Spy Optic’s Windham & Wey Both Finish Top Ten
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Spy Optic supercross racers Kevin “K-Dub” Windham and Nick Wey each powered to top ten finishes in the hotly-contested Supercross class main event this past weekend at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, round seven of 2009 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.
With Spy’s home court advantage given the nearby Carlsbad, Calif., headquarters, Windham (Geico Powersports/Honda) and Wey (Boost/ampm/Monster Energy/Troy Racing) opened the weekend’s racing by both transferring to the premier SX class main event out of the first heat race. Starting outside the top nine transfer spots (Wey 10th, Windham 11th), the two veteran supercross racers did what it took to move up on the leader board so they wouldn’t have to try and transfer to the main out of the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ).
Windham charged first, moving up to 6th place and comfortably within the qualifying ranks with three laps to go in the eight lap contest. Wey was still sitting in 10th place with Josh Hill on his tail and Jacob Marsack just up in front of him. Waiting until the last lap, Wey pounced – passing Marsack and making it stick through the checkers – 9th place and into the main.
“I’d run into a bit of difficulty here recently and figured it’s best to make a move in the heat, rather than trying to qualify out of the LCQ,” said Wey. “The LCQ’s so short – four laps – so if you don’t pull a great start, and I haven’t been getting the best starts lately, you’re through. So yeah, I was pumped to transfer out of my heat.”
Unfortunately for Spy Optic’s Paul Carpenter (Monster Energy/Cernic’s/Kawasaki) the heat and LCQ results wouldn’t play to his favor as he JUST missed qualifying out of the second heat race (10th) and then DNF’d in the LCQ.
When the gate dropped on the main the temperature had dropped considerably. Fans were bundled up in down jackets as night and cold weather settled into Qualcomm – a perfect recipe for fogged goggle lenses once the riders get their heart rates going. However, for Spy Optic riders, this is a non-issue as Windham explains: “A lot of guys wait to the last second to put their goggles on so they don’t fog up. I could have worn my Spy signature Magnetos with the anti-fog Lexan® lens in from the pits and kept them on at the starting gate after the parade lap. Spy’s got the anti-fog technology dialed. The just don’t fog up.”
With ultra-clear vision and rocketing out of the start, Windham was up to 6th place by the end of the first lap, while Wey was not far behind in 11th. By the halfway point the two were in about the same spot, until Windham lost a position to Andrew Short. Wey got up to 10th place by lap 15 and had his sites set on Michael Byrne, then inherited 9th on the next lap when Broc Hepler went down. So the final numbers on the night were Windham 7th, Wey 9th.
Next up for the Spy Optic-backed supercross racers is round eight of the 2009 Monster Energy Supercross Series at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
About Spy
Spy Optic designs, develops and markets premium products for the action sports and youth lifestyle markets. Spy’s principal products, sunglasses and goggles, target the action sports market, including surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, motocross, wakeboarding and skiing, and the youth lifestyle market within fashion, music, and entertainment. Spy’s innovative proprietary products utilize high-quality materials, handcrafted manufacturing processes and engineered optical lens technology to convey premium quality, contemporary style, and progressive design. Spy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Orange 21, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORNG). www.spyoptic.com
About Crown Athlete Management Group
Crown Athlete Management Group is the most comprehensive marketing, branding and athlete management firm focused on the future of action sports. For sponsorship opportunities or media information please contact (info@crownamg.com) or by phone at (760) 918-9382. Please visit us online at www.CrownAMG.com
