Following a switch to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team, Malcolm Stewart is off to the best start of his 450SX career in Monster Energy AMA Supercross. After finishing 7-5-5-5 to start the 2022 season, Stewart finished 3-2-4 for second overall at the Glendale Supercross Triple Crown, a new career best.
Stewart’s second career 450SX podium came at the venue he left with a broken femur at in 2019 after a freak bike issue that ended his season early. Now after five rounds of 2022, Stewart sits fourth in the standings.
It hasn't been as easy as it looks, though, as we heard that behind the scenes Stewart was not happy with his machine at the last race. He addressed switching to the new bike and team after the Glendale race.
Malcolm, obviously I’m sure you're pumped to get on the podium. Do you also feel that the riding and the bike and all that is coming around, or was it just finally getting the right circumstances? Or did you make some gains?
Malcolm Stewart: The first couple rounds we were just learning the bike. Putting it in the race conditions, you start to learn how the motorcycle works and stuff. I feel like we did a really big turnaround this week. I feel like we really just went back to the basics, when we first got on the bike. I felt like that really improved everything. Sometimes you get shied away. You’re doing so much testing and stuff and you kind of just get off a little. I feel like everything started to get back correctly. Our starts were really, really good. I think this Triple Crown, if anything, only helped me get more data for the motorcycle.
The big change for you this year was obviously heading over to Aldon’s program and sort of getting into that process. We haven’t really gotten to speak to you about it. How has it been working with Aldon? How do you feel this year? Getting yourself on the podium obviously is a step in the right direction.
I feel great. I think it’s more of an overall package for me, with obviously training with Aldon [Baker] and being on Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. Like I said, this was always one of the motorcycles I wanted to ride, so when I finally got the opportunity, it was like, you believe in it. Again, we started to get the ball rolling with everything. Got the starts. We’re just slowly getting the process, but I think this was a big turnaround for us. We’ve been searching. We’ve been on the edge. Three fifths in a row coming up into this weekend, so we were right there. I feel like this Triple Crown, if anything, helped me out. Just going to keep this momentum going and get back to work Monday and keep it going.
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There’s less smiles this year and maybe some more fire in your belly, a little bit more competitive. Has it been a frustrating couple first rounds trying to find these settings to get to this? I feel like you think you should have been here a few races ago.
As a rider, your expectations is there. I feel like even this is something you’ve got to just take what you can get. Even when we were kind of getting some sevenths, a fifth and a fifth, I feel like it's just learning the motorcycle, learning and being around the team, it’s an entire change for me. I feel like this is something that you’ve just got to get through the rounds and then sure enough, four or five rounds in you’re starting to get the ball rolling. This is like that time. I feel really good about everything. I’m not frustrated or anything. Actually, if you’re around me in the pits, I’m smiling, just giggling away. So, that aspect is still the same, but when I put that helmet on it’s all about serious, because I want to be there.
The bike change you talked about, you wanted to get on that bike. We always see you as unreal in the whoops. I feel like either everyone else has got faster or maybe you’re not quite as fast in the whoops. Am I imagining things, or is there anything different about how that bike feels in the whoops than the other bike?
No. I feel like the bike is great, honestly. I feel like it’s just more learning the motorcycle. Every motorcycle is different. Of course, aluminum frame to a steel frame is going to be a little bit different. I felt like this week, we made a massive change, basically went all the way back to the basics, and I feel more comfortable where Mookie is coming back in the whoops. I feel great. Again, it’s just an overall package. You’ve got to get start. You’ve got to run up there. The field is deep now. Anybody can win on any given night. So, it’s about the start and just ride your race. Just be smart out there.
You have been sharing how you’ve been learning off the bike, learning off the team, improving little by little. Does this second place feel like a win even though it’s not the center step? Does this feel like a win with all that hard work that you’ve been doing all these years, and even this season?
Of course. Any time that you get on the box it kind of just lightens your weight on your shoulders. It feels good. Just putting all the work in, you know where you should be but sometimes you’ve got to crawl before you walk. Like I said earlier, we made a lot of changes leading up to this, and then this is the setting we went to and this only added onto it. If anything, it’s just a big booster for me. It just gets you back in the game. I’m excited. We’re just going to keep moving forward. We’ve got more races to go, so I’m going to keep this thing going.
Even before tonight, did you feel that you still belonged in this 450 class, even before a performance like tonight?
Of course. All the hard work that I did in the off-season, there was no doubt in my mind that I shouldn’t be up there. Again, it’s an overall package. Learning the motorcycle, and we’re starting to learn it more and more. Again, these Triple Crown races right here only help for more data with the bike. We’re leaning in the right direction, as you can see, ending up second overall. So, I’m excited.
Watch the full 450SX post-race press conference below:
