By PAT SCHUTTE
PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN
if getting props from both Ricky
Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath
at the postrace press conference
wasn't cool enough , hav ing you r
ero - the original number 259,
Tony Haines - at the track with you and getting to high-five him on the infield after each
m oto win just made th ings just t hat much
more special fo r James Stewart at Steel City.
Stewart is now t he all-time I25cc-c1ass win
leader, surpassing Carmichael with another
dominating I- I performance at Steel City. The
Kawasaki ride r made it 27 career wins in just a
little more than 2 1/2 years since turning pro ,
and he also ties Roger DeCoster on the alltime combined AMA win list .
"Th e hardest t hing of my week e nd was getting out of Florida," said Ste wart, who was
re ferring to Hurricane Franc is, wh ich pounded
his home stat e of Florida. " I was almost thin king of staying home and trying to br eak the
record at Glen Helen. I've pretty much done
everything that can be done on a 12S - won the
last 17 of 19 races."
Stewart then announced that he will switch
A
26 SEPTEMBER 15,2004 • CYCLE NE
