Catching Up With…Kevin Windham

bayodome

• April 17 2009
• 3,682 views
• 23 comments

In 2008, Kevin Windham had one heck of a season.  The Geico Powersports/Honda rider claimed four Supercross main event wins on his way to finishing a strong second place overall.  With a Supercross-only contract, K-Dub took a hard earned break from the summer outdoor series, and looked to comeback strong for the 2009 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series.  While Kevin was not able to pick up where he left off, he was finally able to climb back aboard the podium at the most recent Supercross in Jacksonville, FL. Yesterday we found the number 14 cutting some laps at Glen Helen while doing some testing, but they were not just testing out his Supercross bike.  With the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Nationals just around the corner, seeing Kevin on an outdoor track can only get you pumped up for this summer.

I was trying to figure out what you were riding.  I thought at first it was a 2008 CRF450, but it was actually a 250F, and you sure looked comfortable.

Yeah, I have been riding the 450 all day today and yesterday.  I flew out early to do some clutch stuff and figured that we would do our clutch testing on some outdoor settings.  We’ve just been playing with it all week.  At the end of the day here at Glen Helen, the track beats you up and the 450 can be a handful.  So I got on the Lites bike and its just so much fun, man.  It almost feel like, after riding a 450, you just can’t screw up.  It doesn’t really want to get away from you.  If you give a 450 any kind of reason to get away from you it will.  It will take advantage of you and put you on the ground pretty hard.  My best time today was a 1:43, when the track was good and fairly smooth and now that its rough I was doing 1:46’s.  I did a 1:47 flat on the Lites bike.  I’m a big ‘ole boy and there are a lot of hills here so that’s a testament to the 250F.

Although you are testing outdoors right now, you have not confirmed that you will be racing the nationals.  In that case, what is your role right now with Geico Powersports/ Honda?

Actually right now I am role-less.  The testing that I am doing is for me, just for the last three rounds of Supercross.  Jacksonville was a good indicator of what I can do with a decent start.  A lot of these races I have been coming through the pack, and I just haven’t been getting off the line very well.  I know it’s getting close to the end of the season, but there are still three rounds left.  If I can find my podium spots for those last three then it will be worth it.

We’re working to figure out what we might do for outdoors, but with each passing day it’s getting a little dimmer.  We have five guys right now for outdoors.  If I were to come back right now, it would be six.  Logistically an 18-wheeler can’t house six riders, then you go on to a list of things of why we can’t fund it right now with the downed economy.  So the next question is: do you ride just one, two, three, or all twelve?  But I am having fun with it and that is about all I can say right now.  We will be ready if an opportunity presents itself.

In an interview from earlier in the season, you had mentioned the idea of having your fans vote on what equipment you should ride and which nationals as well.  Obviously with what you just said, the likelihood of you riding seems to be fading, but if you did get the opportunity to ride, would you still consider that idea?

My plan was to open the voting for every round and have the optional equipment be the CR250, CRF250, and CRF450.  I have some CR two-strokes in storage, so I was going to break them out for the occasion.  But I guess they banned the two-strokes from the Lites class.  I still like the idea of fans having a say-so.  I thought it could be cool, especially if I wasn’t doing all of the races or in a championship hunt when fans suddenly want me on a Lites bike, that would be bad (laughs).  We’ll see how it goes.  I know the fans want to see all of us out there.  Last summer was a long summer off.  I certainly enjoy my family, which is growing and we have a new baby on the way with three already, so they definitely need Dad at home, but finding the time to do some Nationals would be a good time I think.

It sounds like some other riders are also on the fence about racing outdoors.  Many seem to believe that if you are going to take the time to do one or three, then you may as well just do all of them.

They are trying times.  I know Chad (Reed) is tossing around the idea of getting back outdoors.  It’s my understanding that Suzuki didn’t plan for it and it becomes a big part of the budget any time he goes out and wins races.  It’s the same if any of us go back outdoors, Stewart, Ricky, anybody.  It goes back to a bad economy, to the lead ban, to all of these different issues, but deep down we are all riders.  You have these ideas of wanting to take a break, and then you do and you realize, a break is good but racing is good too.  Deep down we are all racers.  But for the manufacturers, they are walking a fine line of whether it is worth it bringing us out here or not.  I think it’s dangerous to do it without some sort of salary of compensation, because then it is no longer a job and we have given our lives to this being a job.

When I saw you out here, I was feeling nostalgic and realized this was not only the site of your last win outdoors, it was also you last race outdoors, going back to 2007.  In the press conference that day you said you were not sure if you were going to return.  So, from a personal standpoint, it is very cool to see you back out here again.

Well, I’m sad to say that other than today and Piru yesterday, this is the last place I rode an outdoor track, period (laughs)!  I haven’t really done much besides maybe a couple of laps at a school.  But as far as laying down some real laps, this place in 2007 was time I rode outdoors.  Its been fun and a good day; we’ll see where it goes.  It certainly doesn’t hurt that I was turning good times today and maybe you can do your part by getting the chat rooms fired up tonight and maybe we can get some stuff going.

Well, Kevin, you looked really good out there and it was reminiscent of your 125 days.

(Laughs) Like I said, its really easy to control that bike, which makes it a lot of fun to ride.