Levi Kitchen Confirms Departure From Star Yamaha, Thanks Team
Now that the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) is complete, the AMA Supercross and Motocross season is officially over. Riders and teams will take some time off to debrief and/or recover physically and mentally before ramping up training for supercross boot camps in the next month. With October only a few days away, we are going to start to see riders depart from their current teams and announce deals with new teams.
Yesterday, Levi Kitchen thanked the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team for their support the last three years, confirming his departure from the factory Yamaha team. The Washougal, Washington, native officially joined the team in December 2020 after testing with the squad in California following a strong year of racing with support from the Rock River team. He made his pro debut at the 2021 RedBud National, finishing 9-19 for 12th overall as #147. He returned to the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and won both the Open Pro Sport and 250 Pro Sport classes en route to winning the 2021 Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award. Kitchen had limited gate drops as a rookie in 2022 as he was banged up in both supercross and motocross in with injuries, although he did receive the 2022 Marty Smith Rookie of the Year award in Pro Motocross. He made it through the ’23 season healthy, finishing third in the 2023 250SX West Region championship, fifth in the 250 Class of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and fourth in the 250SMX World Championship standings in a strong year where he showed speed, fitness, and finesse. He claimed the moto win in the final 250SMX moto of the year at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Kitchen posted on Instagram:
“I want to give a huge thank you to the whole @starracingyamaha team for everything they’ve done the past 3 years. We’ve accomplished a lot and had a lot of fun while doing it. I personally want to thank Bobby and his wife Loretta for believing in me and helping me start my career as a pro. I also would like to thank @swanie387 for putting up with me and pushing me all these years. Lastly, a big thanks to all of the mechanics and people that have helped in any way throughout my time with the team. ❤️”
In his time with the Yamaha team, Kitchen scored four AMA Motocross overall podiums—including a few moto wins—and four AMA Supercross 250SX main event podiums—including one Triple Crown overall win for his maiden professional win (2023 Anaheim 2 Supercross).
Although nothing has been officially announced, Kitchen is expected to join Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team for 2024. Kitchen also earned enough combined points throughout the 2023 AMA Supercross and Motocross seasons to earn a national number, and we anticipate him taking #47—his amateur number. He joked in an interview in July 2021 after his first pro race, “Eventually I want to get 47 as my national number, so seeing Jalek Swoll [as #47] kind of makes me mad.” So, look for an announcement on both national numbers and Kitchen’s new deal for next year in the next few weeks.
