The FIM's judgment of James Stewart is in and it's not pretty.
Stewart is suspended for the entire 2015 race season, pending appeal, after testing positive for an amphetamine at Seattle Supercross in April. The positive result came from the prescribed use of Adderall to help with attention deficit disorder. Stewart failed to get the required Therapeutic Use Exemption prior to the test though he did file afterwards and received approval by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Stewart raced in the 2014 Motocross season because FIM does not have oversight over that series but now that he's been declared ineligible he can't race anywhere next year. If the suspension holds, Stewart's career could be over. He turns 29 on Sunday and will be 30 when the gates drop for the 2016 Supercross season.
Additionally, the 16-month suspension is retroactive to April 12, 2014 the date of Seattle Supercross when Stewart's urine sample was taken, therefore, his results from the ensuing Motocross season get wiped out. His suspension ends on August 11, 2015 with two races remaining in the 2015 Motocross season.
The FIM is the Fèdèration Internationale de Motocyclisme which is the global governing/sanctioning body of motorcycle racing. It represents 111 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions.
Here is the official press release from Stewart's team:
CHINO, CA - Yoshimura Suzuki Racing is reporting that James Stewart has received notification from the FIM with a penalty regarding his anti-doping violation. The news came eight months to the day from the test at this years Seattle Supercross event where he tested positive for amphetamines from his prescribed Adderall. The ruling lays out a punishment that severely affects the entire 2015 season for James and the Yoshimura Suzuki team. Suzuki Motor of America and Yoshimura Racing will continue their unwavering support for Stewart during this difficult period and like all the fans hope to see him line up at the gate as soon as his ineligibility is lifted.
"I'm extremely disappointed to say the least," said Stewart. "We plan to appeal as I personally feel that the punishment far outweighs the situation; especially since I received both WADA and USADA approvals that prove I'm not cheating. I'm bummed for everyone involved: my family, my team, my sponsors, the promoters and most of all the fans. Unfortunately, I've had to be very quiet in regards to this situation but I'll be telling the full story in the next couple weeks so everyone can understand what we've been going through. Thank you all for your continued support."
Yoshimura Suzuki Racing's James Stewart has announced plans to be at the season-opening round of the 2015 AMA Supercross Championships on Saturday, January 3 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim to support his team, teammate, sponsors and fans.