"After drumming up the courage to get out of the truck and face my fears, I loosened up a bit as the track seemed to be thinning out. We arrived late to get the best sunlight for photos, and just as I geared up Byrne and the others were done riding and preparing to leave. That relieved a little pressure for the time being. It was cool to be able to walk up to Bubba's bike and sit on it and talk to his mechanic about it. This is a bike that I have only been able to see under the Team Kawasaki awning, and now I was getting to ride it-sweet! As I pulled on my jersey, Jimmy Lewis went out for a few laps, and to my surprise he wasn't the scared-stiff board I thought he would be and he was actually jumping stuff. Then it was my turn. As Lewis handed me the bike, I could see a huge smile on his face and could tell he was having fun.
"Now a tad more comfortable, I hopped on the No. 259 KX250 and was off to learn a new track on a new bike with new gear and new boots. The track definitely had some crazy sections, but fortunately I've been riding a lot of supercross lately, getting primed for a few of the 125 Western Region supercross rounds. As I became familiar with the course, I couldn't believe how hard the power hit on Bubba's bike. It's super-snappy and hits harder than any bike I have ever ridden. The throttle response is insane; forget about being in shape to burn laps, you have to be in shape just to hold on to the green monster.
"The part I liked the most on the KX250 was the Kayaba works suspension. It is super-stiff; I overjumped a few jumps, and it soaked up the landing without taking any energy from me. It also kept the bike straight at all times, so I could get away with making little mistakes that would have been huge errors with stock suspension. I've bought kit works suspension for my personal race bike, and after riding Stewart's, I want to have mine set up even stiffer. I liked the way it soaked up everything straight as an arrow. Overall, the bike was a lot better than I thought it would be, and there is only one word to explain it: gnarly!
"As I was doing laps for photos, I noticed someone on the side of the track watching me, and when I looked, I realized it was none other than Stewart. I felt like a kook! It was really strange to have one of the best riders in the world, whom I have always watched, watching me! Instantly I was nervous again, but on the other hand, it was a cool experience; besides, I didn't crash his bike! And being able to talk and shoot a few photos with him was super-cool; hopefully, some of his speed will rub off on me. It was truly a day I won't soon forget!"
In the end, Bubba lost only about 15 fans, or as he said, "At least now they'll think I'm really hurt the way you guys were riding!" His bike is one of the meanest motorcycles Armstrong and I have ridden. Most of the setup is normal, just made to go really fast. And when Stewart gets back on it, we're sure that's what he'll do.