe Haines City?

MS: It’s a pretty nice town. It’s a small town, but it’s our home town, you know? But it’s all nice. Except for KFC; that’s nasty.

FLmx: What about the tracks at your house?

MS: I have two supercross tracks and one outdoor. During supercross season, I’ll probably get to practice supercross, and I’ll still ride outdoor. Sometimes I’ll ride supercross, but I haven’t been doing that lately because every time I go on the supercross, I done broke something. I’ve been kinda staying away from that.

FLmx: Do you like outdoors better?

MS: No, I like supercross. It’s a little harder and technical, you know? I don’t really like going fast. I like technical stuff.

FLmx: You like catching air better?

MS: No, not really. Jumping’s pretty fun, but when it comes to whipping it, that still scares me.

FLmx: What part of the track do you like the best, then?

MS: I would say probably the whoops.

FLmx: What’s your first memory?

MS: I did the double-double section on my 60. We used to get these toy dirt bikes and Dad said if I do it every lap, I’d get one, so I did. I was having fun. My number used to be four. Then I changed it to 171 and it just went from there. 171 was my dad’s number and I was riding on that for a while; then I went to 271.

FLmx: What did your dad race?

MS: Dad used to ride 500 and 250. He used to be the Dade City Man.

Some might expect Malcolm to be a clone of his older brother, James – the celebrated sibling, who, up to this point, has parlayed a perfect season in the motocross class. But in fact, Malcolm just might be quite the opposite. His voice, not yet mature as his 22-year-old brother, is light and easy-going. At 15-years-old, Malcolm answers easily and he laughs a lot in the conversation; he just sounds so mature. Actually, Malcolm’s trying to hang on to his youth as long as he can.

He says he’s still a kid - still watches Sponge Bob and everything. He doesn’t really want to grow up, growing up in the shadow of his older brother provides for a competitive relationship – it’s definitely evident. Malcolm says he’s still the man on the pit bike; the last time the two brothers went at it, Malcolm got ahead of James.

Then he got mad and took me out, so we haven’t been on that since. He doesn’t like getting beat – neither do I – he doesn’t like to get passed.

The boys’ father, James, could be considered a genius, or the man blessed with two sons who can ride a motorcycle just like he used to do back in the day. He coaches both sons, like most dads in the sport, and it’s here where Malcolm holds his advantage.

MS: Dad’s the one who started everything. He’s the one who knows more than anything. He’s still telling my brother what to do. That’s what makes me better.

FLmx: What does your dad tell you?

MS: I have kind of a bad thing of hunching over - I don’t know why. He wants me to sit up. I guess my back’s bad or something. I have a bad problem with that and keeping my foot up. That’s the main two things.

The harder he tries, the more the results speak for themselves. A few months after Malcolm won his first amateur title – Malcolm went 3-1 in the MX Lites B Mod class at Lake Whitney this year – he finished on the podium in the Motocross B Stock class at Loretta Lynn’s in August, and it was no thumping victory! Malcolm took the first moto win and finished 1-4-4 for second overall. All of this on a two stroke!

FLmx: How did you feel after the first moto win?

MS: I still had to get off the gate, plus it was a mud moto and I definitely had no advantage in that, but I still had it. I don’t know how it happened – somehow. Yeah, we had a few mistakes and stuff, but we managed.

FLmx: Do you like the start?

MS: I get little bitty butterflies, but I just say I’m going to get the holeshot and the next thing you know, I mean, I don’t get the holeshot but the next thing you know I’m in fifth. It’s all about who holds it on the longest. You have to have the attitude. Once you start doubting yourself, as soon as you get off the gate, you’ll chop the throttle and you’ll get hurt.

FLmx: Do you like coming from the back?

MS: No. I hate coming from the back. If I don’t get the start. That and having torque. That failed this year. That failed.

FLmx: Do you prefer the 250?

MS: I’d still pick a 450. I mean, 250’s easier to ride, but I kind of like the 450 a bit better. It’s heavy though. That’s the only thing I don’t like. You hit the breaking bumps and all that; it’s a lot heavier.

