Pete Fox Exclusive Interview: The Truth About The James Stewart Rumors

On Sep 12, 2008

The End Of An Era

The motocross world has been abuzz since MXA broke the news that about James Stewart leaving Fox Racing and signing all-new clothing deals with different boot, helmet and gear manufacturers. Answer is the most commonly talked about gear manufacturer, with the helmet and boot deals still up in the air. To the outside world it looks as though Bubba is trying to maximize his income for his shortened 16-week Supercross season by negotiating separate deals for every marketable gear component.

To find out if the rumors were true about Stewart leaving Fox, a company he has been at for his whole career, we went straight to the source and asked Pete Fox the question point blank

MXA: WITH ALL THE RUMORS SWIRLING AROUND JAMES STEWART’S 2009 PLANS, IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THE RUMOR THAT HE IS LEAVING FOX RACING?

Pete: Yes. After over a decade together, it with a heavy heart that we won’t be continuing our relationship with James Stewart next year. James is any incredibly talented athlete, who has amazed crowds for years with his ability. I have never seen anyone so talented on a motocross bike. Fox is very proud of the history we made, and the Championships we won together.

MXA: IS THERE A SENSE OF EMOTIONAL LOSS WHEN A RIDER THAT YOU HAVE SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED SINCE HIS EARLY DAYS IN THE SPORT LEAVES YOUR FOLD?

Pete: Absolutely. James and I have been friends for 14 years, since he was a quiet, shy 8 year-old. Growing up, he used to stay at my house and we’d watch my motocross videos and talk and dream of the day he would someday turn Pro. He wanted to be the best ever.

MXA: OBVIOUSLY FOX COULD HAVE UPPED THE ANTE AND KEPT JAMES, WHAT WERE THE MOTIVATIONS THAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO LET HIM GO, AND TO WHAT EXTENT DID JAMES’ DECISION TO BECOME A SUPERCROSS-ONLY RIDER PLAY INTO YOUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH HIM?

Pete: Since our beginning, Fox has been totally committed to motocross and Supercross. We feel strongly that our sport and Industry need both series to be healthy, and Fox will always support both series. That is where Fox’s priorities and path recently separated from James. We wish James luck with his Supercross career. Fox remains committed to the entire sport of both Supercross and motocross.

MXA: GIVEN FOX’S PROUD TRADITION OF GREAT ADVERTISING, DO YOU THINK THAT NOT HAVING JAMES STEWART AS A FOCAL POINT HURTS OR HELPS THE DELIVERY OF FOX’S MESSAGE TO THE CONSUMER IN THE FUTURE.

Pete: Fox has been supporting core motocross for 34 years, and we will always be faithful to the sport that we have loved our entire lives. This sport, our industry and every rider have given us so much, and we are so proud to be part of it. We have a lifelong love for MX, and we feel that we are part of a global community that has an incredible passion for MX; people who want to ride or race every chance they get. We intend to support motocross forever, and our horizon is much longer than any one rider’s career. This decision was incredibly difficult, but in the end it came down to what we believe is best for Fox, the industry, and the sport itself.

MXA: FROM A MARKETING POINT OF VIEW, IT IS ALWAYS A BLESSING TO HAVE THE WINNING GUY, BUT IT IS NOT THE ONE-AND-ONLY WAY. WILL FOX PURSUE ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE RIDER OR REINVENT ITSELF AS IT DID IN THE PAST?

Pete: Working closely with the top pro riders is a key part of what makes Fox successful, and we have been lucky enough to have worked with most of the sport’s best. But we learned a long time ago that what makes a good company great is having every aspect of the business the best. I am confident that Fox has the industry’s best products, designers, marketers, R&D, developers, testers, manufacturing, and on and on. Our goal is excellence is every aspect of what we do.?Ÿ???ÿ

We will continue to search for up-and-coming racers who share our passion and goals for motocross, and we will continue to work with our current Team to make the best MX products in the world. Hey – we will always have the G.O.A.T!