James (Stewart) is coming in after having knee injury. We don't know, until we see him in competition, what's going to be the result of that injury (an injury he suffered during the 2007 Motocross season). Even if he's a tick off - as mental as these guys can be - that might really throw him off in the coming weeks. Right now, he's sitting there telling himself, 'I'm okay; I'm okay; I'm okay.' But you don't really know if you're okay until you get out there and compete against the guys you're going to have to run with. If Chad and Grant step up - and you're a tick off - all of a sudden your in the 'oh no' mode. That could make a huge difference. James is an amazing competitor and he might not have any problems with that knee - and if he doesn't, these guys really have their work cut out for them."
SPEED: How important is Anaheim 1?
Sheheen: "Anaheim 1 is there biggest race of the year. Each competitor has a huge amount of pressure on them to perform well. Now, many of those bright lights will be focused on James. How will he react? They will be asking him 'are you really the guy everyone thinks you're going to be?' 'Is the knee going to give you a problem?' He's got to come out smoking right out of the box. If he doesn't, everyone's going to be shining an even brighter light on him. Maybe he isn't the 'Man of Steel' and maybe he can be beat. Anything outside of a win for James has to be of concern to him. Now, I'm sure they will say that it's a long season - and it is - but in this sport, mentally, you don't want to give the competition any kind of hope or belief that they stand a shot at being competitive. "
SPEED: One of the most overlooked parts of the equation is the equipment. How much will that matter in this upcoming season?
Sheheen: "In Supercross, it's 80 percent rider and 20 percent machine. I think all the guys at that level - Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha - all have good machinery. What it really comes down to is the rider and his feeling of comfort on said machinery. A guy like Langsten may feel more at home on a Yamaha than say another Yamaha driver. These guys - if they feel good or bad about something for whatever reason - it can eat them alive. I've never seen anything like it."
SPEED: What should fans look for broadcast wise on SPEED in 2008?
Sheheen: "I don't think there's a motorsport out there that's better made for high-definition television than AMA Supercross. To see these guys flying through the air in HD is going to be one of the coolest things I think we've ever had a chance to see. I'm really excited to see what this sport's going to look like coming through your television in hi-def. That would certainly be our biggest innovation and certainly it will take this sport to another level through the television world at SPEED."
SPEED: What surprises can we expect for 2008?
Sheheen: "We have this great crop of young driver coming up. James (Stewart) is still young, but he's already got a new group of riders nipping at his heels. Look at riders like Ryan Villopoto and Ben Townley, who are each coming up through the Lites class. And then you've got even younger guys like Nico Izzi and Trey Canard just getting into the Lites class - who have people already saying, 'Wow, wait until we get to see these guys.' There's just a never-ending revolving door of great talent coming into the sport, and their on such a fast track up the ladder that you don't get much breathing room. The other thing that will be interesting to watch is that we have the debut of the new Joe Gibbs Racing Team - which is a huge thing when a major player from another form of motorsport has taken a look at Supercross and said, 'that's another form of motorsport our company needs to be involved with.' Also, we've got Mike Alessi taking over in Ricky Carmichael's slot with the factory Suzuki team. He'll have Ricky's mechanic - Mike Gosselaar - and he'll be working underneath Roger DeCoster and all of that - who's a legendary rider in his own right. And you have kind of a rebirth with Team Honda, who had been one of the dominant forces in Supercross for so many years. They really had a horrendous season last year as far as performance goes for Honda. They are coming into this year with some new riders, a new outlook and a new lease on life."
SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 78 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.