Kevin Windham San Diego Post-Race Interview

(These quotes were taken from last week's webcast on Supercrossonline.com)

Jim Holley:  Well, Kevin, it was a hard, slick track out there.  You’re noted for the hard, throttle control – good throttle control on the rear wheel, not letting it break loose, and it worked out good for you tonight.

Kevin Windham:  Yeah, everything worked out great from the start.  I didn’t have the best of gates but I had a theory. Everybody was pushing wide and I just went down there and hugged the inside, came out about third or fourth, and I felt like I was riding well.  I felt strong all night.  Wasn’t the fastest guy tonight – Had a little bit of struggle with just flowing some of these corners, but man, I’m here and it feels great.

Jim Holley:  You had the Leatt brace tonight. How did that work for you?  We haven’t seen you wear that.

Kevin Windham:  Yeah, I still have it on, actually. Up there on the podium there, just in case I trip on the way down.  I think that with the amount of neck injuries that we’ve had in the sport, anyone who says that thought don’t cross their mind I think is probably lying. The thing doesn’t bother me at all; I rode one lap with it and I was like, man, I’m gonna start racing with this thing this weekend and everybody’s just super stoked with it and the Leatt guys really came through for me and helped get me set up for the weekend, so it feels great.

Jason Weigandt:  One race and one podium tonight – That’s not too bad.  Kevin, it’s kind of the same thing we said to Chad Reed – He doesn’t give up; he managed to take the win here.  And I know you were kind of down at the beginning of the season as well and I know you’re a birthday boy this month and you’re gonna be 29 – or did you just turn 29?

Kevin Windham:  No, I’ll be 29 on the 28th of this month.

Jason Weigandt:  Okay, alright, just missed the leap year.  But here’s the thing.  You’re 29.  I know you said that this might be the last contract of your career – maybe a few more years.  As soon as the struggles came at the beginning of the year, you know what people are gonna say.  They’re gonna wonder if you can bounce back or maybe we’ve seen all Kevin Windham has to give.  Was there ever a point in these first six, seven weeks where you were thinking you might not see the podium again?  Or was it never give up?

Kevin Windham:  No, absolutely not.  I feel like I’m at 29 young and I’ll put it, right now, right out here on the table – I’m gonna be back next year regardless of how things turn out.  I’m enjoying what I’m doing.  This year I’m feeling better now than ever as far as aches and pains and motivation.  If you can be motivated through what I’ve been through the first five rounds, you can be motivated through anything.  This right here is not an accident.  Of course James went down and I don’t want to start talking a bunch of smack now. I hate to be up here due to him going down but this is nothing but a bunch of hard work and a bunch of dedication from all of my team and my trainer. All I know is I’m gonna be giving a hundred percent week in and week out.

Jim Holley:  Hey, Kevin, I’ve been there.  A third is a third, man, no matter what happens.

Kevin Windham:  Yeah, absolutely.  I’m gonna take it.  I’ll take it any way I can get it right now and like I said, I had some stuff to build on from Houston and I certainly had some stuff to build on tonight.  I think I’ve kind of opened a new page and a new chapter in this ’07 season and looking forward to good weeks to come.

Jason Weigandt:  Congratulations, man, we’re proud of you.  Good job.

Kevin Windham:  Hey, thanks.  And I just want to let you know a little footnote. This is only one step better than actually being up there with you guys.  One year ago, right?  I was up there commentating.

Jason Weigandt:  Yeah, you have gone downhill a little bit.  It was pretty sweet back in those days.

Kevin Windham:  Yeah, well, you know, some of us have to actually work tonight.

Jason Weigandt:  This is fun for us.

Kevin Windham:  Thanks, guys.

Jason Weigandt:  Thanks, Kevin.  Kevin Windham – always a great guest, always well spoken, and a great spokesman for this sport.