Kevin Windham- The People’s Champion Part 3

After his remarkable explosion on the scene and early success, many people had Windham painted as the next great champion of the sport.

After his remarkable explosion on the scene and early success, many people had Windham painted as the next great champion of the sport.

In part 2 of our journey, we looked back at the roughest years of Kevin Windham’s career. After his remarkable explosion on the scene and early success, many people had Windham painted as the next great champion of the sport. He was given the best equipment, rode on the best teams and was paid handsomely for his services. Unfortunately for Kevin, these benefits came with considerable expectations; expectations that he was either unwilling, or unable to meet.

By the time of his infamous crash in Atlanta ‘02, Kevin was no longer the “can’t miss” hot prospect. Instead, he had become a mystery to his fans and a frustration to his employers. He was confused, burned-out and headed for self-destruction. After years of being handed everything on a silver platter, Kevin Windham was in danger of becoming yet another cautionary tale.

Chapter 3- Fans, Family and Transfers

In 2003, Kevin made a triumphant return to racing with the Doc Martens / No Fear / Factory Connection/ Honda team. He would get to ride a full Factory Honda CRF450R, but not have the pressure of being under the Factory tent.

After the Atlanta crash, Kevin would fall completely off the moto radar. He would retreat to his Centerville, Mississippi estate and slip into obscurity. Inside the industry, no one would see or here from him months. Then in the fall of 2002, Honda’s racing boss Chuck Miller would send a CRF450R unsolicited for Windham to try out. Kevin would waste no time getting to know the revolutionary bike and immediately fall in love with its smooth power and excellent chassis. Windham had always been incredibly smooth on the bike, and his precise throttle control and excellent technique seemed a perfect fit for the booming thumper.

Within a few months, word began circulating within the industry that K-Dub was indeed back in the saddle again. He had been riding some locally and apparently felt very comfortable on the big Honda. As the injuries mounted during the 2003 Supercross season, some team managers began reaching out to Windham to gauge his interest in a possible return to racing. For Kevin, this decision was still a complicated one. It was no secret that he had been a bit of a lost sole during his last few years in the industry. He had left Yamaha for Honda, looking for fulfillment and happiness, only to find the same pressures and tension on the other side of the paddock. Then he had traded in his red bike for a yellow one, and found that his problems ran deeper than the color of his machine. If Kevin Windham was going to truly make a comeback, he would have to take a long hard look at the man in the mirror.

In the 2003 Nationals, Windham would put his power advantage to good use and rip several holeshots on the mighty CRF450R. With RC choosing to stick with his CR250R two-stroke, the #4 would be at a power disadvantage all season. This, of course, would lead to several epic battles as Kevin got out front early, and Ricky tried to pull the the top off his CR’s carburetor running him down from behind.  TWMX Photo

During Kevin’s time away from the sport, his life took one very major turn. In the winter of ’02, Windham and his wife Dottie gave birth to their first child, Madelyn. For Kevin, the new arrival provided some much needed perspective and allowed him to take a hard look at himself and his career. After years of looking for external forces to provide him the happiness he desired, he realized that only one person could finally make that happen. Nothing in the world changes a human being’s perspective like parenthood, and for Kevin this new outlook allowed him to see all the great things that he had so long taken for granted. With batteries recharged, and a new lease on life, a very different Kevin Windham contacted his manager Jeff Surwall about coming back to ride in 2003.

From the start, Kevin knew he wanted to ride the new Honda 450. He loved the bike, and thankfully, Honda was looking to put a top rider on the machine after injuries had sidelined Nathan Ramsey and Mike LaRocco. In the spring of ’03, Surwall would get together with Rick Zielfelder and lay out plans for Windham to ride the Nationals on a Honda CRF450R under the Factory Connection banner. With Factory Connection already closely allied with Honda, the pairing would seem to be a perfect fit. It would allow Windham to get the benefits of a Factory Honda ride, without the pressure and corporate mentality of a full Factory team.

