Stewart injured his left knee late on July 29 in the second moto of the Washougal, Washington, round of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship, presented by FMF. He sat out the subsequent round at Millville, Minnesota, and a statement issued by Kawasaki said Stewart didn't have enough stability in the knee to compete.

In addition to Tim Ferry, there was another name on the FIM entry list that U.S. motocross fans will recognize, but might not have expected to see.

Tarah Geiger will be racing for the Puerto Rico team, along with Gino Aponte and Christian Ruiz. A quick scan of the entry list suggests Geiger is the only woman competing in the Motocross of Nations. Geiger lived in the U.S. territory for many years.

Stewart's teammate, Tim Ferry, has seized the opportunity and is currently tied with Andrew Short atop the points standings in the AMA series.

Ferry is now slated to represent the United States in the 62nd annual Motocross of Nations on September 22-23 at Budds Creek in Maryland. Also on the team are Ricky Carmichael, riding in the MX1 class, and Ryan Villopoto, riding in MX2.

The 2007 Motocross of Nations marks just the second time the United States has hosted the international event, which features three-rider teams representing countries from around the world competing in three motos. The event was last hosted by the United States in 1987.

The Motocross of Nations is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), and the AMA, as the FIM's U.S. affiliate, is the host federation.

Provided by the American Motorcyclist Association.