Sometime to Return: Kevin Windham Wins Unadilla National - The last time Team Sobe/No Fear/Samsung/Honda rider Kevin Windham won an AMA Pro Racing race was on a rain-lashed Saturday night in Anaheim, California. The date was January 8, 2005, and despite the fact he was still wiping mud from his bloodshot eyes, Windham was extremely pleased. The last time Kevin Windham won an AMA National Motocross Championship round was on Sunday, July 23, 2003 at Washougal, Washington

Well, some two years on, on Sunday afternoon, July 15, 2007 at the Unadilla Sports Center in New Berlin, New York, it all came right for Kevin Windham who rode his factory Honda CRF450R to victory at round six of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship. The 35th anniversary of the facility hosting an AMA National — Unadilla was also home of the 250cc United States Grand Prix of Motocross from 1978 through 1992, as well as the Motocross des Nations in 1987 — Unadilla is, undisputedly, the most storied and historic race circuit in all of American motocross. This for Windham to return to his winning ways at Unadilla makes the score all that much the sweeter.

“I’ve been known through my career to have a lot of throttle control, which you need at this track,” said Windham who used 1-3 moto scores to claim the top spot on the victory podium. “I come into some of these hard-packed tracks with added confidence. I was riding behind Andrew (Short) and we were kind of closing in, but toward the end I kind of broke out the calculator and started doing the math and knew I could get the win.”

Team Kawasaki’s Timmy Ferry was second overall at owner Ward Robinson’s legendary facility, riding to 5-1 moto finishes, his second moto charge to victory highly impressive. Team Honda’s Andrew Short rode to 6-2 moto scores to finish off the podium.

Conspicuously absent on race day was 2007 Supercross Champion and Motocross National Championship favorite (now that Ricky Carmichael has gone to the showers) James Stewart. Having crashed on the second lap of practice on Sunday, Stewart was whisked to the hospital with a rumored concussion. No word yet as to when he will return to action.

In the 250F Motocross Lites fray, the dominant Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team experienced a day of highs and lows. In the opening moto, defending Lites National Champion and series points leader Ryan Villopoto’s day was ruined when his bike came unglued, the Washington native forced to the side of the track, his race run. His teammate, Been Townley, though atoned for the team’s misfortunes my handily winning the moto aboard his KX250F. Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey was second across the finish line, while Yamaha’s Broc Hepler, returning after a long absence due to a serious injury, was third. After an early race crash in moto number two, things looked bleak for a Ben Townley overall victory. However, Townely charged throughout the entire moto, fighting his way back to third at the end, good enough for the Unadilla win. Once again, Ryan Dungey placed in second, good enough for second overall in New York. Yamaha of Troy pilot Jason Lawrence went 4-4 for third overall. Team Sobe/No Fear/Samsung/Honda’s Josh Grant finished out the day in fifth.

The AMA Toyota Motocross Championship will now head west to Lakewood, Colorado, where the tour will race next Sunday, July 22, 2007.