Kevin Windham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
| Kevin Windham | |
| Born | February 28, 1978 Baton Rouge, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Supercross and Motocross Racer |
Kevin Windham (born February 28, 1978 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a professional motocross racer. At 17 he received a full sponsor ship from Honda. He has raced for many factory teams and holds several titles, back to back AMA 125 West Supercross Championships in 1996 and 1997, and the 2005 Motocross Des Nations team championship. Despite his longtime status as one of the world's fastest motocross racers, he is yet to win a major National or World Championship.
Windham turned professional midway through the 1994 season. After an impressive performance at Mt. Morris, PA, where he nearly beat Doug Henry for the moto win, he was signed by Team Yamaha for the 1995 season.
In 1995 Windham took five podium finishes in the 125cc East Region Supercross Series, with a best result of second at Minneapolis. He finished that series in 5th overall. His top 125cc Motocross finish was fifth at Delmont, PA.
1996 was a breakthrough year for Windham, with 6 supercross wins he scored his first 125cc West Championship. Later that year he won 4 125cc Nationals and placed second to Steve Lamson in the championship.
Windham had another strong season in 1997. He won all but two rounds of the 125 West Region Supercross series and earned his second title in as many years. He also had 125cc National Motocross overall wins at Buchanan, MI, New Berlin, NY, and Delmont, PA. Windham also made history by winning a 250cc Supercross main event in Charlotte, NC while still a full-time 125cc rider. He was the first person, and so far only, in motocross history to do this.
In 1998 Windham moved to the 250cc class full time for Yamaha and won the New Orleans and St. Louis 250cc Supercross rounds. he took five additional podium finishes and finished outside the top-10 just once in the 1998 Supercross series. He finished 4th overall. He took podium finishes in the 250cc Motocross National races at Budds Creek, MD, and New Berlin, NY, but failed to score an overall victory. He broke his leg at the Washougal, WA, event and withdrew from the series. After a bitter contract dispute, Kevin Windham signed with Team Honda for the 1999 season.
After some initial struggles adapting to his new Honda, Windham hit his stride and won two Supercross main events and four motocross Nationals that 1999 season. He finished the outdoor season ranked second behind Greg Albertyn. Windham and Sebastien Tortelli both posed strong challenges to Albertyn all season, but eventually came up short. It is regarded as one of the most competitive motocross seasons ever.
2000 was more of a challenge to Windham, as he scored just one supercross victory at Dallas, TX, and lost both the supercross title to Jeremy McGrath and the outdoor title to Ricky Carmichael, who was in his rookie 250cc National season.
Hoping for a positive change, Windham switched to Team Suzuki for 2001. It was a tough season, as it saw the beginning of Carmichael's domination for years to come. Windham did turn things around outdoors though, winning six motos. A titanic duel at the Washougal National between Carmichael and Windham is known as one of the best races ever, with Windham gaining the upper hand in both motos. He also won the season finale at Delmont, PA.
Dissatisfied with his performances, Windham couldn't seem to get things turned around. He broke his femur in a horrific crash in Atlanta in 2002. Windham did not return to the circuit the season and many speculated that he would retire at the young age of 23.
After over a year off, Windham announced his comeback for the 250cc Nationals in 2003 aboard a Factory Connection Honda CRF450R. With an emphasis on having fun and just enjoying the sport, Windham rode better than ever before, claiming two overall victories at Unadilla and Washougal, plus many other moto victories. He placed second to the champion Carmichael and cemented his status as a fan favorite.
Carmichael withdrew from the 2004 Supercross season for knee surgery. After a long battle with Yamaha's Chad Reed, Windham claimed 5 victories but still finished second to Reed in the title chase. By his standards, Windham had a mediocre summer and failed to win any races, finishing a distant third in the championship.
Several weeks before the start of the 2005 season, Kevin's mechanic, Jonathan, committed suicide after an incident with his wife and another man. Windham went on to win the muddy opening round in Anaheim. After a season long battle, he ended third in the championship behind Carmichael and Reed, but ahead of James Stewart. Windham won just one moto that summer at Unadilla, but was the only rider who could keep Carmichael in sight and finished 2nd overall once again. Teamed with Carmichael and 125cc Champion Ivan Tedesco, Windham helped his team win the 2005 Motocross Des Nations in Ernee, France.
Kevin Windham broke his arm in training for the 2006 season and returned near the end of the supercross season. He rode a consistent outdoor series to finish a strong second overall once again.
The 2007 Supercross season was lackluster for Windham, he had some good races and podium finishes, but went winless to end the season 4th overall. Carmichael had switched to a partial schedule, and Windham was beaten by eventual champion Stewart, Reed and Tim Ferry. The outdoor season began with similar results, with Kevin finishing off the podium. But once the series headed to Unadilla, Windham broke through with his first outdoor overall victory since 2003 and first moto win since 2005. Windham would win the final moto of the season at Glen Helen Raceway. His series was up and down, and he finished a close 5th overall.
2008 would be one of Kevin's best supercross seasons ever. He never once finished outside the top 5, and finished up the season with 4 overall victories, including the Daytona supercross. The Daytona race was one of the most difficult in memory, as torrential rain flooded the course, making for treacherous conditions. Windham would take the win after Chad Reed's bike quit with just a few turns to go. As the season went on, Windham would pressure Reed extremely hard, and proved to be the fastest rider near the end of the series, but ended up falling a few points short of the title. He again finished 2nd in the championship.
Windham is world-renowned for his smooth, effortless style. He is considered to have near perfect form and execution on the motorcycle, in the same fashion as former champ David Bailey. His bike control and "whips" are the stuff of legend. His riding style is very well suited to the modern four-stroke machines.
