Monday Conversation: Kevin Windham
Monday, April 18, 2011 | 10:05 AM
Alpinestars has been delivering performance of the highest level on the motocross tracks of the world for almost 50 years. Racing on Sunday and developing on Monday is a way of life at Alpinestars. Welcome to the Racer X Monday Conversation.
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Only his most die-hard fans would have predicted a championship this year for GEICO Honda’s Kevin Windham but even his detractors (anyone?) would have been surprised that, through round 14 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, the veteran Windham had not even made the podium. That changed in Seattle where Windham, by far the most popular rider in the series, was fast all day. On a track he won at last year, he rode a great race to get second. Afterwards, surrounded by fans in the parking lot, I caught up to Kevin to get his take on the night.
Racer X: Yeah KW, great ride tonight. Can you tell us about it?
Kevin Windham: It was good, it kind of feels like a win! (Laughs) Haven’t gotten a podium all year and did it here tonight. The GEICO Honda team has been great all year long. I DNF’d three out of the first seven races and I crashed out of Houston while I was leading. I’ve had more bumps and bruises than I wanted all jammed into one year. Glad to get the monkey off my back and we had a chance to win tonight. I had a great ride and I’m happy with it, kept it on two wheels and found the podium.
Windham is always a fan favorite no matter the city.
Photo: Garth Milan
You won here last year, you were fast in practice and won a heat so obviously Seattle is good for you. Why is that do you think?
I think that potentially, to toot my own horn a bit, if you put me up against a bunch of riders I feel like I could hit the same line lap after lap and hold my own out there. And I think this track was one of those ones that, we were fast and all, but it was one of those ones where you had to be consistent out there. Unfortunately the seven was a little faster and a little more consistent than us! But we’ll take it, it’s enough because up ‘till now we haven’t even had a shot to win a race except for Houston and that didn’t go so well.
You’ve been around a long time…
A long time!
Yep, and you’ve won a lot of races and had a lot of podiums so I’m wondering if your tough year phases you at all? Where does this season rank on the frustration scale?
It’s pretty bad, it’s certainly not as dark as some of the others. I don’t want to go back to those days of my life. To be honest with you, I feel those fans. Everyone feels those fans and everyone would. I can walk away from this sport in 2012 and I didn’t leave anything out there. Everyone wants to talk about the championships that I haven’t won but along the way, I’ve done some real cool things. I can hang it up now but the fans won’t allow me to think that way.
Obviously everyone is talking about outdoors because of the way injuries are going over there on the factory Honda team and riding a couple of those. I don’t know if that’s going to work because I rode some nationals at the end of 2010, I went to Australia to race and now this. To be honest, I’m already thinking about what I can do better in 2012. We run our bike soft here and I’m thinking that if we stiffen it up it can help with some of the scrubs.
Windham scored his first podium of the year in Seattle.
Photo: Garth Milan
Well, you run your bike soft everywhere.
Exactly and I’m thinking we need to get away from that and work on that. Everyone else is a lot stiffer than me and I seem to go a lot higher in the air than those other guys. I want to get it better because once you taste victory in this sport- not breaking the top five sucks. But the fans have just been incredible. It’s unbelievable, it’s like where can it go from here? I cherish those guys more than anyone knows.
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The "People's CHAMP" !!! Go K-DUB!!!
KDub! You're 2 months older than me and one hell of an inspiration. Hope to see you at the Washougal national- Vet class baby!
gotta love windham...it is true that it seems like he goes a tad bit higher than most of the others and if he could just fine tune his game a little bit more than he can be one of the contenders out there. At times you want to see him be a little more aggressive and scrappy out there but then again thats probably why he's still around and hasn't had any major injuries besides that femur all those years ago.
It's always good to hear what KW has to say!! Stick around as long as you want Mr. Windham, i personally will never get tired of watching you ride!!
K-Dub! A true champion.. Even though he has never won a SX championship... One of the true gentlemen of the sport. No bullcrap.. Straight to the point! I hope he continues on beyond 2012.. And hopefully he can get some more podiums or a win this year! Looking already fwd for 2012!!
Love the K-Dub!!! Congrats to him and his team on the podium. Keep up the good work, we're cheering you on from Mississippi!!!!
Got to love Windham he is awesome!
Matthes: "I’m wondering if your tough year phases you at all?" Phases? How about "fazes," Stevie Boy? Plus, I’m pretty sure that isn’t a question. English is a great language - try learning it! .... Gotta love K-Dub. Even a guy like RC admires him. Let's hope he stays healthy and stays with us a while longer.
Dude lay off Matthes, it's obvious that this is an actual conversation put into text and posted. I love how Windham anticipated the outdoor question that surely would have come next. I hope he does give it a shot, he did well last year. At the same time there are a few guys that with the right support might be able to shine outdoors.
You da man KDUB! Can't wait to see you live in Vegas! Boo yeah!
great ambassador for the sport and awesome role model for younger riders. i think he would be awesome to have in some capacity on the factory Honda team after he retires. one of the smoothest riders i have ever watched. it's a shame he isn't going to ride the full outdoor schedule. i have to remind myself that he's over 30 now and he's spent physically by the end of the SX season. rest up Kdub, ride a couple of Nationals and come back to SX in 2012!
Hey I like Steve and his inerviews and no I dont type so well myself. And all I gotta say about Windham is He is a great abasador tho this great sport and remeber him from the GNC races at Whiney he was on minibikes, Saw me talking to Dennis Hawthorn and asked me about the track and stuff then I saw him ride and went WOW.....
Great ride K-dub! Wearing the Vet badge strong!