RC and K-Dub would engage in several epic duals during the 2003 motocross season. At round seven in Unadilla, Windham would finally break Carmichael’s remarkable string of overall victories. Ironically, it was Kevin who had last beaten him, nearly two years before.  RacerX Photo

Kevin’s new operation would be the Doc Martens / No Fear / Factory Connection/ Honda team and operate out of a separate trailer from the regular Amsoil/ Factory Connection squad. Windham would get a full Factory Honda CRF450R, and receive the same parts and support as Team riders like Ernesto Fonseca and Ricky Carmichael. As the Supercross season drew to a close, Windham and his team would make plans for their debut at the season opening Glen Helen round in May.

While Kevin was taking the summer of ’02 off to recover, Ricky Carmichael was making history. At the end of ’01, RC had made the jump from long-time sponsor Kawasaki to Honda. Carmichael would get off to a slow start on the new bikes, but catch fire mid-season and take home his second consecutive 250 Supercross title. In the outdoors, the diminutive Floridian would waste no time and dominate the series from start to finish. His incredible season would include a run of twenty-four straight moto victories, capping the first undefeated campaign in motocross history.

Windham looked like a new man on the Honda 450. He appeared to be having fun at the races again and it showed in his results.   Jeff Kardy photo

With Windham coming back for the 2003 Nationals, the ages-old battle between he and RC would be rekindled. Even though Kevin had missed the entire ’02 season, he was still the last man to beat Carmichael on a motocross track. This bit of intrigue would add greatly to the anticipation leading up to the Glen Helen event. With no one really knowing which Kevin Windham would show up in San Bernardino, the race promised to be a can’t miss show.

At the Start of the first moto, it would be the booming four-strokes of Windham and David Vuillemin who would rocket into the lead (RC had chosen to stay with his tried and true CR250R two-stroke and was mired farther back in the pack). After making quick work of DV, Kevin would set sail on the big 450 and try to go straight from the couch to the winner’s circle. As the Glen Helen crowd went crazy, Windham continued to pull away out front and by halfway had ten seconds on RC in second. With only a few laps to go, it looked like Kevin was going to pull off one of the craziest Cinderella comebacks of all time. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Out front and cruising, Windham would get crossed up on a small tabletop and land about two feet off the track to the left. In a split second, Kevin would go from first to twentieth, as he hit a hydro barrier and flipped over the bars. It would take Windham several seconds to collect himself and get the big 450 going again, by which time RC and the lead pack were gone. Carmichael would take the moto one victory, with K-Dub limping home to fourteenth.

n 2004, Windham was back in Supercross and better than ever. He would win a total of five main events and claim 13 podium finishes on his way to second in the championship chase. TWMX Photo

The second moto would see Windham once again setting the pace early. He would lead the first few laps, before being passed by a relentless Carmichael on his underpowered CR250R. K-Dub would hold on for second and finish the day in fifth overall.  Even though Kevin had not been able to hold on for the victory in either moto, he had certainly served notice that he had lost none of his speed during the layoff.  The question on the minds of fans everywhere would be, was this truly a new Kevin Windham, or was the Glen Helen performance just another one-in-a-million ride for the talented but troubled star?

In 2005, K-Dub would withstand “The Perfect Storm” to capture the win at the season opener in Anaheim. After months of relentless hype, it would be the Cajun who would spoil the party for the pit prognosticators. RacerX photo

At the next round in Sacramento, that question would be answered with an emotional first moto victory by Windham. It would be the first moto lost by RC in nearly two years and signal to the motocross industry that Kevin was indeed back and better than ever. It was apparent to anyone who spoke to him that he was a very different man than the one who had broken his leg in Atlanta. He was happy to be at the races again, and that enthusiasm showed in his riding.

