James Stewart will return to racing in the outdoors this weekend.

San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart is playing down the head-to-head battle set to evolve between he and Suzuki’s AMA Motocross Champion when the Lucas Oils AMA Motocross National Championship visits Unadilla in New York this weekend.

The former supercross and motocross AMA number one has four events in the high-profile American series in order to place himself in contention for the 2010 Motocross of Nations and be one of Team USA’s three riders at Thunder Valley in Colorado on 26 September.

Stewart has been out since round four of the AMA SX championship after breaking the scaphoid bone in his right wrist, a notoriously delicate injury. Despite the hiatus the 24-year-old has to be considered a firm favourite on his ’10 YZ450F at the venue in New Berlin with memories of his 2008 ‘perfect’ outdoor season not too distant.

“My only goal is to do the best I can,” Stewart said this week. “While I haven’t had a lot of time to test and train, I committed to running the last four races of the series, and I feel I need to do this, for myself as a rider, for my team, my sponsors and my fans.”

Team manager Larry Brooks looks forward to seeing Stewart back on track again after missing much of the Supercross season.

“James’ Supercross season was cut short this year and this is a perfect opportunity for him to get back on the track and race,” said Brooks. “We owe it to him to support him, as much as we do to the sponsors and fans that support our team.”

The final three races of the Nationals after Unadilla will occur at Southwick, Steel City and Pala; the last only two weeks before the MXoN.