Interview:
Keith Little - Monster Energy / Kawasaki Factory
ATV Racer
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#12
Keith Little -- Ten Quick Facts |
| Birth
Date: |
12/30/1977 |
| Weight: |
160lbs |
| Hometown: |
Russellville,
AL |
| ATV: |
KFX 450R |
| Occupation: |
Pro ATV Racer |
| 1st ATC/ATV: |
Honda ATC70 |
| Started
Racing: |
13 Years Old |
| Favorite
Track: |
Echeconnee, GA |
| Favorite
Racer: |
Tim Farr, Shane
Hitt |
| Favorite
Food: |
Steak |
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Keith Little, who was the man to beat off the
gate during the 2007 WPSA series, has spent
much of his career as a privateer racer, but
that hasn’t slowed him down one bit. Keith
is not only an accomplished motocross racer,
but is lightening fast on the TT track as well,
and he has the 2004 National Championship under
his belt to prove it.
During
2007, Keith’s spirit and determination
on the track made a big impression on the
guys at Kawasaki, which landed him a deal
to be a part of the factory race team for
the upcoming 2008 season. We recently got
the opportunity to talk to Keith about his
deal with Kawasaki and what his plans are
for the upcoming race season.
Can you tell us a little bit about how long
you’ve been riding and racing?
I started riding when I was about 5 years
old and started racing when I was 12 and I
turned pro in 1996. I was racing the ATVA
MX Nationals and I also raced the Stadium
series for about 5 years.
Are
you excited about your new factory deal with
Kawasaki for the ’08 season?
I’m very excited! This last year I have
been the team manager, driver and everything
else on top of racing. It will be really nice
being able to focus on just racing next year;
it will take a lot of pressure off of me.
What
do you think about Kawasaki’s philosophy
“We don’t buy champions, we build
them”?
When I went to their office, I saw all the
pictures on the walls of all the champions
that they have created and to me it seems
like they have created more than any other
manufacturer. I think they really hold true
to that.
Are
you pretty happy with their race program so
far?
I’m very happy with it. It’s even
more than I expected. They plan to take what
they learned and achieved last year and build
on it. They are very open to any changes or
suggestions that the racers have and are very
flexible.
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| With
the release of the KFX 450R in 2007,
Kawasaki was back at the race track,
and in 2008 Kawasaki will be expanding
it race team to include Josh Creamer,
Keith Little, and Russell Shumaker |
Have
you been doing much testing on the KFX 450?
Kawasaki has some new engine packages that
we are going to be trying out and I still
need to get my suspension dialed in a little
more. I’ve definitely made the most
of my riding time when I’ve been out
testing. I’ve had some good seat time
on it, but I would like to get a little more
time in on it before the season starts.
You
were riding a Honda for quite a while, how
has the transition been for you going to the
KFX 450?
The transition was a lot easier than I thought.
The aluminum frame is really nice. It’s
a little more rigid and it takes some getting
used to, but the bike corners really good.
It has lots of smooth, mid-range power, which
for me is the best for MX. It also gets off
the line really quick. The ergonomics are
also really nice, the quad is very comfortable
for me, which makes the transition a lot easier.
Speaking
of getting off the line quick…last season
you were the holeshot king. Do you think you
can hold on to that title next season?
I spent an entire day working on my starts
when I was out in California testing and the
bike responded really well. I think the new
engine packages will also help with getting
good starts.
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#12
Keith Little grabbed an impressive six
Holeshots in the WPSA Series while only
competing in nine of the ten races |
Last
season, it almost seemed like getting the
holeshot was your primary objective; was that
the case?
The WPSA seems to really put the spotlight
on the guy that gets the holeshot and emphasize
it, and I figured it would be a good way to
get my name out there. I may have focused
on my starts a little too much. I was really
happy with my starts all season long, but
I was a little disappointed in my finishes.
