James Stewart will sit out the remainder of the AMA Motocross Championship.

Former AMA Pro Motocross Champion James Stewart has withdrawn from his return to the 2010 championship, the decision being made earlier today after a frustrating one-off return at Unadilla last weekend.

The San Manuel Yamaha team rider finished third in the opening moto before pulling out of the second, with an expected head-to-head battle with Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey never eventuating in Stewart’s return.

Stewart continues to fight for full fitness after suffering a broken wrist early in this year’s Supercross series.

“I hope my fans will understand,” the 2008 AMA Motocross Champion commented. “I have said before that I wanted to be on the track starting in Sacramento. But the slow healing nature of my wrist injury made it impossible to do that.

“Watching race after race and not being a part of the series was very hard. All along my motivation was to get back to racing and return to the Motocross National Series for my fans and sponsors. The reality is, though my wrist is feeling great, I’m not ready to race at this level. As much as I’d like to be out there, I need more time to prepare so that I don’t put my entire career at risk by getting injured again.

“A younger James might not have been mature enough to make this decision, but I’ve learned a lot in recent years and sometimes you have to do what’s right, despite what’s in your heart. I’d like to apologise to my fans, the outdoor national series and my sponsors.

“You’ve been incredibly supportive of me throughout these recent months. I am sorry if what I’ve said or done has disappointed anyone in any way, but I’ll be back on the track at Anaheim 1 and ready to race. I plan to work hard over the next few months and do what I know I need to do to prepare for a chance at the next Supercross championship title.”

Stewart has recently been linked to a position on the Puerto Rican Motocross of Nations team after missing out on selection for Team USA, however those rumours seem to have been squashed since this latest announcement.