Kevin’s career renaissance would continue throughout the summer as he gave RC everything he could handle on his 450 thumper. The two would battle to the death at several races, with Carmichael coming out on top due to his remarkable fitness and will to win. RC would absolutely ride the wheels off his underpowered CR250R all summer in an effort to hold of the big four-stroke. Even though Kevin would be close at times, it would take until the Unadilla round in July for him to finally capture that elusive first overall victory. In New York, the two superstars would engage in a titanic battle, with Windham coming out on top in both moto’s. It would be Carmichael’s first loss since Washougal in 2001 (also to Windham) and end one of the most remarkable streaks in motocross history.

The following week at Washougal, Windham would be on fire once more. On the slippery and technical course, Kevin would use his superior torque to hook up and pull away to an uncontested double moto sweep. It was an amazing accomplishment for a man many thought was out of the sport for good only a year before. Kevin would be solid all year and finish the series in second place behind his long time rival.

At the end of 2005, Windham would be chosen to join Ivan Tedesco and Ricky Carmichael on Team USA for the Motocross of Nations. K-Dub and the team would bring home the Chamberlain Trophy to America for the first time since 2000.

 

In 2004, Kevin would return to the Factory Connection Honda squad and stay on his trusty CRF450R four-stroke (still, by far the minority in Supercross at this point). In Supercross, Kevin’s new nemesis would be Australia’s Chad Reed. The Factory Yamaha rider was fresh off a season long dual with RC in the ’03 SX series and seemed to be the odds on favorite for the title in ’04.  With Carmichael sitting out the Supercross series to have an ACL repaired, it would be up to Windham to keep Reed from running away with the title. 

In Supercross 2004, Kevin would once again prove that he was an all-new man. On the Factory Honda 450, he would show the blazing speed that had been his trademark, but combine it with a degree of consistency that had always eluded him. He would win a total of five main events and claim 13 podium finishes. If not for two bad races, Kevin could well have been the 2004 Supercross champion. As it was, Windham completed by far his best Supercross season and kept Chad Reed honest all year.

In the outdoors, the #4 would make his triumphant return to racing and lay waste to the competition. This time, RC would join Kevin on the big four-stroke and reel off a second perfect season. Windham would be the second fastest rider, but never be able to defeat the GOAT. At the end of the season, RC would capture the title by an astounding 124 points and lay claim to his eighth Outdoor Motocross championship.

While Kevin was not always the fastest rider on the track, his showmanship has always guaranteed him a long autograph line in the pits.  RacerX photo

Even though Kevin was not able to beat out Reed or RC for the ‘04 titles, a funny thing was starting to happen. The once enigmatic Windham was slowly becoming one of the most popular riders on the track. His phoenix-like return from the brink of career ruin had made him the man who fans loved to root for. Unlike his early years, where he was the kid-wonder, wasting his talent, now he was the veteran trying to beat the new kids at their own game. Helping this career transformation was Kevin’s remarkable candor with the press and fans. He became the rider that you could always count on to tell it like it was and give you a genuine opinion. Even though he was a millionaire several times over, Windham was the kind of rider Joe Average could relate to. In a sport where most of the time you get a canned response and a list of sponsors, K-Dub’s honesty and openness made him a breath of fresh air.

Coming into the 2005 season, the return of Kevin Windham was no longer the big story. His return to racing had gone well, but now the press had bigger fish to fry. The headline for ’05 would be “The Perfect Storm”, with the entrance of James Stewart to the 250’s and the return of Ricky Carmichael from injury. Even though he had finished the ’04 season in second and won five races, Kevin would not even be invited to the A1 press conference. It would be a snub that would look pretty foolish in hindsight.

In a bit of irony, the season opener would turn out to be run in conditions that more resembled Kevin’s native bayous than the typical Southern California concrete. The A1 track would be an absolute quagmire on this night and play right into Windham’s remarkable mud riding prowess. While all the “perfect storm” heavy hitters floundered and imploded, Kevin road a smooth and steady race to spoil the pit pundit’s party. The guy everyone forgot about took the victory and sprayed the champagne.

