Troy Dog
Notice that this column now has a sponsor? That’s right! Troy Dog joined the Blu Cru and you should too! I have one in my garage right now and I can’t wait to go shred it! Thank you to Yamaha for believing in my ELITE columns on this dirt bike website enough to sponsor me. What a dream come true! BTW: Have you seen the all-new YZ450F? OH. MY. GOODNESS. I can’t wait to test that bad boy.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the Stews. James Stewart was the entire reason I even became obsessed with this sport in the first place. I remember at Kenworthys in 2002, James was walking down the track exit, which was a staple for that track because it was the closest you could get to the riders without going to the pits. The Stewart family was walking down that path giving high fives to the hundreds of fans. I was all but 11 years old at the time and I saw little Malcolm, who I guess was around eight at the time. I simply said, “Are you little Bubba?” Then he replied, “No, I’m Big Bubba.” I have no idea why that has stayed with me for so long, but here we are 20 years later and it’s still relevant.
Malcolm Stewart is going to win a few main events this season. Stamp it. Not just one and possibly three!
Yes, sound the buzzer, because that is the biggest hot take I think I’ve ever publicly put out into the world. I’m usually right with my opinions and hot takes, so I can afford to be wrong every once in a while, right? It’s not like I’m a Slaw Dog who is completely wrong about everything everyday, you know? I feel strongly that Mookie has the speed right now to run with anyone in the sport and if he can limit those costly mistakes he’s a shoe-in for victory.
The speed that Mookie is possessing this year is elite. What I’m waiting for is for him to put it all together in the main event. I mean did you see his heat race in San Diego? Without having any insight into Malcolm, or his game plan this season, I can only speculate on what I think he wants to accomplish this season. He wants a main event win very badly. In my opinion he knew that he should have gotten one last season. This year he’s going to check that goal off of his list.
Once he gets that first win off of his plate I think a couple more wins will come to him, but that’s hard to say considering he’s going up against Tomac, Webb, Roczen, Anderson, and crew. Yet, if he rides like he did in his San Diego heat race for 20 minutes then that’s going to be very difficult to beat.
Now that we’ve dissected the winning, can we talk about the amount of fans that cheer for Stewart every weekend? Like I know he’s always been very well liked by fans, he’s got a great personality, he makes interviews fun, and seems to always make time for his supporters. Yet, this year whenever he makes a pass or gets up in the mix, the crowd goes absolutely nuts every single time. It’s almost like when Barcia took him out at Salt Lake City that his fan base grew by a large percentage. People want to see him win and do well.
So, to sum it all up, I’ve caught Mookie fever and I’m not sure there is a cure for it. The progression that he has made every year since turning pro and even since he’s jumped up into the 450 class has been cool to watch. He’s still getting better and a win is the next step. It could even come as soon as this weekend at Anaheim 2 with the triple crown. Three shorter races can translate to three “Heat race Mookie” performances, eh?
Remember when Mook would always say that he didn’t want to race Pro Motocross and that he would rather be a pro fisherman? It’s funny how things play out in life, although I still think that he will be a pro fisherman after he retires from racing.
Who else has Mookie fever and how many wins do you think he will get in the next 15 rounds?
Main image: Husqvarna
