Page 64 - Issue-46

MALCOLM STEWART
450 SX / 13TH
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / ECKERT DESIGN / WILSON
>> Facing misfortunes and crippling mistakes, Malcolm Stewart hasn’t quite caught the stride on the big bike that he hoped he would. Despite 2017 not being the year he was looking for it to be, though, Malcolm has, indeed, put his privateer Suzuki into the top ten twice and is always battling for a top fifteen spot. Spending his time smiling and grooving to the beats on his boat, his results haven’t hindered his efforts as it’s easy to tell that Malcolm is giving it his all. Just like on 250’s, it’s only a matter of time before Mookie is pushing his way even closer to the front of the field. With that said, Stewart arrived on scene in East Rutherford ready to throw down in the second to last round. As racing in heat two began, Stewart seemed to struggle out of the gate crossing the holeshot line outside the top five but making quick work on the opening lap, Malcolm slid into 3rd by lap two. Getting pressure from Josh Grant, Malcolm took a wide line to get a good drive through the sand section when Grant came in too hot to handle. The collision initiated by Grant took Mookie out abruptly and, ultimately, caused Josh to hit the deck before he could escape the chaos. The crash forced both riders outside of qualifying spots and into a semi. In Semi 1, Malcolm got a better jump and rounded turn one inside the top five. He worked his way to 3rd, quickly, just like the heat race but this time was able to fend off all intruders. Thus, he gave himself the chance to hold the position till the finish and take his result to the big show.
With twenty-two screaming bikes warping the metal holding the stadium together, the riders ripped off the line with Stewart getting his worst jump of the night. Just outside of the top ten
on the opening lap, Malcolm settled into 13th ahead of, you guessed it, Josh Grant. The two played nice this time around, though, with Grant moving into the top ten, leaving Stewart in his wake. Malcolm tried latching onto Dean Wilson after he moved into 12th place but when the red-plated freight train of Eli Tomac rolled through, Mookie was forced to disconnect from Dean. Now in 13th, Stewart rode the rest of the race without a way around Wilson or Reed, both of the riders battling in front of him. Seeming to settle, it wasn’t until the closing minutes that Stewart was caught by surprise when Jake Weimer made a final push. Picking up three spots in the final few minutes, Weimer jumped from 14th to 11th and as a result, Stewart was pushed back into 13th where he had began the race twenty minutes earlier. The result was Stewart’s best since St. Louis and is a stepping stone for moving forward. The long lost Stewart camp is gain- ing steam and will head to Vegas next weekend with their pockets full of chips, look for Malcolm to gamble in the Sam Boyd Stadium.
64 GRITMOTO • APRIL 30, 2017