Mm

...

I noticed, too, just the difference between how I would ride, like, um, at a, you know, Unadilla or something, like, more rutted like that.

When you're really in tune with the bike and you're doing outdoors, like, it seems a little easier.

And I got there and had such a bad, like...

And it was probably from riding some of the SMX stuff, but I was, like, sitting down way more, and you cannot ride that shit like that, like, at all.

Okay

... you could just tell even...

what was the biggest lesson or shock to your system from this whole experience from competition to track conditions to format? What caught you off guard the most?

Um, I mean, the format was definitely different.

I think it was okay.

Um, there's no way to prepare for, you know, the back-to-back motos.

Like I've never done two thirties that close together, I don't think.

Um, so that was a little bit weird.

Um, but I think the biggest thing is just the, to be honest, the obligations that we have, uh, off the dirt bike.

And it's like being an F1 driver, I imagine, or something like that.

So impression to, like, the vibe.

Yeah, the vibe's insane and, uh, yeah, the paddock altogether, um, you know, don't wanna sh- fire shots at, at people back home, but it's definitely a step above, so, uh, it's pretty cool, man.

The, the hospitality rig, everything like that, it's, it's top-notch.

So very professional.

Um, and then on the other side, like the fans, it's almost, they're just wild so far.

I mean, I haven't even raced, but they're already screaming and, uh, they're just happy, and it's, it's really cool.

Like, I'm happy too.

What's been his, uh, his words?

How was the day?

Stressful, but really good, man.

It feels amazing.

Knew what I had to do, got it done, had a plan this morning.

Honestly, I knew Cole.

He's been fast all year, and I knew that I could... kind of use them as a pick in a way and both motos it like it just worked out exactly kind of how i wanted um moto one ran up front long time and he ended up getting me i made a couple mistakes but um yeah we kind of pulled away from everybody and then the second moto You know, he was out front, and I was kind of in no man's land and was just marking the guys behind me that I had to beat.

So starts were key tonight, and I executed, which was huge.

How's it feel to pull it off knowing

How was the

day? Good.

Yeah, I mean, that was nice.

Feels like a little bit of relief for me.

Just good to, yeah, get some good points.

And, yeah, get out of here healthy.

Couple good motos.

You know, after how Ironman went and everything and all the discussion about it, how did it feel to just come out and do your job, what did you do in that time

So were you aware of the Olympic scoring and how, obviously, if it was outdoor scoring, Dax would have got the overall, but you seem to be in tune with it.

Yeah, I mean, I actually didn't really know that.

I wasn't really sure.

I'd just seen my pit board said, you need 58.

So once I got him, I was hoping my mechanics were right.

And then...

Yeah, I actually thought for a second that I kind of forgot about Cole.

Can you expand on it a little bit?

How

was it? It was good.

I felt amazing, and...

Yeah, everything was good.

It felt like I could have one of those days that was perfect that I've been looking for, but it was close to that.

You know, the second moto, a little off-track excursion.

So, hopefully...

knows when you have that moment at like the first 30 seconds of the moto and you're like all right it's wasted now i can really go in and put the effort is that what that was where it just came easy after that

Is there a reason for that? Can you really pinpoint it?

Not really.

I think...

I think I could just have a great day, you know, and I feel like that's easy.

You know, it's feasible tomorrow.

And, and, uh, but I don't know.

I, when I watched back races, I, I had one year going pretty good.

It bit you, but is that a sign that your starts have improved and you found something or was that a flash in the pan?

All

right, Levi Kitchen, third place overall in the 250 class.

How was it today? It was good.

Yeah, I mean, it was gnarly.

It was a gritty day, but qualifying was great.

I just felt good.

I felt better.

a million times, but what happened that looked like head-to-head contact, but the thing that I'm the most blown away by that you're luckiest about was how you landed and you didn't get your fingers caught in the wheel or the disc or the chain

So was it wanting that little bit too much, maybe?

That and just, yeah, like, you know, the team influence and things like that as we went to, I think it was High Point, we thought we could get the bike a little bit better and, you know, you got to try.