Congrats KW, to do what you do for so long and strong is amazing. You're the personification of a true professional genuine class act. I saw you drinking your Starbucks at the autograph line last year in Seattle & told you to go win it and you did! You deserve all the fan credit you receive cause you earned it man.
Sounds like someone is jaundiced of Steve's job. Was Steve chosen over you?
I doubt he is turning yellow due to liver failure over it. Here you go; please familiarize yourself with the definition of jaundice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaundice
I agree with Sef on this matter. If writing is your job, you should get the language right.
Kevin Windham is the man!
When I think of KW, riding skills aside, the real story is Hoss walking away in his prime and coming back .This is man who gets it . In the game of life KW got knocked down, got back up and fought through it all . Makes him a winner in my book.
Dirt
I've loved KDub since I first saw him on his YZ125 as one of the first to bust out a heel clicker. Team Geico is definitely getting their money's worth even when he's not on the podium just for that fact that he's got to be an incredible mentor to all the young future stars on that team.
@sef's A DOLT 154 & @Grammar Officer
You're both right.
jaundiced |ˈjôndist|
adjective
• having or affected by jaundice,
in particular unnaturally yellow in complexion.
• affected by bitterness, resentment, or envy:
they looked on politicians with a jaundiced eye.
GREAT RIDE IN SEATTLE K-DUB!!!!
Hope you pick a few OUTDOORS to run and one of 'em is RED BUUUUUD!
Grammar Officer, this kills me to say as we are in agreement regarding respect for the language but..... jaundiced, used as an adjective, has a secondary (but probably more commonly used) meaning of "exhibiting or influenced by ENVY, distaste, or hostility." So, though DOLT's use was awkward and grammatically tragic, it is in fact correct. As for Steve and phase vs faze, I could only hope to be half as literate as Steve writing a column in a foreign tongue. Apparently he has the gift of language. C'est la vie.
who give's a **** about supercross or titles. If you're old enough to go back to Windham's early days you know how special this guy is.
k dub hope u run all the nationals i saw at steel city and where the man. if u start at round 1 i think you can win it all. good luck hope to see u at high point budds creek and steel city
I love Windham and all but it's obvious why he never was or never will be a champ in the SX class. He doesn't have the heart or intensity. Look no further than his first sentence above where he references he 2nd place was like a win. That's a not a winner mentality and K-Dub has always had an attitude like that. He is probably the most naturally gifted rider out there but he doesn't have the other skills to match it. Put Canard's heart in K-Dub's body and you have a multi-time champion.
The King has left the room. K-Dub for President
I like K-Dub but his days are over, as are Short, Tedesco and Millsaps.
Self154, your a loser, dont talk about grammer and such.
You speak American not english.
Just shut up and talk about the riders and such
Toby, 2nd place in an AMA 450 supercross ? I would say he has a few more days... dudes 34 , off course his days are numbered and K dub will be the first to tell you that...
Congrats to KW,, thanks for giving us Over 30's motivation...
Red Bud would love to see Windham there this year.
Like I said B4 the season, Dub in 5th schooling the youngins who should be on the podium is the whole point. Windham hasn't disapointed me one bit (Houston Excluded lol). I hope to see him doing the same thing at 35.
Windham is a 34 year old married father making a living in a sport that breeds injury. He doesn't need to win any longer...he hasn't needed to win for years...this is simply his profssion and income...yet he still WANTS to win! How many years was he the top placing Honda rider and not on the Honda factory team? The Man is incredible and is still fast as stink. He is in a very elite group and deserves to be. Dowd, Larocco, DeCoster, Mikola, Weil, Harry Everts, Ake Johnson...all podiumed in their later years as racers and were in the hunt more than they should have been at their ages....why...THEY HAVE TALENT!...just like K-Dub!
Thanks for all the great racing over the years Kevin...HOPE TO SEE YOU SMOK'IN THE YOUNG'ENS @ HIGHPOINT!
K-dub your the best. Seen a lot of races you've been in and you've got nothing to be sorry about. I saw you kick RC's ass strait up outdoors more than once Bubba can't even claim that.
K-Dub is a class act! I've met him quite a few times at local tracks and he always has time for his fans. The Sunday after Daytona, I was at the Apple store and in walks Kevin. We talked for a while, then he left so he could go to the river and spend some time with his family. He's just so personable and down to earth. Yes Mr. V, K-Dub for President!
K-Dub is and as always the class of the field. I was lucky enough to see him win over RC 2001 Washougal... The crowd was going crazy for him back then...Even if his autograph line... well it's long now. He was really cool. I told KW it was his day.... How often do they here that. Except it was his day he Broke a RC streak. I would love to ring the cowbell for him at the Hangtown opener. All the BEST KW
Definitely a class act and great rider for the newer riders to follow. He's got some of the best style to every grace a racetrack. It would be awesome for him to snag a win whether indoors or outdoors this year.
KDub Fan For Life. I hope you don't retire until 2014 like you originally planned. Go get 'em at Salt Lake and Vegas! Hope to see you at RED BUUUUUUD this year.
Hangtown hopes to see you, I remember the same year ('01) when my brother and I saw Kevin at the hotel we were staying at in South Bend,IN the morning of the Red Bud National. We were all at breakfast and my brother asked Kevin to do him a favor. Kevin said yeah what do 'ya want? And my brother said "Kick Ricky's Ass Today". He smiled and said I'll sure try. He might have done it had it not been for the chain he threw that day.
Windham is such a class act. Thanks for adding to such a great season and hope to see him on the box again this year. Go Kdub!
K DUB is probably the only LIKE'D guy anywhere you go in the unitedstates!!!! Awesome guy Period! never heard of anyone trash talking K dub... I def miss watching him race at kenworthy's pro national in Troy Ohio.