Catching Up With American Suzuki's Kyle Regal

Nov. 10th

No Texas rider goes into the new amateur racing season with more momentum than Suzuki's #471 Kyle Regal. After having what many consider a monster breakout year in 2008, the young man from Kemp, Texas is set to build on his success as he enters his final year in the amateur ranks. We think Kyle's results this year and his fantastic attitude will serve him well, and we cannot wait to see how he measures up in the A class !

Kyle, bring us up to date on where you are in your amateur career and what the plan is from here on out. How many years have you been at this ?

I have been at this since I was 4, so that would be 13 years, but I wasn’t one of those kids that hit every amateur national, until last year.

Well this will be my last year as an amateur and I’m not sure yet how far through the year I will go…I will be for sure in at Whitney, Oakhill and probably World Minis…but after that we’ll see.

Let's go back a bit, I'm thinking somewhere around 2006. I used to see you at Freestone in the Schoolboy class. You seem to improve by leaps and bounds each time I saw you. At what point did you start feeling it, as in becoming a national caliber rider ?

That’s funny that you use to see me at Freestone, I’m sure that was back when I was riding the two stroke, I did improve by leaps and bounds and I would have to say that is because Marc wouldn’t buy me a 4-stroke until I could beat everyone in the class on a two-stroke…so I really had to push hard to make that happen.  As far as a national caliber rider, I knew I always had the speed as a top guy, I just couldn’t get the starting thing down, and then that totally messes with you mentally.  It’s a bummer knowing you have the speed to be up front, but never being there.  I also started personal training with my trainer Stephanie in December of 2006 and that improved my riding by 200%...we worked with a lot of hand eye coordination and some other things to try and improve my starts, and from there its been nothing but positive.

What do you think are the main reasons your game improved so much ?

I think the number one reason would definitely have to be my personal training, my trainer Stephanie is really into her job… she is all about results…work hard-get results and for me that has worked in everything I’ve done…I work hard every single day on and off the track (although there are times when I may not win, I know that each time I have given it everything I’ve got).

Assess your season in 2008. It must've been alot of what you had hoped for ?

Definitely, 2008 was a great year for me, however I did throw away about a half a dozen titles, but I learned from that and just tried to move forward.  I won my first ever amateur title and followed it up with another eight and I don’t even know how many podiums. I am grrateful to have such great sponsors to help me out and also to have Marc who puts his 200% in every day. Without them 2008 wouldn’t have been possible.

5. Your sister, Casaundra, is a pretty good MXer in her own right. Guess it's in the genes ?

I actually have a younger brother Kenny who use to ride and he was pretty fast too, he was actually the one in the family that had what some people say “natural talent”, but he retired from the sport a few years back because he was just tired of getting hurt, he’s now a huge hunter/fishermen..  My younger sister Lexi rides a little too but has no interest in racing as of now (that’s a big smile for my mom and Marc).  As far as the genes go, I really don’t think genes have anything to do with it…I think it’s 100% hard work and dedication!  You have absolutely no idea how many tens of thousand of corners Marc has had Casaundra and I do over the years… (that is no exaggeration!) Back in Michigan, Marc would flatten the track and we would ride this one corner section for weeks at a time, six to eight hours a day and when we would perfect our corners, he would build the track with some jumps and we would go from there.  He always told us you don’t win a race jumping, it’s all about the corner speed.  Thankfully he never gave up on us and we are both where we are today because of it!

Are you feeling any more pressure going into 2009 coming off the year you had ?

No, not really I am going to take what each track gives me and run with it. Hopefully, 2009 will be as successful as 2008.  I know I work as hard as I can every single day and when I show up on the line, I’m ready!

What drives you ? What do you use to get yourself going on days when you'd rather just hang out instead of training and practicing ?

Hang Out?  What’s that?  I can honestly say I really don’t ever wake up and think of doing anything but training and practicing. I figure this is my job, so I need to do the work everyday and one day hopefully it all pays off! After my work is done for the day then I may try to sneak in some golf. When it rains, most kids just hang out and play video games or go to the mall. I actually go to work at a transmission shop called Gun Barrel Transmission and pull transmissions out of cars and then go home with some cash in my pocket, so I guess that would be my hanging out.

That is awesome ! You were somewhat of a later bloomer. Was there ever a time when you wondered how far this all would go for you ?

I’m thankful that I was somewhat of a late bloomer, because it made me want it that much more. I was never handed anything. I had to work my butt off every day and I knew if I just kept working hard and continue to work hard it would and will all turn out in the long run.

I like that !  What race, series, event has been the sweetest for you ?

Of course a win at Loretta's is always huge, but honestly Ponca City was pretty good for me. I rode eight classes and ended up with four championships, two seconds and two thirds, but my first title at Oak Hill is one that will always stand out. I rode ten classes there and they were run all in one day, so I proved to myself that my fitness was where it should have been, and that I could finally get over that mental hurdle.

 Who all is going to be helping you out in '09 ? Any special shout outs ?

We have changed up a few of our sponsors for 2009, but it looks like we will be riding yellow for Cole Gress, American Suzuki, Rockstar, Answer, TLR, RG3, Pro Taper, Maxima, One Industries, Sunline, Twin Air, Ogio, Hinson, Concept Haulers, Stheart Clothing, Motion Pro, Dunlop, Millenium Technologies, Excel, TCR, Cometic, NGK, Acerbis, Vortex, V-Force, 661, CTI2, VP, Boyesen, Moto Master, Complete Fitness, Frese, Yoshimura, my trainer Stephanie, all of those people who have cheered me on along the way, my mom and most of all Marc for providing me everyday with the best practice track around (UNDERGROUND MX) and for being my full-time mechanic, bike washer and trainer.

I would like to send a special shout out to you of course for the interview, Shand for a great magazine each and every time and most of all to all of my previous sponsors, without all of them I wouldn’t be where I am today!  Thanks Much!

thanks Kyle, hope to see ya at the track real soon.

Doc M   #483