Malcolm Stewart finished eighth in the 450SX race in Salt Lake City on Saturday, then learned the deal he expected for 2026 and 2027 was gone because Rockstar Energy Husqvarna is closing up shop.
Stewart said he had been with the group for five or six years and had no idea the announcement was coming. He said he left the night healthy and able to start thinking about outdoors, even as the shutdown turned a planned future into an open search for a new home.
“Every time I come here to Salt Lake the fans are always awesome,” Stewart said after the race. He said the result was not the best, but it was also not a low point, adding that in the whoops he had an advantage but was losing time everywhere else. That left him eighth in 450SX, a finish that mattered less for the points than for the timing of the news that followed.
The closure lands hard because Stewart said the contract had been in place for two years and is gone now. He said he was supposed to have a deal for 2026 and 2027, then described the team’s shutdown as something decided at a higher level. “It’s an unfortunate situation to see everybody go, but it’s business,” he said.
For Stewart, the uncertainty is familiar. He said he won the 250SX East championship in 2016 and still did not get a ride in the 450 class, a reminder that results alone do not always secure a place in the paddock. Now he says he is “just another guy on the list” trying to find a home.
He also made clear he is not reading more into the night than the result deserves. Stewart said he was not in a low after Salt Lake City, only off his best pace, and he offered a shoutout to Ken Roczen for winning the championship. The bigger story, though, is that a rider who thought his next two seasons were mapped out is suddenly back where so many racers end up when a team disappears: looking for the next door before the season is even over.
