Kevin Windham is Standing in the Hall of Fame
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Broc Glover texted me in March for a Kevin Windham stats request: “I just need some basic facts”. Glover was gathering info to whip up support for a vote to get Windham into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
There’s nothing basic about K-Dub and there’s so much more to his career (and his personality) than just this:
Kevin Windham Career Snapshot
- 47 combined wins (SX+MX all classes)
- 2-time 125SX Champion
- 10-time SX+MX championship runner-up (all classes)
- 3rd overall in 250/450 most starts and points scored
- 1999 FIM USGP Winner
- 2005 Motocross of Nations winning team member
I had to go deeper; I’ve been a Windham fan since 1988 when he lapped me on his way to second (3-1-2) in the 85cc Stock (7-11) class at the AMA Amateur Motocross National Championships at Loretta Lynn’s.
My own results aren’t important (let’s just say I was top 30). Ten year old Windham helped 12-year-old Clinton realize racing wasn’t his calling.
Decades later, it was his fluid and effortless riding style, combined with his laidback personality that was easy to cheer on as a fan.
About four months after Glover reached out, the voting members of the AMA Hall of Fame voted Windham into the class of 2024 along with four other motorcycling legends.
This sport is finally starting to realize that there are more reasons to celebrate these athletes than just by counting up their championships. In a stick-and-ball parallel, Dan Marino never won the one that counts yet he’s still immortalized in Canton.
Windham’s October 10, 2024 induction is the combination of great results, longevity, and a lovable personality, an exceptionally rare combo.
The We Went Fast Team USA Tee
Team USA Tee
29.99
Kevin Windham’s 125 Career
Windham was still an amateur (and in the middle of what became an 18-moto win streak at Loretta Lynn’s) when he showed up to a couple of early season Pro Motocross races in 1994. He finished 6th at the High Point round after leading all but a few laps of the second moto.
In 1995 he went pro full-time and spent three full years in the 125 class where he stood on the podium 56% of the time (32 podiums in 56 starts). He won two 125SX West region Championships.
125 Career Stats
- 1996 & 1997 125SX West Champion.
- 1996 & 1997 125 Pro Motocross: second overall.
- 19 SX+MX 125 wins (includes his 1997 E/W Showdown win)
- 32 SX+MX 125 podium finishes
Kevin Windham’s 250/450 Career
In Windham’s 15 years of 450 racing (excluding his 2003 sabbatical), he finished top five in championship standings 17 times!
250/450 Combined SX+MX
- It’s either impressive or painful; Windham finished runner-up in EIGHT 250/450 championship series, four times to Ricky Carmichael.
250/450 Supercross
- Second overall in three different SX seasons (2004 & 2008 to Chad Reed, 2010 to Ryan Dungey)
250/450 Pro Motocross
- Second overall in five different seasons: Greg Albertyn in 1999 and Ricky Carmichael (2001, 2003, 2005, 2006.
- Seven times top three in the series.
- NOTE: 10 overall wins for a share of 18th all-time, but ranked 4th all-time in podiums. This underscores the effect of racing against the GOAT, Ricky Carmichael.
All told, Kevin Windham had a spectacular career and has earned a place in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
He raced against the best the sport has ever seen and stood in the winner’s circle 47 times in his career that started in 1994 and ended after qualifying at round three of the 2013 Supercross season.
Kevin Windham the Entertainer
For a few years, Windham was the ultimate hype man for Supercross when he incorporated ‘transfer’ jumps into his opening ceremonies introduction.
He would launch from the side of an obstacle, across multiple lanes of the course and land on the other side of the stadiums. Oh, and in the dark.
These jumps were often 100+ feet in length with sketchy-to-no landing room but endeared him to the ticket-buying fans. They showcased his fluid and effortless riding style and they were a final signature to a professional career that spanned 19 years!
2012 Dallas Transfer Practice
Congratulations K-Dub!