When the dust had settled at the end of all the elimination brackets for the second Red Bull Straight Rhythm (which was held at the Fairplex in Pomona, California), it was James Stewart (in his racing return after serving a suspension for a positive PED test) and his younger brother Malcolm taking victories in the Open and Lites classes, respectively. After an initial 16-foot drop from the start house, the unwound 2,500-foot Supercross track featured 75 jumps and 400 feet of whoops. Riders raced side by side with their rivals in a dragrace style sprint to the finish. Ryan Dungey vs. James Stewart Finals Run POV
In the 16-rider Open class, the finale came down to a battle between German Ken Roczen and James Stewart, who had just taken down Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey. In the best of three-run format, Stewart closed the deal on run number two, after Roczen made a mistake and fell slightly behind. “I could have quit this year, I could have retired,” said Stewart. “There’s not really much for me to prove in the record books, but I love racing and I want to continue to get better. I still feel I’ve got a lot left. I didn’t race all year, I’m pretty much coming off the couch, so to come out here and perform, it’s awesome.” In the eight-rider Lites field, the final featured Shane McElrath facing off against Malcolm Stewart, who had the momentum and showed why he hadn’t lost on a single pass en route to his class win. “My brother was pushing me more than anything, because he hasn’t raced the entire season,” said Malcolm. “It was a good day for both of us, and I’m glad we both made history, you’ll definitely see both of us back next year.” Malcolm Stewart vs. Shane McElrath Winning Run POV
