Words by Kenn Stamp

Pictures by Mark Frankenfield (action)
                Kenn Stamp (static)
Daytona 200/Kyle Keesee

Part 1 of 4
Part 2 of 4
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Part 4 of 4


First let me start this by addressing the 2 questions you asked yourself when you saw the title of the article; 1) I know the Daytona 200 was run 4 months ago.....there were extenuating circumstances that kept me from publishing this earlier (much earlier) 2) If you keep reading the article and watch the videos you'll know who Kyle Keesee is. With those out of the way we can begin.

I went to Daytona to report on the big race......yep the 200; every journalists' dream story, right? Absolutely; which, as you'll find out, is the problem.

There I am walking through the hot pits watching all the teams scramble around like chickens with their heads cut off........and the race hadn't even started yet! As I neared the end of the pits I saw a bunch of people standing around an area that was roped off with yellow caution tape. Oh joy! I thought....something to see that is exciting and will make for a great story! Alas it was only Honda's way of keeping unwanted journalists and inquisitive viewers out of their pit area (hmmm......wonder why?).

It was about this time that I really took a good look around at what was going on and came to a realization; there was absolutely nothing I could say about the race or the factory teams that was different than every other magazine covering the race. Oh sure I could talk about how the Matsushima Suzuki was running great and turning in faster times than last year. Or maybe how the Triumph Daytona 675's look positively anorexic when viewed head on compared to the 4 cylinder bikes, but everyone and their brother (or sister) are going to say that, or some variation thereof, so why should I just follow the herd?

This of course left me in a bit of a quandary; I have to write something as I have a press pass and Daytona's press office will expect something to be published. What to do, what to do?

I could write something I overheard from a couple of teenage girls walking in front of me in the garage area before the race; “It's surprising how small they look.......I mean the guys (riders) are soooo small” (you'll have to add your own teen valley girl accent in there).

Obviously I couldn't write an entire story based on overheard conversations (or could I?) so I walked the hot pits completely dejected and resigned to writing the same “Rider X was fastest through turn 5 but Rider Y caught him in turn 6 and passed on the outside in a very risky, blah, blah, blah” that everyone else was going to write.

Oh what was a journalist to do?

Hey isn't that my pal Speed over there on the pit wall? And isn't that tuner extraordinaire Todd Trumble of TTR Motorsports standing next to him? Hmmm... wonder what they are doing. Like any good journalist who senses a story I immediately walk over and start to ask hard-hitting questions like, “hey guys what's up?” I go right for the throat when I smell a story don't I?

Well after the obligatory shaking of the hands and the good to see you's, I learned that Speed and Todd T were working with a local kid from Melbourne, FL. by the name of Kyle Keesee. Kyle's father, Todd, was standing right there so after the introductions were over I got some details from Todd T.

Kyle has been roadracing for about 2 years and already has his AMA Pro license. He placed 2nd overall in the Florida Regional Lightweight Supersport class in 2007. That same year he placed 13th overall in Florida Regional Expert Class. Obviously, the kid can move. Even more proof of his (and his father's) ability to ride is that they won their class at the Homestead Moto-ST race last year. Kyle also has a “handfull” of Florida regional wins. As you can see Kyle's dad Todd is also and accomplished racer so when he gives track advice Kyle knows to listen.

Considering this was his first run at the Daytona 200, and if my memory serves me correctly his first time racing at Daytona, I was really interested in seeing the outcome. The other added bonus was that there wasn't another journalist in sight. Cool. My story done the way I want to do it about what I consider the backbone of racing; privateers. Sure the factory and satellite team riders are good and I'm sure they love to race but they are so coached by their sponsors that getting an answer out of them that is even remotely interesting is almost impossible.

Ask a factory rider right after a race like the 200 how they feel and you'll get something like this; “I feel really great as my GSZXRsomething was running really great and was handling really well the entire.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. It is like watching a commercial for that particular brand! Now don't get me wrong, without the factories supporting the sport it wouldn't be nearly as big or as successful, I get that, it's just I'd like some excitement and unrehearsed answers sometimes. Am I the only one?

As a counterpoint here is what Kyle said after he was accosted (what else would you call it when right after you finally sit down on the wall someone runs up and sticks a recorder in your face and starts asking questions?) by a local newspaper reporter:

Reporter: How do you feel?
Kyle: Tired.

I thought that was great! You should have seen the reporters face.....it took him a second to figure out where to
go with that. WTG Kyle.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.