JULY 23–KEVIN WINDHAM INTERVIEW

By John Basher



Kevin Windham is perhaps one of the nicest guys that can be found at a National, but one year ago if you were snooping around the pits looking for #14, you wouldn’t have been able to find him. That was because during the 2002 Supercross season Kevin suffered a broken femur that took him out of the entire outdoor series. Call it a blessing in disguise, and while no one wants to break any bones, it was just the time that Windham needed to get back on his feet. Not only did he get time off from racing, and potential burnout, but he quickly realized that racing was what he was born to do.

After a few phone calls and some practice time, Windham was out at the Glen Helen opener to race the Nationals aboard a Factory Connection/Honda CRF459. Making his presence known immediately by leading both motos, K-Dub seemed back on track. It was at the next race in Hangtown where he finally ended Ricky Carmichael’s continuous moto win streak at 30. Then at Unadilla, Kevin was setting blistering lap times all weekend and walked away with his first overall win since Washougal 2001. That win in effect stopped Carmichael’s win streak at 21 races and gave Honda it’s first overall National win in the CRF450. I caught up with cool Kevin some seven months after first talking to him about what his plans were for the Nationals, and this is what Windham had to say.



Motocross Action:

Congratulations on your win at Unadilla!


Kevin Windham:

Thank you.

MXA:

During Saturday practice you had set the fastest lap time. Were you confident about winning on Sunday?

KW:

Yeah, definitely. I had a lot on my mind as I went to bed Saturday night. I knew that it was well within my grasp, and I almost felt more pressure that night than I have going into this coming weekend. There’s still hype surrounding Ricky [Carmichael] of course, but the deal is over, and he’s been beat. I feel better going into Washougal than I did sleeping Saturday night before racing at Unadilla. I mean, I knew I could do it [win], but knowing you can do it and actually going out and winning are two different things. Ricky had some serious fight in him that day and was going for it, but I came out on top.

MXA:

How does the win at Unadilla compare to your win two years ago at Washougal?

KW:

Oh man, it’s just great. A part of me said it’s about time I won while another part of me said man I need to sit back and see what has just happened. So many people have been trying to beat Carmichael outdoors for so long, and now it’s happened. I kind of have mixed emotions at times but it’s an incredible feeling. It’s a huge accomplishment on my part, the winning feeling is the type of feeling you want to have over and over again!

MXA:

As for the Unadilla track, did it favor the four stroke?

KW:

I think that my bike was working well. We’ve been making some progress on it, but I’ve been riding it better and better each race. I think that my bike was working great for me. Every track that I go to I feel that I have an advantage.

MXA:

You’ve always been considered a technical rider. Now that you’ve ridden 2/3 of the Nationals, how do you feel the four stroke fits your style?

KW:

I guess it’s equivalent to a fine wine, it just keeps getting better and better (laughter). I’m adjusting to the bike, you know? Everyone knows that four strokes are fun to ride, but in a race pace I think that they require you to ride it different than a two stroke. Of course there is a different powerband and different deal, but when reality sets in of how many times I’ve raced that thing, it’s crazy. The bike keeps getting better and I’m continually improving. I feel like I keep getting faster and that’s a good feeling to know where I’m at now and where I can go.

MXA:

In that second moto at Unadilla Ricky pulled up on you the last few laps, but then you powered away from him. Was it difficult to do?

KW:

I made two pretty good mistakes at like 20 minutes in and missed a berm and then had a pretty good swap. From what I hear, Ricky was doing a lot of the same. We both had some pretty gnarly swaps going on. The fact of it is that we were both laying it out and giving it all we had. He had a lot on the line and I did too. But as I was saying, at 20 minutes in I made those mistakes and said to myself, ?Don’t screw this up.’ So I took a couple of deep breaths and the next thing I know I picked it back up. At that point it was very critical because we were in some lappers and Ricky always gets around lappers easily. I didn’t want to drop the ball and I kept repeating to myself to not screw it up.

MXA:

You just beat Ricky Carmichael and stopped his win streak at 21. Have you looked in the mirror and said to yourself, “I’m the worlds fastest rider?”

KW:

(laughter) You know what, I haven’t. It hasn’t even sunk in as me being the fastest rider. It’s such a short lived deal, because everything is subject to change this weekend. I’m going to try to not allow it to change, but I’m not to the point where I can put on a win streak against the most winningest rider who is just phenomenal. You can’t say anything but good things about his accomplishments with what he’s done. Do I think I can win this weekend? Absolutely. Do I feel like I can put on a streak? Well you kind of start thinking differently when there are five races left and if you could put together a streak. At this point I’m very intent on just thinking one race at a time. That’s how he [Ricky] got where he is and what he accomplished by just taking it one week at a time.