So I feel like we found things that maybe could work better in certain areas, but now that we're, we're on the East coast and I put my old setup back on and sandbox this week and it was just feels a little bit more comfortable for me.

So, uh, I'm looking forward to, yeah, to, to the weekend.

um you mentioned being spent southwick after the first moto we know how good your fitness is were you surprised how much it took out of you

yeah i really was and uh i don't know why i just i didn't i didn't really feel that great like i had Um, maybe some nerves and like just some anxiousness.

And I, I, uh, I don't know.

I don't, I don't think I, I don't think I checked my boxes.

All right, Levi Kitchen, second place overall in the 250 class here at

Southwick.

How was the day? It was okay.

Yeah, moto one was good.

You know, I fought really hard, and it kind of, it's tough.

Like some days like today where it's really tough, like you got, you have a few of those bursts, and then when you use those up, though, it can be a tough day.

So first moto, I fell on first lap, and I had my work cut out.

thinking about washougal even though it's a few weeks away i know that's home race for you and and all of the learning lessons that you've had through that so then it makes me think about you know you've been to this track a few different times you've done the circuit a few different times at this stage in your your career when you show up for the weekend and you know the routine getting in the motorhome doing everything how like into the flow do you feel does it still feel like a lot of learning stuff or you just like plug and play i just know what i got to do

How was the

day?

A

lot of crashes.

And a nice front flip second moto, so... did make progress though I went made some changes to the motorcycle and was really happy that second motor with that so just put it behind us move on to Southwick and yeah looking forward to that one I really enjoyed that place so yeah need to need to make some points back but it's all right you know when I was flying through the air doing a nice little endo It could have been worse, so I'm just happy to be okay and going on to South Lake.

Thanks, Levi.

Thanks.

How was

the day? Uh, it was all right.

Better, uh, I was up there earlier, which is nice.

And then just didn't have pace, honestly, was, was uncomfortable.

And yeah, it was just way off the pace.

So, uh, it's okay.

I'll take it on the chin and these, uh, yeah, get a little rest and then red bud.

Really not enough to mess anything up but your goggles on.

That confidence, has it gone even up more since Thunder Valley?

Yeah, I would say so.

I was stoked with that first moto at Thunder Valley to be able to make a pass with a couple laps to go.

i think those are important passes um so yeah i i know that my speed's good i know everything's good been doing the work so just uh you can't control certain things you know and unfortunately last weekend with it where the first turn crashed but just coming to this weekend try to get up as far as we can i mean get a good start and then just uh be patient and just try to chip away at whatever it is.

So yeah, I mean, I'm pretty confident.

I feel good.

Have you put any emphasis on improving your starts or maybe where you can be better there?

Yeah, no, I still, I've been doing quite a few during the week and trying to just get more of a feel because basically all it is, is like, right? Um, I had a couple of good, I mean, honestly, Colorado starts were, were fine in my book.

How was the day? It was pretty good.

I mean, I feel great.

I feel like I executed my day pretty well.

The starts were actually really good.

Just that second one, unfortunately, we all got caught up.

So, yeah, proud of the effort, but not really – You know, it's a bummer.

I'm used to it, though.

How do you guys keep going through it? Because, like, what I keep asking everyone, when you do have a bad moto, how do you not crater from it and then get ready for the next thing?

Good thing because you have, I think, the most raw speed so far out of these everybody through six.

Yeah, I think so.

And I also think I have a combination of both.

I think...

I think I'm fast and I think I'm fit, like really fit.

So it's pretty sick to feel that.

And, um, yeah, if we can just keep chipping away, I actually had great starts today.

So were they just slower to do that here at this track?

W- like, do you feel like this is repeatable or do you think that this was just kind of a, a perfect weekend for you? Or, or do you feel like you've been feeling like you're kind of coming into your own again?

Um, yeah, I mean, I definitely, you know, I, I, uh, I don't even feel like this weekend really I executed everything great, and I, I s- was still able to win, so I feel like, uh, my ceiling is quite a bit higher and I feel like I'm only gonna get kind of more momentum going.

Um, so no, I do not think that'll be the last time.

