Deep into his third year of being a full-season professional 250cc competitor, one Levi Kitchen, straight out of Washougal, Washington, has lined up and powered into the first turn in precisely 47 AMA Pro Racing contests thus far in his young career. And during his quarter-liter journey, Kitchen has won three 250SX supercross main events, but one thing has eluded the native of the pacific Northwest and that’s an overall victory in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
“Yes, I want that first outdoor win bad,” declared Kitchen on press day for the AMA Pro Motocross Championship season opening round set for Fox Raceway in Pala, California this Saturday afternoon.
“Yeah, for me, I know I’m good shape and it’s going to take two good starts and I think that’s what I need to win one of these,” explained Kitchen. “I just need to put two motos together. Last year I had the speed. I would put a strong moto together pretty regularly. I think I just need to nail two good starts and go from there. The thing about outdoors that is kind of cool is that you don’t necessarily have to win to win the overall. You can go 2-2 and win the overall. You’ve just got to put two motos together and you can give yourself a pretty good shot at winning.
“I’m feeling good heading into Pala this weekend,” the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider furthered. “Yeah. We got some testing done and that puts me in a good spot. I’m out in California now and I’ll be out here for the next three weeks. Yeah, I’m feeling good. Kind of feeling like I want redemption after the supercross series! [Laughs]"
As we are all aware of now, on Saturday night, May 11, 2024 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, Levi Kitchen lost out on winning the 2024 AMA 250SX West Region Supercross Championship by four seconds and five points to rival RJ Hampshire. Kitchen talked about the emotions that came afterwards.
“Oh yeah. Yeah, I think now after it’s all said and done, it’s tough to lose, I guess you could say,” sighed Kitchen. “But honestly, it wasn’t too bad a couple of days later. I kind of turned the page and now the focus is the outdoors. I couldn’t believe how quick it came up. I don’t want to say that I forgot about it, but there is a lot more racing ahead, so it wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
In recent interviews and editorial pieces present in the motocross media, Kitchen has spoken about self confidence and world class motocross racing. “Once you win, you learn how to do it, and I think I’m finally learning to do that part,” Kitchen recently mentioned to legendary champions Ricky Carmichael and Ryan Villopoto. “It helps. There’s just so much confidence when I’m on the line now.”
Is Kitchen more confident than before?
“Yeah, for sure. I think the mindset is completely different now this year. From supercross especially, I led some races from start to finish and won. I know I can win. I also felt like, just overall speed-wise, I was in a good spot. You don’t have much time in supercross, where in outdoors, I think that if I can just start even in the top five and let the race come to me, you know I think I can check some of those boxes and win some of these.”
Along the lines of once you win one, you know you can do it again?
“Oh, for sure,” Kitchen answered. “And honestly, after you win one, you’re not satisfied unless you win again. It changes your mindset. Last year, if I got a podium, I would be jumping up and down. I’m still grateful for having those results and even being ale to do it, but I’m not truly excited and happy unless I win now. My motivation changed a little bit.”
Furthermore, Kitchen has made it clear that e wants to excel in both supercross and motocross during his tenure in world class racing.
“Yes, for certain I want to be strong in both,” said Kitchen. “I feel like the greats in the sport were good in both. You know your name can go down in history, for sure, if you’re a legend in one or the other, but I think when you learn to win in one, usually those people would win either way. They would win in outdoors or supercross. I mean honestly, before I always thought outdoors was where I was better. Now I felt like I got better in supercross, so I would like to be right there in both.’
In his very first year as a member of the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team, Kitchen believes he has fallen right in step with Mitch Payton’s battalion of mechanics and technicians.
“It’s been such an unbelievable relationship, for sure. Mitch and the whole crew has been great. They’re super-laid back, which is kind of my personality. They trust in me enough to know that I know what I need to do and I think that goes a long way when you don’t have people in your ear all of the time telling you how to do stuff. In order to do all of that takes trust, and I feel like they have trust in me and I trust in them. It has been really good. While I’m in California, I’m actually staying at Mitch’s house. He’s got a little apartment. It all feels like a family. I would say that is definitely kind of a different atmosphere than the previous team I was on.”
Kitchen talked about the emotions team owner Mitch Payton felt after losing out on the 250SX West title
“He was the same as me, you know? We didn’t want to talk to anybody and we were just upset and taking it all in. As bad as it sounds, it is good to see how upset Mitch is. It just shows that he wants it and so do I. Yeah, I think he’s good now and he’s also super-motivated like all of us. That’s the cool thing. It’s like he’s one of us out there racing because he just wants it so badly.”
Next stop: Pala Raceway and the starting gate this Saturday afternoon in Southern California. Kitchen spoke about just what he will be up against in the curtain raising Pro Motocross round on Saturday.
“I’m going to approach it just like I did Anaheim I,” pointed out Kitchen. “I think there is going to be some nerves, which s normal for the first round because you don’t really know where you stack up. At the same time, I kind of do know where I stack up and I feel like I know the guys to watch out for; I know who is going to be good. I’ve been it long enough now, I’ve been here over three years, and I’ve learned. I know who is good late in the motos. I know who is a sprinter at the beginning of the motos. Everybody kind of has their strongpoints, you know? I like to think I’m the guy that’s just going to send it if I get a good start. I know I’m in good shape and I know I can fight pretty long in these races. The approach, really, is to get out front and run like hell. Especially in the first few rounds because everybody is so ready. You’ve got some guys that are going to be going fast in these first few rounds. I just want to get some good finishes. We’ll have to see who is there to stay. I’d say after about round three or round four is when you know who is going to be around all season."
And just who will Kitchen be forced to deal with when the 250MX pack roars into the first turn on Saturday afternoon in sun splashed Pala, California?
“Well, the guy I fought all year with in supercross [RJ Hampshire] will be good," he says. "Tom Vialle, my training partner, he’s won before and he’s going to be pretty dang good. I think Deegan will be good. I want to say that everybody now is at a pretty similar level. Like I said, I’d say in the first three rounds it is tough to really decide who is going to be there. “
Can Levi Kitchen make a run at the title this summer? The confidence is part of the game, and it's building for him.
“Oh, I believe I can do it, for sure. Yeah, I think that’s half the battle: Just believing that you can. Yeah, everything has to fall into place, but I just want to at least give myself a shot. The first few rounds ae pretty important to make sure you are in this thing.”