MXA:

Are you more confident about going into Washougal now that you’ve gone 1-1 at Unadilla?


KW:

Yeah, without a doubt it definitely helped me. But whether or not I had won Unadilla, I was going to go into Washougal on a high thinking I could do it anyway because it being the last place I won before Unadilla. This win would put the icing on the cake, and I’m going in to the race very high spirited and full of confidence. I expect good things. Whether or not I win, who knows, but I expect a good race.

MXA:

You always seem to do well at Washougal. What’s the deal with that?

KW:

I think Washougal is a track that you can’t really bounce off things. You have to be smooth on the throttle and that’s more my riding style than Ricky’s. No doubt he’s going to go good there.

MXA:

Now that you’re back on the National scene, has Unadilla win been the toughest race for you to win?

KW:

I was thinking about that on the way home after winning, and basically I came to the conclusion that they don’t make an easy race. Ricky was gunning for me, and there was no strategy other than giving it everything we had for 35 minutes. At Red Bud I had a heat stroke and it really upset me that I couldn’t do well because I could go Ricky’s pace there. There have been races where I’ve felt let down because I didn’t hydrate through the week. I guess it comes with the territory, I’m just steadily inching along and trying to not get down when those things happen. I’m trying to capitalize on the situation and make myself a better rider. This race at Unadilla was tough, and I think a lot of the rest of them are going to be tough. I guess they don’t make easy Nationals (laughter).

MXA:

Right now you’re 53 points back on Carmichael, do you feel you’re too far back to win the championship? And what are your goals these last five races?


KW:

My goals are to capitalize on this wave that I’m on and to not let any opportunity pass me by. I want to continue to ride like I’m riding and continue to improve like I’m improving. I don’t think I’ll be the champion because there’s a huge points gap. Some serious misfortune would have to happen, and I wouldn’t want to win that way anyway whether it happened or not. All in all this has been a very good year for me. It’s been a positive experience and many people have regained confidence in me and they know I’m out there for the right reasons. Really, that’s a great feeling for me at the moment, to be doing what I love and doing it well. Some really good stuff has come to me and has gone on this year. If I was done today I’d be on top of the world.

MXA:

You answered my next question, that being if you’re glad to be back racing.

KW:

Hands down, racing is just fun to me. It’s fun for me to do the stuff that I thought wasn’t fun before. Racing is really pretty easy, and the stuff that’s not fun isn’t bothering me right now.

MXA:

What have you heard on the Motocross Des Nations?

KW:

ÿWell, I’ve heard through the grape vine that they wanted me to go, and it’s kind of funny because the AMA hasn’t said anything. Duke Finch hasn’t come up to me and said, ?Do you want to go to the MXDN?’ Who knows, but I know that I have to do some serious preparation for the supercross season and to make up Troy. It’s funny because this is one of the years that the MXDN hasn’t even been talked about that much. It’s a weird feeling, I’m kind of in the dark about it and the question is kind of unanswerable for me. It’s like we’re floating around in left field just waiting.

MXA:

Would you be interested if they came up to you and asked you to go?

KW:

Yeah, I mean of course. It’s a good race. I hear they only do the one moto format and some things that kind of aren’t as interesting as they used to be, but all in all it’s a cool deal. Racing in the MXDN is something that everyone wants to do.

MXA:

Do you have any plans for next year?

KW:

No, not at all. I’m just patiently waiting and enjoying the situation that I’m in. I hope it can continue that way. After being in this deal this year, I want to shy away from a full factory deal. I’m very happy with Factory Connection and the way they go about structuring the team. This deal is just working out incredibly for me, and there’s no sense to change something that’s working for you.

MXA:

How do you like flying to the races with your own personal plane?

KW:

ÿIt’s awesome, I love having the freedom to go when you want to go. Sometimes we bring friends along and sometimes it’s just me, my wife Dotty, and our baby.


MXA:

And how is the baby doing?

KW:

Awesome! She’s growing like a weed and she’s going to be 7 months old on the 29th. Being a father is great. The feeling of coming home and lighting someone’s whole day up is just amazing. I come home and she’s stoked to see daddy. If you’re tired or hurt it just goes by the wayside once you see her.

MXA:

It sounds like you’re on top of the world! Once again, congrats on winning at Unadilla and good luck at Washougal.


KW:

Thank you very much, John.

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