And yeah, I would just say it, it takes more than just myself and my confidence, um, to get back to that level, you know? It was like...

I mean, I don't know.

Just last year there was some thing...

Like, even on the bike side of things we were, we weren't in the spot we are now, and I think it's really showing now with, with all of us out there.

in Florida, but like does the fishing even compare back home to, to in Florida? Or are you more of like a, a trout, a stream fisher guy? Or are you okay with bass fishing? Or where are you at with this?

Without a moto win, but nonetheless, a big day for you, and I'd imagine a weight lifted off your shoulders?

Yeah, it's been, uh, I don't know, it's been a while.

It, uh, you know, I don't know.

It, it was a good day for sure.

Like, Pala was good too.

Just every- the environment, the team, uh, we're making a lot of progress, and I feel like I'm confident.

My speed's good.

Where did that come from? I saw at one point your mechanic put, "Trust your fitness," on the board, but I'd imagine it wasn't all fitness.

Do you think these opening rounds will end up being kinda chaotic? Like, do you think we'll see yourself and Joe and a couple guys slot in, or would you not be more surprised to just see it be absolute chaos of top 10 results for the first couple rounds as everybody kinda tries to figure out where they fit in in this, in this era?

era?Yeah.

Uh, I think, mm, the...

It kind of goes that way even in the years past.

Like, I feel like you'll see some guys, uh, the first...

Usually through about Hangtown you'll get some guys really sending it, even, um...

Yeah, I was blown away, I think it was last year at Pala.

... you'll be in 28th going, "Uh, what the fuck am I doing here?" [laughs]

So that had to feel really good.

Yeah, I'm actually shocked and pretty excited.

Because, as you know, like you said, it's weird because they do flare up.

And you don't know when it's going to...

I mean, this was the first time I've had something like that.

But...

it was a shitty thing, you know? So to, uh, to ride Monday, Tuesday and be pain free and be like, all right, let's go race.

we'll be a good night, you know? So I was, talking before you walked up earlier i was talking to mackadoo and mitch and i was telling him how fast egan was i'm like look you say what you want to do is ripping today which i don't think either one of them really appreciated but uh smash cut to you and you kept him honest you kept the same i mean the track held you back as far as pushing that hard but like the guy never got away from you

yeah levi kitchen denver second on the night but first and foremost you're back how was the time off how was it today no body belt i don't think no no where are

you at i feel great and i'm like i'm finally smiling because it's been a brutal six weeks or whatever it was so Yeah, I didn't even plan on coming to race here, but I rode Monday and didn't expect much, but it went fine.

And then I woke up Tuesday, wasn't in pain again.

So I'm like, holy shit, I might be going somewhere with this thing.

So yeah, then I called Mitch and he was like.

come race, you know, get some gate drops.

So I knew that I was, it was going to be like kind of tough because I haven't rode, but I actually surprised myself.

Is there more to it than that? Or are you a surprise? I mean,

I just wonder, did he say something afterwards or something like that?

Yeah, I remember seeing Joe after the race, and yeah, that was a wild, wild night.

But I kind of just blacked out and thought I could pass him back right there, so I went for it.

It was poorly executed on my part because I fell, but...

I don't know.

I needed to practice doing that anyway.

And I haven't really, I'm, I'm not very aggressive as it is.

do you do you go into a race and do you have like some sort of expectation of certain people that you feel you have to be or is it always just your race to win

Has that, it's obviously affected you a lot moving forward, huh?

Yeah, for sure.

And honestly, like you obviously never know what's really going on.

And, and that's kind of how the whole thing at Daytona, like I got on the bike, um, not too long after, but I was just having some weird stuff that was scary.

And like, I've never had, that was my first, uh, back injury, you know? And, um, yeah, I was just having weird like panic attacks and I would, I'd wake up and I couldn't, um, like my hands and my feet would be really tingly and, um, going to the gym and stuff like that.

Like if I would lift too heavily, then my back would be super numb and tingly.

Like there was just stuff that was, that was weird and kind of scary, honestly.

Like what are you looking for to kind of complete that potential that you have and, and kind of be able to show that more often?