James Bubba Stewart Biography

Oct 05, 2016

At age 17, James "Bubba" Stewart is making millions, changing history and winning just about every dirtbike race he enters. Kidzworld looks at the teenage athlete who's becoming known as the Tiger Woods of motocross.

Baby Bubba Stewart

James "Bubba" Stewart was born December 21, 1985. Bubba Stewart was still in diapers when he first went for a motorcycle ride. His dad, James Stewart Sr., took Bubba for a dirtbike ride when he was just two days old. Bubba Stewart entered his first race when he was four and was already a sponsored rider at the age of seven.

Bubba, Bikes and Bullies

When Bubba Stewart was eight, he was a big fan of another racer named Jeff "Chicken" Matiasevich. James Bubba Stewart began calling himself "Baby Chicken," which somehow evolved into Bubba, and the name has stuck ever since. At that age, James "Bubba" Stewart traveled around the country with his family so he could compete in motocross races. The Stewarts lived in a motorhome and Bubba and his younger brother, Malcolm, were home-schooled. Many other kids resented that Bubba Stewart got to travel and miss school all the time, so he was sometimes teased and picked on. Those same chumps are now begging to hang out at Bubba's home in Haines City, Florida, which has an outdoor motocross track, trampoline, air hockey and pool table.

Bubba Stewart Becomes Big

As an amateur racer, James "Bubba" Stewart won nine national titles. Stewart became known for his blazing speed and big air, which was unheard of for a rider of his young age. In 2002, Bubba turned pro and was named the 2002 Rookies of the Year. While Bubba Stewart continues to win races as a pro, he has also started to make big bucks in endorsements. Stewart's sponsors include Kawasaki, Gatorade and Oakley, and he also has a role in an MX2002 video game for the Playstation. He's also the first African-American to dominate the sport of motocross. That has made James Bubba Stewart an inspiration for other African-American kids to enter the sport and also led Teen People to name him one of "20 Teens Who Will Change the World" in its April 2003 issue.

Bubba Stewart - Did U Know?

James "Bubba" Stewart wears number 259. It's in honor of his hero, Tony Haynes, who broke his neck in a motocross race in 1993 and was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Despite flying through the air off massive jumps every day, Bubba Stewart isn't fearless. He has a phobia of being eaten by an alligator or a shark.
Bubba Stewart's favorite football team is the Green Bay Packers.

Bubba Stewart Says...

"A typical Bubba looks like an older white gentleman, kind of fat, who lives on a farm, has a toothpick and wears overalls and a straw hat."