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Kevin Windham’s move to Suzuki in 2001 marked the beginning of a tumultuous period that nearly ended his career

WORDS: STEVE MATTHES
PHOTOS: SIMON CUDBY & JOE BONNELLO

Kevin Windham The Lost Seasons
Kevin Windham The Lost Seasons

This is an excerpt from our Racer X Online Longform feature “Kevin Windham’s Lost Seasons.” Read the whole thing on May 1st at racerxonline.com/lostseasons.

Kevin Windham’s place in motocross history is well secured. Two championships, 46 wins in AMA Supercross/Motocross, wins in the Motocross of Nations and the FIM World Championship, and 15 top-three overall finishes—incredibly ten as runner-up to the champion. Simply put, Windham is a legend. The last ten years of his career, which ended in 2013, saw him become a massive fan favorite. It seemed like he could do no wrong.

This isn’t that story.

This is the lesser-known story of Kevin Windham losing his way mid-career—both on and off the track—getting badly hurt, and then retiring in 2002. Had he had stuck to his decision, the second half of his career would never have happened.

This is the story of Kevin Windham’s midlife crisis, as told by:

Kevin Windham: Factory Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, and GEICO Honda rider
Alley Semar: Windham’s race and practice mechanic
Jeff Surwall: Windham’s agent and No Fear MX owner
Roger De Coster: Former team manager, factory Suzuki
Jeff Stanton: Former champion and advisor, factory Honda
Randy Richardson: Michelin’s director of two-wheeled motorsports

We are deeply rooted in Moto—We’ve been here all our lives. Back in 1998 when we turned an underground newspaper into a shiny color magazine, it immediately changed the game with its unprecedented depth of coverage, sense of humor, and access to the sport’s biggest names. Today, our readers know they can go to Racer X Online for all the news, race results, and event coverage they need, and then enjoy even more detail and perspective in the pages of Racer X Illustrated. The mag offers a chance to learn something new on every page and stay connected with the people and personalities that shape our sport—the competitors out on the racetrack, as well as the ones behind the scenes—through our exclusive deep-dive stories and columns.

Our trademark has always been insider knowledge from the experts who are at the races and around the sport. We have long prided ourselves on our unparalleled race reporting and detailed storytelling. We go deep with the riders and teams to provide comprehensive coverage you won’t find anywhere else—all with first-class photography and design. It’s a full education in motocross past, present, and future.

Davey Coombs
Editor-in-chief & Founder
Racer X Illustrated

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