Catching Up With…Kevin Windham

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• April 08 2008
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by Sam Griebenow

Even though he had some solid finishes in the ‘07 Nationals, Kevin Windham was somewhat written off coming into the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross. However, since the beginning of the season, fan favorite K-Dub has set out with a vengeance to prove that he’s still a title contender. As it stands, Windham sits second in the overall points standings just 27 points behind the leader and is the only rider in the field keeping Chad Reed honest in the title chase. TransWorld caught up with Kevin to see what was going on in Louisiana native’s world…

Coming into the season you were more or less written off, but now you’re sitting in second place keeping Reed honest. How’re you feeling about the season so far?

Oh I’ve been having a blast. Last year, the ‘07 season, was just a struggle; I was a little bit frustrated. But we had a good off-season with Jeff Spencer trying to get this season lined up. You know, it really helped me get focused. Coming into the ‘08 season I was really focused. I feel good, I’m older, but I really feel like I’ve got some good years ahead of me and some good work to come. So I’m excited where I’m at right now and continuing to be able to grow and to put pressure on Chad, and just having fun with riding again. So those are really, I think, the keys to my success this year.

You’re awfully close to a well overdue championship. Being so close, have you found yourself pushing harder or doing anything different?

Right now we’re really confident with our program here at the Torco Racing Fuels/Honda team as well as with Jeff Spencer. We’re confident in what we’re doing and I think now’s the time to stay true with what got us here. It’s hard at this point in the season to want it more than what we wanted it from the get-go. So I think our hard work’s paying off and I think that’s why we’re where we’re at. So, to do something different at this point would probably be a mistake.

This year you were dropped from factory equipment, right?

I have Showa suspension, but it’s done in house by Todd Brown here at Factory Connection, and Pro Circuit’s doing the engine. We are removed more than I’ve ever been from the factory, but we’re getting some good support from Honda, and some good pieces and parts. It’s just kinda up to us what we do with them. It’s been a good program, it’s been working well for us and I’m happy with the way things are right now.

How does the bike compare to previous years?

You know, the foundation’s obviously the same, and that’s a good building block for what’s to come. I’m happy with the engine power and I’m happy with the handling, and that’s from a lot of hard work. It’s such a good bike to start with, but to get it how each and every rider prefers it; we prefer such small differences, but yet sometimes those differences are hard to achieve even though they’re really small from rider to rider. The team’s worked really hard to make me happy and help me be happy, and their hard work and my hard work’s paying off. So it’s a great program right now to be on and it’s been a lot of hard work across the board.

Earlier this season there was talk of you just hitting a few nationals, but after having such an amazing season, have things changed?

There’ve been talks of doing none, and there’ve been talks of doing them all. I’m kind of in limbo still right now. Actually, right before we started this interview I was in the middle of talking about doing outdoor nationals. So yeah, it’s a topic of conversation, seems likee with everyone I talk to, both in sponsorship form and just fans and stuff. So right now it’s really up in the air. I mean, I really would like to take a summer and just kinda be normal. I really don’t want that to affect anything that happens in ‘09 or ‘10, or anything like that. Somewhere in my heart, I feel like I really want some time off but then also I’m having a lot of fun at what I’m doing, and I’m seeing the benefits in continuing to go. So there’s pros and cons to each one and we’re really working hard to try and figure it out. But as of right now, I’ve got nothing scheduled for the outdoor season and we’ll just see where it takes us.

Last year you were saying that you were starting to get a bit burnt out on racing, but now it looks like you’re out there having fun again. How much longer do you think you’ll stick with it?

I still feel like my best work is ahead of me. I think that my age has not slowed my reaction time down and my fitness is top notch. As long as I’m competitive I can’t see any reason to quit. It would make me really happy right now to ink a two, maybe even three year deal. Probably a three year deal to be honest with you because when you do a one year deal it just seems like you barely get started and you’re already kinda thinking about “Ok, what am I gonna do next year?” I don’t like that feeling that much so I’m happy with where I’m at. I’d like to get things going soon and try to find a place to continue having a home and to not have to deal with the pressures of what’s gonna happen next year, year after year after year. So yeah, I’d like to string a couple years together and then re-evaluate at that time. I’m kinda tired of 30 being the old man, because I really feel like I’m riding strong. I think that my mind works sharp and some of the experiences I’ve learned through trial and error and stuff are really starting to pay off, so there’s no reason to quit right now.

You mentioned trying to sign a two or three year deal. Have there been talks with other teams or has it stayed pretty much within Torco Racing Fuels Honda?

Well right now they’re aware of what I want here at this team. Sure there are always talks, especially when you have a year like I’ve had this year. I think I’ve opened a lot of eyes this year of what my potential is, and people are seeing the enthusiasm in my eyes. I think that’s a good thing for me personally, and for my fans and the people around me. I feel like it’s been a great year and I have no problems with where I’m at right now. So hopefully things come together, and that would make me happy. There have been some initial conversations and right now it’s just all about getting the sponsorship lined up and moving forward.