FLmx: Do you think the two strokes will ever die?

MS: No, actually. They’ve been staying in there. They went dead from about 2006 to 2007 – there wasn’t that many – but now that they opened that class up for this year, it’s been pretty good. Now you got 125s and 250s; it’s really good now. Now everyone wants to get a 250.”

(The new AMA rule allows 250cc 2-strokes to compete against 250cc 4-strokes.)

Under his dad’s watchful eye, Malcolm posted some of the best results he’s had in years at the Ranch, and this time, the drive home from Tennessee was a happy one for the Stewart family.

MS: Usually, when you’re way up there and you get a whole bunch of bad days, that’s a long ride home. Twelve hours is like twenty hours. Yeah, we had a few mistakes and stuff, but we managed. I still wasn’t trained, still. I thought I was, but I did a lot better than I did last year, so I’m happy about that. At least I’m getting better every year because last year, I barely even made a top ten.

Beneath that good ol’ boy demeanor is an incredibly positive young teenager who persists with confidence of beating the best.

MS: I try. All you can do is try. That’s all I can do. I’m on a late start to try to beat my brother. I’m on a long late start.

FLmx: You sure have a lot of fans out there. What would you say to them?

MS: Just go out there and have fun. Do your best. Yeah, you’re going to get some bad times, but you gotta work through that. Just have fun. If you aren’t havin’ fun, you might as well quit. You got to have fun when you’re out there.

In some ways, Malcolm is unlike anyone else who shares his last name. He’s the country boy who loves American muscle cars and big block Chevy’s; he’s the one who doesn’t mind getting dirty or baiting a worm.

FLmx: Tell me about this 1969 Camaro that you want? What color do you see?

MS: Oh yeah. Green! White stripe. Oh yeah. I love that one. That’s one of the cars I want to get.

FLmx: Where will you put your dirt bike?

MS: Depends on if I get the ’69 Camaro. If I get it, I’d throw the dirt bike away. I just want the Camaro. That’s all I want.

FLmx: Who’s your favorite county singer?

MS: If I could only think of the name. The guy that sung at Loretta’s this year. I can’t think of the name. Something about a tractor. P-p-p-plower.

[Ed note: Craig Morgan performed International Harvester.]

FLmx: You also like to fish?

MS: I love fishing. I really can’t fly fish, but I will definitely bass fish. I never really get the salt water, but I love snooks and stuff. Any fishing’s fun. Most people can’t have the patience - it’s not really about skill – it’s all about patience. There’s a little skill here and there.”

FLmx: Where does the patience come from?

MS: I don’t know. I don’t know where I got it from. I just like to wet the line in the water. The only thing I do not touch is shrimp. I don’t like shrimp. I can touch anything else. I don’t know what’s up with shrimp.”

The real Malcolm starts to emerge.

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FLmx: So, how do you relax?

MS: Playing my game.

FLmx: That’s not relaxing!

MS: I don’t know. I guess sleeping at night. That’s relaxed. It’s wide open during the daytime, anyway.

(Maybe he’s not so different from his brother.)

FLmx: Do you think people treat you differently because they know who your brother is?

MS: I try not to get treated differently. The only thing that aggravates me is when someone comes up to you and they’re like, Hey Malcolm, you know, how you doing and all that, and the first thing they say is, how’s your brother doing? That’s all they do is they talk about my brother and that just aggravates me. What about me?

Coming into his own, the young Stewart creeps out of the shadows, building a name for himself as a champion. He can be anyone he wants to be. He is Malcolm Stewart.

FLmx: Who would you like to thank?

MS: Fox. Maxima. Oakley. Pro Circuit. Kawasaki. Cti. That’s about it. I mean that’s not it. Oh yeah and JSE. That’s my brother’s company.

FLmx: What does that mean?

MS: James Stewart Entertainment.

FLmx: Cool. What’s the next race for you, Malcolm?

MS: Gold Cups.

FLmx: Sweet. I’ll see you out there! Thank you!

MS: No problem. See ya.

FLmx would like to thank Sonya for being so helpful and allowing us full run of the Stewart compound!