MXA INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK: KTM MECHANIC MATT WINTERS

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Matt celebrating with Marvin Musquin.

By Jim Kimball
Photos by Brian Converse

Working at a local Maryland Motorcycle dealership Matt Winters gravitated to the racing side, and was soon working for several privateer riders. As Matt’s skills were improving, the opportunities expanded, and he went to work for Cooper Webb in his last year as an amateur. It was only natural that they would both turn pro at the same time. You may wonder why Matt moved away from one of the hottest pro rookies, but he answers that below. Meet a Supercross-winning mechanic without a rider.

YOU WERE DEAN WILSON’S MECHANIC WHEN HE WAS AT KTM, BUT WHO WERE YOU WITH BEFORE THAT? Yes, that is true. When I came to KTM at the end of 2014, I worked for Dean for two years when unfortunately he had a lot of injuries. Before that, I was at Star Racing Yamaha with Cooper Webb. After Cooper turned pro, and even before that, I was Webb’s amateur guy. Once he turned pro, I continued on with him to Star Racing. Before that, I did privateer stuff, and bounced around some, but I mainly got my foot in the door from when Cooper turned pro, and I was able to go to Star Racing with him.

WHAT MADE YOU LEAVE COOPER AND STAR RACING TO JOIN RED BULL KTM? The  Team Manager at Star Racing was Ryan Morais, but he left and went to KTM. I was still at Star for one more year when KTM contacted me right at the end of the year, and asked, “Hey, would you be interested in coming here?”  It took a lot of thinking about it  to leave Cooper, who was pretty much my best friend. But I was like “Man, you only get this opportunity to come to what I consider the top team in this sport right now. If I turn it down, am never going to get the opportunity again?”

Roger DeCoster, Ian Harrison, Ryan Morais and very ecstatic Matt Winters surround MArvin MSuquin after his first-ever 450 Supercross win. Ryan Morais was with Matt at Star Yamaha.

AFTER THAT COOPER CAUGHT ON FIRE. ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR DECISION? It was tough, because obviously Cooper went on to be very successful, and he has won three championships! To watch that success, made me question myself a little bit, but at the end of the day, I am happy with what I did.  I have a lot more stuff going on with KTM than I previously had. This move has helped me personally, and I am very happy overall with my decision.

WHAT ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WORKING ON A YAMAHA VERSUS WORKING ON A KTM? The main difference is that we have electric starts.  That adds in a few more electro components, and also makes the harness a little bit more challenging.  But our crew chief does a good job of hand-making a harness just for us.  That way we eliminate a lot of stuff that comes on the production bike. Other than that, the new KTM has come a long way, compared to the older one’s.  Obviously now though, less the electric start, it is pretty similar now to a Japanese bike with the linkage shock. But overall, build wise, I think for me it is easier to work on than a Yamaha is.

SINCE THE PRODUCTION BIKE WINS ALL THE SHOOTOUTS, DOES THAT MAKE IT A BETTER FACTORY RACE BIKE RACE BIKE? Yes. The stock KTM is really good and once we go through it, it makes it even better. A stock KTM 450SXF is already at 222 pounds, so it is pretty close to the limit. Then once we do full titanium kit, engine work, chassis, and a few other things, we are pretty dang close to the weight limit. We have the capability of going below the weight limit, but obviously you can’t.

LET’S GO BACK TO DEAN WILSON, A SUPER NICE KID, BUT WHAT A DIFFICULT TIME HE HAD AT KTM. For me it was really difficult. He’s a lot of fun to be around and brought the moral of the team up by always keeping it light.  Once he got hurt after round two in 2015 it was pretty tough for me. I was thinking, “I left Cooper to come here, and now I’ve only done two two races.” As I watched all of Cooper’s success, it made me question the move that I made. But at the end of the day, it was worth it. Dean came back and we were able to do a few outdoors at the end of 2015. We did those few outdoors and then the GP at Glen Helen and he did really well there.  I think he qualified first on Saturday and then got maybe second fastest times in Sunday qualifying.  So he had some good promise going into 2016, and the preseason was awesome.

SO GOING INTO 2016 THINGS LOOKED GOOD FOR YOUR AND DEAN? He got a new trainer with Tyla Rattray, and I personally think he was in the best shape of his life – even more so than when won his 250 outdoor championship.  I think he was ready to roll. He could have been a podium threat  and a top-five guy every weekend in2016. But, unfortunately, he blew his same knee out, then he came back and did a few outdoors and the GP and that was it.

BUT YOU STILL HAD A JOB, AND WENT TO ALL THE RACES RIGHT?  Yes, I still went to all the Supercross, and National Motocross races. I became more of a helper, and did all the testing with our test guy — who was Ryan Morais. I would go to Florida if I had to, to help do testing for Daytona, or for outdoors.  I just got just bounced around wherever I was needed.  The engine guys had me running the dyno, breaking in engines, and whatever else needed to be done.  While Dean was hurt, I was able to learn a lot more aspects of the team than just being a race mechanic.  I was able to do the engine work.  I was able to pay more attention to suspension stuff. It was great bouncing ideas off of each other, so I was able to learn a lot more than just being a race mechanic.

YOU DIDN’T HAVE A RIDER, BUT YOU WERE MARVIN MUSQUIN’S MECHANIC WHEN HE WON HIS FIRST-EVER 450 SUPERCROSS. I don’t have a rider this year, so I am just strictly testing.  But I have been able to work more one on one with the riders, and get to know them. Something with Marvin has really clicked. Marvin and I have become really good friends and Frankie (Latham, Marvin’s longtime mechanic) has always trusted me. So when Frankie’s wife washaving his second child, he needed to be at home. So for Oakland and Dallas, I was working as Marvin’s race mechanic. Like you said, we were able to win Dallas. That was really cool, but it was just more gratifying for Frankie to say, “Hey, here is my guy.  I trust you enough to go racing with him.”

Marvin and Matt discussing race strategy.

WOULD YOU PREFER TO BE WORKING WITH ONE RIDER, LIKE YOU DID WITH COOPER OR DEAN, OR DO YOU LIKE THIS ROLE YOU ARE IN? For sure, I would like to have a rider.  That is my dream, and my goal is to win races and championships – and be one of the greats like Frankie, Goose (Mike Gosselaar), Carlos (Rivera) and all of those guys that I looked up. I want to have more 450 race wins, and I want championships. I want to it all, and I won’t be done with this until I have that.

ISN’T IT CRAZY TO LOOK BACK 10 YEARS AGO WHEN KTM WAS A TEAM THAT NOBODY WANTED TO RIDE FOR? It is amazing where KTM has come from. I first noticed KTM when Jeremy McGrath first came here. When Jeremy got hurt everyone was saying that the brand was no good. But then Roger DeCoster came here and rebuilt it from the ground up.  Once they built a great 450 bike and got Ryan, Marvin, and Kenny Roczen here it became a powerhouse team to be on. People are knocking on our doors to work here, so I would say that KTM has probably become the top team right now.