Privateer Profile: Kyle Summers
A recent trend we’ve been seeing is off-road racers crossing over and competing in AMA Motocross events. Over the past month we’ve seen a slew of WORCS racers entering the mix, including Bobby Garrison, Ricky Dietrich, Bobby Bonds, Destry Abbot and today’s subject for our Privateer Profile, Kyle Summers, who went 18-18 for 19th overall in Colorado. We’re not too familiar with Kyle and his career, so we decided to give him a call for this interview.
Racer X: You’ve been putting in some great rides recently, Kyle. At Lakewood and Washougal you finished in the points.
Yeah, I had a couple pretty good rides. I raced at Red Bud and didn’t do well there because I just wasn’t riding well. I was just a little nervous. But Lakewood and Washougal went better for me.
Where did you come from and how did you get into racing?
I was born in San Diego. My dad was in the Navy so we moved around a lot. We lived in California for a while and then we lived in Washington after that. We moved out to Colorado and after moving around for a while we’ve been here in Colorado Springs for about seven years now. I rode a little bit when I was younger, like, three or four years old. But my dad wasn’t around much then so we couldn’t really get into it. I kept racing more and more as I got older and I ended up winning a bunch of amateur national championships in the novice class. Then I moved to the B class and got a bunch of top-five and stuff like that. Then I got hurt and messed my foot up pretty bad. I took some time off and just tried to figure out what I was going to do. I was good friends with Tony at Topar Racing. He always helped me out in the amateur stuff and he told me about the WORCS series and how fast it was growing. We went to a couple and I got an eleventh and then a fifth and we decided to go to all of them.
That’s in the main class on a 450?
Yeah.
Wow, that’s pretty good. The pace of that lead group is impressive.
I’m in sixth in the points right now with four rounds left to go.
So, do you see yourself sticking to the off-road racing or are you planning on getting back into motocross?
I’m having a lot of fun doing the WORCS stuff but I really love motocross. If I could get some kind of ride to do the nationals next year I would love to do them. I haven’t done any supercross but I would try that too.
You had a bunch of WORCS guys showing up at the nationals there during the break in your series. Was that fun to race with them in a different environment?
Yeah, it was cool to see them out doing well. I don’t think many people realize that there are some great riders in the WORCS series that can ride motocross well too.
Do you have any offers for the WORCS series next year?
There is a KTM team that I have been talking to a little bit but I’m not sure. I really want to do the motocross series next year. Maybe I could do some of both. I just have to see what happens over the next couple months. If I have a great offer here I would stay.
What was your best finish at a national this summer?
I got a fifteenth in the first moto at Washougal. That was my best result.
You might end up with a national number from just those few races you did.
Yeah, that would be cool.
Are you racing any more nationals?
Yeah, I’m going to race the last round at Glen Helen.
What sponsors do you want to thank?
Topar Racing, Balcom Motorsports, Fly Racing, KFA Racing, SPY Optics, Rev Graphics Maxxis and Factory Connection.
Good luck the rest of the season!
Thanks.