A commanding performance from Levi Kitchen in moto one at Unadilla saw him notch his second 250MX race win of the season, narrowly missing out on the overall victory after a P4 finish to conclude the ninth round. It wasn’t the first time the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider has showcased speed plus composure, and he features in this latest Fast Thoughts interview. 

Image: Octopi Media.

That first moto and thoughts on the Unadilla track…

It was a pretty solid day for me. The start was crucial, obviously, you want to stay out of that roost, like Hunter [Lawrence] mentioned, it does hurt very bad. So yeah, getting a holeshot in the first moto was definitely big for me, and I just tried to hold that pace. Yeah, I’m pretty stoked with how the day went. Moto two was decent, got another good start and second overall on the day. Just going to try to keep this momentum going really.

Mentally and physically staying in it during the pause before the second moto and the restart… 

It was definitely a little nerve-racking for me, especially coming in with a good first moto, just trying not to let it get to me. Like Justin [Cooper] mentioned, you do your site lap, and from there, it is kind of go-time. But to do a sight lap and then sit, it’s definitely not ideal.

Adapting your riding style to different tracks… 

Yeah for sure, obviously at times it is not good that I can lean outside of the bike, but I just try to stay as center as I can on the bike. Even though it looks like I move around a lot, the bike actually doesn’t actually move that much. I don’t know if it’s because I’m tall, but my upper body does move quite a bit. I think the standing part is huge for a track like this, with the ruts, and kind of reminds me of… like today I guess was a little bit like Colorado but obviously a lot faster with the ruts and everything. Definetely some patience and just trying to have some finesse out there.

Image: Foremost Media.

Handling pressure while leading… 

I try not to really think about it. I don’t really think about the race when I am racing, like I will think about pretty random stuff. It doesn’t really bother me too much, unless somebody is hitting me in a turn. It doesn’t seem to bother me much at all.

Best piece of advice you have been given in the sport… 

I would just say believing in yourself and what you are doing and believing in the people around you.

The rider that has inspired you the most… 

Other than Ryan Villopoto, he is definitely one of my top picks for sure, the guy’s an animal, I wouldn’t say there is a specific one. RC and Stewart were obviously huge, pretty much when I started watching racing and everything. I’m even trying to learn from these guys that I am racing now, Chase [Sexton], Jett [Lawrence] in the 450 class, there is still a lot to learn for me so yeah I’d even say them right now.