VOL. 51 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 19, 2014 P35
by another—tough luck
in Tennessee and it just
seemed to get worse ev-
ery weekend, from Red-
bud to Budds to finally
Millville where I wasn't
even able to start the
second moto and had to
pull out.
"It took a few weeks
after Millville to recov-
er and get back up to
speed but finally I feel
like I can be out in front
again. I feel great on my
RM-Z and want to race.
Unfortunately, the whole
situation with my medi-
cal condition and the process
has far exceeded how long we
thought it would take.
"As of today, I'm still not in the
position to be able to race. It's
frustrating to me 'cause that's all
I've ever wanted to do. The situa-
tion is so complicated and like I
said, it's taking a lot longer to get
through the process than I ever
expected. I feel like I've let a lot of
people down—my fans, my fam-
ily, my team, my sponsors—they
are all so important to me 'cause
they're my life. And racing is my
life.
"I'm hoping I can at least get
out there and catch the last round
in Utah. I'm hoping for the best."
James Stewart hopes to compete in Utah.
RIP CHRIS BLANKENSHIP
M
otocross/track builder Chris Blankenship died on Tues-
day, August 12, as a result of injuries sustained in a moto-
cross crash on Sunday at Washington's Town and Country Fair
in Washington, Missouri. Blankenship was 38. Blankenship suf-
fered the crash on Sunday and was transported by ambulance
to Mercy-Hospital-Washington before being airlifted to Mercy
Hospital-St. Louis with head injuries. He passed away two days
later. According to local reports, Blankenship built tracks for
companies like Dirt Wurx, the Supercross track builders. "Chris
was one of the most down to earth guys you could probably
meet," fellow racer Nik Stephenson told the Gasoncade Coun-
ty Republican newspaper. "You could tell when Chris made a
track. Everything was in sync and so smooth. It all blended to-
gether and was in rhythm." Blankenship is survived by his wife,
Crystal, a son, Macen, and daughter, Kate. Funeral arrange-
ments are pending.
