AMA Arenacross Series Interview: Team Faith Yamaha’s Kevin Johnson

Championship Contender Johnson Hopes to Return to Racing in ‘09
 
AURORA, Ill. (February 11, 2009) – Coming into the 2009 AMA Arenacross Series, Team Faith Yamaha’s Kevin Johnson was fresh off a 2008 season that saw him finish fifth overall in the series standings with two wins as well as an X Games gold medal.

 

One of the title favorites leading into the AMA Arenacross Series opener in Grand Rapids, Mich., Johnson was looking for a breakout season. However, all that changed in an instant when an off-season testing accident left the New Mexico rider with some serious injuries and forced him out of a large portion of the 2009 season.

 

Throughout this year, Johnson’s face has been commonplace in the paddock as he has been helping the series with its public relations efforts and chapel services as well as just watching the races from the stands with the thousands of AMA Arenacross Series fans. While the layoff has been long, Johnson’s time is finally approaching to get back on a bike.

 
Give us an update on your status at this point.
I’m doing pretty good. My back is 100% and my wrist is getting there. I got released by the doctor last Thursday to start rehab on my wrist. It doesn’t hurt very much, it just doesn’t move. Eight weeks without moving it in a cast. I’ve just been trying to stretch it and get as much flex back into it as I can so I can start riding.

 
A lot of people are probably unaware of what happened exactly that caused you to get injured. You mind talking about that a little bit?
I was just getting ready for the season and was out testing. I messed up on a rhythm section. It was like a triple-double thing and I messed up on the triple which caused me to crash on the double going into the corner. I went over the bars. I don’t really know how I hit really, all I know is that I ended up laying upside down in a berm and my back was killing me and my wrist hurt. I was pretty certain I’d done something to my wrist buy my back is what was scaring me. So I did the whole emergency room thing and ended spending one night in the hospital and found out I had a couple small fractures in my lower back. (The doctors) told me they were just hairline fractures and basically its going to hurt and be annoying until they heal, but there wasn’t any spinal injury or anything like that. The wrist was dislocated and pretty bad so I had to have surgery on it and have it pinned. So for six weeks I had pins in it which basically fuses the wrist together and you couldn’t move it if you wanted to. It’s just stuck. But I had the pins for six weeks and then I had a regular cast for another two weeks after that which is where I’m at now trying to get some range of motion and strength back.

 
What would you say is your timetable before you’re back out on the track?
Well I’m hoping to be riding by the beginning of next week. So Sacramento could be possible but probably not. More realistic would be Reno. If I can’t do Reno then I’ll have a few more weeks to keep going at it and make the last two rounds. I’m also hoping to do the last few supercrosses.

 
Has it been tough for you to sit on the sidelines and watch?
Yeah. I’ve (been) out there to watch the races and in my head I’m thinking ‘this’ is how I did against so and so last year so I think I would be in ‘this’ position now. So it’s been hard, but at the same time it hasn’t been hard. I’m still going to the races so that’s cool and our sponsors Fly Racing and Western Powersports have been awesome enough to continue to support us through the injury and stuff. Being with Team Faith and going to all the races, I’m still helping with the chapel services and the ministry side of stuff which hasn’t always been fun but makes me glad to be there. This weekend when Leighton Lillie got hurt I spent most of the weekend with him in the hospital. He didn’t have any family (in town) but his mechanic is an awesome guy so we hung out with him most of the weekend. Not that anyone wants to do that given the circumstances, I was glad I was able to be there.

 
Have you been able to help your brother Keith out at all?
I help him a little bit with line choice and watch his practices and check if his suspension could use a click one way or the other, if he should try a new line out or a new rhythm. Just little things like that. For the most part he knows what he’s doing and there’s not much I can really tell him. It’s a little easier when you’re watching to say ‘oh, dude you can triple that rhythm’ but when you’re out there it’s a little harder. I try to give him little pointers here and there but I know how it is being the racer when someone comes out of the stands and tells you what to do and it doesn’t really work that great sometimes. So I’m trying not to do too much and just letting him ride.

 
What are you looking to accomplish once you come back? Your short term goals?
Well I don’t want to rush back out there and get my butt kicked so I’m hoping to realistically to be a front-runner. I know my fitness isn’t going to be that good because it took me about four weeks before I could really exercise with my back and everything so I spent most of the first month not doing anything just cuz I couldn’t. I know my fitness will play more of a role in the main event so realistically I would like to win a heat race or something and realistically be top five in the main. I think I should be there. I know my speed will be there. My fitness is the only question but if I can get a start and stay up (front) for the first half that’s half of the battle right there. So I think a heat race win and some top five finishes and I’ll be happy.

Tickets are available online at www.arenacross.com, www.ticketmaster.com, www.tickets.com. For more information on the AMA Arenacross Series log on to www.arenacross.com.

 
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