Windham would back up his victory with another solid season. He would claim a total of nine podiums and finish the series in third behind RC and Reed. In the outdoors, Windham would finish as runner up to RC eight times and round out the series in second place. For Windham, the true highlight of 2005 would come after the grind of the US season was over.

When it came time for the AMA to pick a team for the 2005 running of the Motocross of Nations (I still hate that name), Kevin Windham was once again picked to represent his country in the Olympics of Motocross. He would be teamed with Ricky Carmichael and Ivan Tedesco for the event, which was scheduled to be run at Ernee in France. It would be Kevin’s third selection to the prestigious event. With his first two attempts ending in defeat and cancellation, and with America coming off a four-year hiatus, the 2005 MXoN would promise to be pressure packed.

Very few riders in the world are as smooth and stylish on a motorcycle as Kevin Windham. RacerX photo

In front of massive crowd of crazed French fans, the America’s would pull off their sixteenth Motocross des Nations (there, I said it) victory and move into a tie with Great Britain for the all-time MXdN’s lead. Even though Team USA would win, it would not be easy. While RC would handily win both his moto’s, crashes by Windham and Tedesco (who had been picked to replace a unceremoniously dumped Mike Brown at the last moment) in the second heat would make things close going into the third and final race. In Moto three, K-Dub and Carmichael would take care of business (going 1-3 respectively) and bring America its first title in five years. For Windham, it would be sweet redemption for the bitter loss in Brazil and one of the highlights of his historic career.

Over the next two seasons, Windham would continue to put in solid and consistent rides. He would miss most of the ’06 SX season with a broken arm, but rebound to finish second once again behind RC (do we sense a pattern here?) in the outdoors. In 2007, he would be slightly off the pace in Supercross and once again go winless, finishing in fourth. In the outdoors, Windham would capture a popular win at Unadilla, but fail to take advantage of the huge opportunity created by the series exit of James Stewart. Instead of pouncing on perhaps his best opportunity to capture an outdoor title since ’99, Windham floundered and allowed Grant Langston to steal the crown.

The slippery and rocky surface of Unadilla had always played into Windham’s precise and technical riding style. He was always a master of throttle control and could find traction on wet ice if necessary. He would win there a total of three times, with his last victory coming in 2007.  RacerX Photo

After the disappointment of 2007, a recharged Windham would come out swinging in 2008. He would once again battle Chad Reed (after Stewart pulled out to have his knee repaired) for the Supercross crown and have his best season since 2004. Ever the opportunist, K-Dub seemed to sense this was probably his last legitimate shot at a Supercross title and really put his all into the series.  All series long, he would pressure Reed and keep the championship tight to the very end. All told, he would never finish outside the top five and capture four main event wins on his way to another second place finish.

The 2009 season would prove to be a tough one for Windham. He would start off the season by colliding with James Stewart (in a race he probably very likely could have won) at A1 and never get on track. His results all season would be mediocre and he would finish the title fight in fifth.  In the outdoors, Kevin would retire from full time competition and decide to spend the summer at his lake instead eating rocks. At Unadilla, K-Dub would make the dubious decision to come off the couch and race a Geico Honda CRF250R against the youngsters. Even thought Unadilla had always been kind to the #14, he would struggle with terrible starts on the 250F and end the day way back in twentieth place. The following week, K-Dub would switch back to his familiar 450, but with similar results. After his two-race working vacation, Kevin would head back to Mississippi to enjoy the rest of his off-season.

During this period, Kevin would start to craft out a niche for himself as one of the best showmen in the sport. Since the early 2000’s, Kevin had been pulling nose wheelies (and the occasional over-the-bars step-off) during opening ceremonies to the delight of crowds everywhere. Once Windham started adding amazingly death defying mega-leaps to his repertoire, he became a legend. The crazy leaps were referred to as “transfers”, because they involved transferring from one lane of the track to the other. Worst of all, Windham had to huck these 100-foot plus insane gaps in the dark. These transfers quickly became a fan favorite and often received nearly as much press as the race itself. As Windham became less of a true threat to win, these amazing feats of showmanship helped keep the #14 number one in many fans hearts.

