Seattle, Wash. ~ It's been "downtime" for the AMA Supercross Series. Everyone's had a week off. With only two weeks to go, it doesn't sound like a big deal. But 14-weeks of hard racing on the world's toughest indoor tracks can take a lot out of a supercross rider, and that includes the sports most finely tuned stars. Take Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda's Kevin Windham for example. A strong start to the 2005 indoor season quickly gave way to a series of accidents and a loss of confidence. But with two weeks left, the bumps and bruises have healed, so has the confidence for the 26-year-old.

"It was a slow process to build confidence after three or four get-offs," said Windham. "I had three in the races and a couple at home on the practice bike and that takes the wind out of your sails. We had some issues while recovering through that. Finally I'm back. I feel good about my bike and the set-up and I'm confident."
Last week in Seattle, many "experts" in the racing circle called Windham's performance his best of the season. He did what few riders have done all year. He chased down Ricky Carmichael on the last lap and powered his Honda CRF 450R to a second place finish. Now there is only one goal for the superstar known simply as "K-Dub". Win out and ride the hot streak into the outdoor season.

"Our outdoor bikes are working incredible," says Windham. "We have a lot of work to do for the last few weekends of supercross, but we never sleep. We just keep plugging away to get our outdoor bikes set up and just go racing."

That's where the Mississippi resident is at his best -- on the longer, open tracks where he can use his strength and technique to win races. Since he was three years old, Windham has shined on the outdoor circuit. He's a motocross champ more than a supercross rider. It suits his style better. He's more fluid, smooth, creative and amazingly fast when the trees are whipping past in his perifial vision, rather than a stadium full of fans. In fact, he holds a distinct honor in the outdoor world. He's the only rider to beat Carmichael in a 250cc race the past three seasons.

Now being outside doesn't mean that Windham isn't fast inside. He recorded a win at the opener in Anaheim this year. He's been on the podium eight times this year, second only to Carmichael and Chad Reed. In Seattle, he turned the second fastest lap time behind winner James "Bubba" Stewart and has won his heat race the past two weeks. Along with the confidence, the speed has also returned for Windham.

"It's a good time for it," said Windham after the Seattle race. "I want to finish strong and put myself in a good position for the outdoors."

Windham's new found determination will be on display this Saturday at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The entire AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda team will be on display, including legend Mike LaRocco and 125cc West rider Billy Laninovich. Teammate Tommy Hahn will miss the remainder of the supercross season due to injury. ESPN 2 will air both the 125cc and the 250cc races on Sunday. Check your local listings for show times.

No Rest Team AMSOIL

San Bernardino, Calif. ~ The AMA 125cc East Supercross Series is on hold until the final weekend in Las Vegas, but that doesn't mean teams are not looking for an extra edge over the competition. Besides testing, the riders are getting in some extra work at local races, such as the White Brothers 4-Stroke Worlds, which were held last weekend at Glen Helen Raceway Park.

AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda teammates Josh Grant and Joaquim Rodrigues took part in the annual event. Grant showed why he is considered one of the best young riders in the sport on Saturday by grabbing the holeshot in the first 250 Pro moto. After leading for most of the race, Grant finished second to Ryan Hughes. Rodrigues finished third.

In the second moto, Grant grabbed another holeshot ahead of Hughes. However, Hughes was forced to pull off the track with a mechanical, allowing Grant to cruise to the checkered flag. Rodrigues, meanwhile, was sitting in second before a flat tire caused him to fade to sixth.

When asked to summarize his two motos, Grant said, "They were good. I got good starts, and it's always easier to run up front. This morning my dad came up to me and was like, 'Hey, (the organizers) want to know what you want to do for motos. (Do you want to run 20 minutes or do you want to run 30 minutes?' I told him 30 minutes, because I wanted to simulate the outdoors."

For more on the White Brothers event, check out the complete article at http://www.transworldmotocross.com/mx/features/article/0,13190,1054252,00.html

Checkered Flag Notes

* Daryl Hadley Racing had another great weekend at Salem Speedway. In the Street Stock Division driver David Bayens finished second and Scott Beeler finished third. In Late Models, Kyle Hadley finished sixth after qualifying 10th.

* Ryan Posocco started his season strong with a top five finish at the Stafford Motor Speedway. Posoco started the #3 Eagle Leasing Chevrolet from the fifth position and struggled with a tight car throughout the 30-lap feature. When the checkered flag dropped, Posocco crossed the finish line in third. However, during post-race inspection, the second place car was disqualified, moving Posocco into second.

"We are happy but not satisfied with our effort today," stated Posocco. "The car just got extremely tight on us and that really hurt us getting out. We will work on it this week and get it figured out and go at it again this Friday."

Posocco and the #3 Eagle Leasing team will return to action this Friday night April 29 at the Stafford Motor Speedway.

Picture of the Week

Team AMSOIL/Chaparral/Honda Team Manager J.C. Waterhouse got the chance to twist the ear of AMA Official Steve Whitlock at a recent race. Waterhouse might be asking for Whitlock to slow the drop on Carmichael and Reed's gate. Or maybe he's calling for a full tech inspection o Bubba's Kawasaki. Of course they could be talking about the 30-second girl. I guess we will never know.