This Week in Yamaha History: Windham Wins New Orleans
Friday, April 13, 2012 | 12:00 PM
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It almost looked like destiny or fate when the 1998 AMA Supercross Series schedule was revealed, and New Orleans appeared on the map for the first time in 18 years. The 1998 season, also, would make the full-time 250 class debut of Louisiana’s own Kevin Windham, who clearly had the talent to land a home-state victory.
But could he do it? Windham, the 1997 and 1996 125 West Champion, had ridden well in his rookie season but had yet to take a win by the time the tour rolled into the Superdome for round ten. In fact, some competitors were left commenting that KW had the speed, but didn’t have the fitness to go 20 laps. Plus, many felt that once pressure was applied, the rookie would crack.
Windham won his heat race to the roar of the crowd. They got even louder in the main event when he grabbed the holeshot. Then came the pressure, first from Team Suzuki’s Larry Ward. Big Bird was all over Windham for the first three laps, but then he began to lose the pace, and yielded to series’ points leader Jeremy McGrath, who was on a rail coming from the back.
A 20-year-old Kevin Windham won in New Orleans in 1998.
McGrath was back to his usual dominant self in 1998, and by the time he was into second, just five seconds separated him from Windham. With MC applying the heat, could the 20-year-old Windham hang tough?
During the race, ESPN reporter Marty Reid made his way over to Windham’s mechanic, Alley Semar, and said, “Some of the riders have said Kevin can’t do 20 laps.” To which Alley replied: “We are proving them wrong tonight.”
Indeed. McGrath pushed and pushed, but couldn’t make a dent in Windham’s lead. By the final few laps, it was clear no one could stop the local favorite, and McGrath packed it in and collected his second-place points. Windham was on fire, and he crossed the finish line on his Yamaha YZ250 and drowned in the cheers of the partisan fans.
New Orleans has drifted on and off of the SX schedule ever since, but Windham’s win marks the only time a Louisiana native has snagged the victory. You think some people were getting crazy on Bourbon street that night?
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RC on the 125, Henry on the 4 stroker and Dowd on a 250 yam!!
weres the scrub, my bad james hadnt invented it yet, 1998, 2 strokes 54 sec. lap times, 2012, 4 strokes all the supposed technology, EFI and all the other little improvements having to go bankrupt to own and maintain one of those over priced pieces of c**^p and 2 few seconds seperates then and know.
Whats crazy is the race speeds and the tracks seem so much SAFER back then. And more creative/challenging tracks too.
@yamaha645, go search Google images for "Jo Jo Keller scrub"... your boy James may have brought it back and mastered it, but he did not invent the scrub!
The first scrub was Jeff Smith on the 441cc BSA twin, at Mattenbury Trophy des Nations in 1956, on an off camber downhill triple. The crowd was going funcking nuts that day.
I have been a die hard Yamaha guy since the 70's with Bob Hannah all the way until '08 or '09 when Factory Yamaha got it's last win in Southwick with Matt Georke. I was bummed when KDub left the blue team and went to the hated Factory Honda Team. Of course he went on to Suzuki before going red again, but I always hoped he would finish where he started and end his career on a Yamaha YZ. Oh well, I'm just REALLY happy he's still out their racing for all mx/sx fans. Get well soon Kevin. Hope you can make the Monster Energy Cup in October.
Forgot to say that's some pretty funny s--t SmartypantS on the first scrub. Laughed my a-s off. Good one!
this article makes it sound like it was k-daubs first win, i know he won a 250 main while he was still a 125 rider. has anyone done that since??? I think it was the joliet sx but not 10% sure????
Windham won the '97 Charlotte 250 Supercross while the 125 West Series was on a break. I was at the Joliet race in 2000 and McGrath won his 70th sx race of his career that night as well as his 7th and last SX Championship. Fonseca or Roncada won the 125 Main that night and Roncada clinched the title in the East.
eli949494 - no lites rider has won in the premiere class while still racing lites full time since Windham did it in Charlotte ('97) if my memory is correct.