Kevin’s last real run would happen in the 2010 Supercross series.  He would go on a tear in the last few rounds, taking 2 wins and five straight podiums to close out the series. In the end, it would be too little too late, as Kevin went on to finish second for an incredible tenth time. RacerX photo

Even though many people thought Windham was no longer a true threat for the title, he was still capable of stealing a win when the conditions suited him. If it was muddy and rutty or close to his hometown, he was more than ready to pull off a surprise victory. In 2010, Windham would go on a three-race tear towards the end of the season and capture back-to-back wins at the Salt Lake and Seattle rounds before closing things out with a podium in Vegas. In the final standings, Kevin would once again finish second, this time behind rookie sensation Ryan Dungey. In the Nationals, Windham would ride a few races for the Factory Honda Squad (filling in for an injured Davi Millsaps) and take a hugely popular win at the Steel City National. The win would turn out to be the last of Kevin’s remarkable career and be a fitting end to his outdoor motocross odyssey.

In 2011 Windham would begin his slow transition from title threat to elder motocross statesman. He would still haul ass when the conditions suited him, but largely be unwilling to hang it out enough to stay at the front. At Houston a huge first turn pile up would take out all the title contenders and open the door for Windham. K-Dub would sense his opportunity and check out for eleven laps, before auguring himself in on lap twelve. Then at the season finale, Kevin seemed to roll back the clock five years and actually have the speed to pull off the win. In his heat and the main, K-Dub was on fire, doing gnarly jump combinations that the elder Windham was no longer fond of hucking.  In the main, Kevin would actually be pressuring James Stewart for the lead early on and appear to be the fastest man on the track. Unfortunately, the battle would be short lived, as James would throw it away in the whoops (I know, shocker), leaving Windham nowhere to go. K-Dub would actually try to wheelie the downed Yamaha, but ending up crashing out himself instead. 

K-Dub’s last victory would take place at Steel City in 2010. GuyB photo

The 2012 season would be more of the same, as Windham would mostly hover back in the five to ten range. At Daytona, a muddy track would offer some promise of one final sentimental victory, but in the end, the kid from Baton Rouge had used up all his magic. He would continue to delight crowds with his death defying leaps, but largely be a sentimental pick to win. In Houston, Kevin would once again use the home crowd advantage to light a fire under him and try to run down Stewart in the second heat race. Windham and JS7 would trade the lead multiple times, before a miscalculated scrub would send K-Dub to the Houston turf in a vicious crash. The crash would leave Windham with two separated shoulders, a cracked wrist and a broken spirit (he was VERY lucky the injury total was not worse). The crash would end Windham’s year, and in effect, his career. He would never fully recover from the mental aspect of the crash, and on January 19^th, 2012 call it a career.

KEVIN WINDHAM!!!!! (insert God voice here) RacerX photo

Over the course of his nineteen-year career, Kevin played second fiddle to some of the greatest riders in the sport’s history. Riders like McGrath, Carmichael, Reed and Stewart made race wins hard to come by and titles virtually impossible. Some would argue that if Windham had been born in a different era, he might have been a multi-time National Champion. As it was, however, he was certainly one of the most talented riders of his era. As to whether or not he wasted that talent, some argument could certainly be made. It is no secret that he did not truly apply himself early on in his career, and in doing so, probably missed out on his biggest window for a championship. In life, however, race wins are not the only measure of greatness. His grace and speed on the motorcycle never waned and he remained one of the sport’s most popular riders in spite of his bare trophy case. Even without the major titles, Kevin’s value to the sport and his sponsors actually grew over the years. He may have lacked the crazy speed of a Stewart and the insane drive of a Carmichael, but if cheers won races, the man they call K-Dub would have been near impossible to beat. It may not show in the AMA record books, but Kevin Windham will always remain- The People’s Champion.