Could Stewart be dangerous with good starts? Image: Simon Cudby.

Toyota/Yamaha/JGRMX’s James Stewart’s season so far has been sub-par for his standards, the former champion’s bad starts have been a big contributor to his stuggling 2012 campaign.

Consistency is key in a 17 round series, something Stewart is lacking. After his third place in Atlanta the Yamaha mounted rider says his bad start stopped him from going for the win.

“I felt good tonight but that start stopped me from going for the win. I had a decent day in practice and was fast and should have had the best lap-time,” said Stewart.

“The heat race was good but the bad start in the main event…well that’s been a little bit the story of my season.

“I made some good passes and some aggressive ones to get up through the pack. I was catching those guys up front and then I slowly had to roll the triple at one point and that ended the race right there.

“I did my best and the team was awesome. We definitely had the chance to do it tonight but the start killed us.”

Stewart is now third in the standings coming into St. Louis, 44 points behind reigning champion and current leader Villopoto.