BREAKING NEWS: Chad Wienen Joins Team Kawasaki

Well, we’re sorta stretching things a bit with the “breaking news” part of the story… The fact is, most people that are close to the racing world have known that Chad was joining forces with Kawi for a little while now. But due to contractual obligations, neither Chad nor Kawasaki was quite ready to release the news…until now that is.
Quad Magazine Executive Editor John “Doogie” Howell sat down and talked with Chad about his new deal with Kawi and how everything has been going so far.

Quad Magazine: So how did you get hooked up with Kawasaki?

Chad Wienen: Well, toward the end of last season I found out that my contract with Suzuki wasn’t going to be renewed for 2009. Basically it came down to the fact that Suzuki had to go through some budget cuts. They had already signed Doug Gust and Wimmer won the championship, so I was obviously the odd man out.
One of the biggest things looking back at last year…our team at Suzuki was seen as the powerhouse in ATV racing. The way I personally feel is that every team should have a good chance of winning on any weekend. This helps keep the factories involved and it also helps keep the racing interesting. So in that sense, I’m actually very happy the way things worked out with me joining Kawasaki. I already see a lot of good things coming out of the Kawasaki camp—the people behind the program really want to go out there and win. I think with Josh Creamer and me being on the same team…well, we’re going to be a tough team to beat this year.

Quad Magazine: You mention the Suzuki team being the powerhouse team—was it hard being on the team and going head-to-head against two other teammates like that?

Chad Wienen: Not really. I kept myself focused at the races and trained hard to get an edge over everyone. Obviously I had a real hard year last year with injuries and hopefully this year goes smoother. Hopefully I can deliver Kawasaki their first overall win in 2009 and ultimately a championship.

Quad Magazine: How has the new ride been treating you so far—have you been able to get in any real testing in yet?

Chad Wienen: Well, my contract with Suzuki just ended earlier this December so I haven’t had much time to ride my new bike. I have been able to try out a machine similar to what they raced last year and I really like it so far. It’s very impressive. We have a few new components that I think will also help out the bike a bit this year. I’m sure you’ll hear more about the new stuff shortly. [Chad couldn’t reveal any new component sponsors just yet]
Keith Little has been doing some testing with the new parts as well, and I plan on heading out to California for some engine testing. We’ve got some big plans with the engine. Ryan Cox is on board with the Kawi team this year and I think with him on board we’ll have the total package in place.
I also plan on doing a lot of testing back east. There’s only one race in California and the rest is back East, so hopefully I can do some testing in Texas, Florida, and at Keith’s in Alabama where it’s a bit warmer during the winter.

Quad Magazine: You mentioned your former Yoshimura mechanic, Ryan Cox. For those that don’t know already, he has joined Kawi and will be working on helping to develop the team. That’s a major deal for you guys.

Chad Wienen: Yeah, Ryan is working on our engine development program right now. He’s already taken the team a few steps forward—especially when it comes to getting the fuel injection running right. Last year you could see that the Kawi guys struggled a bit getting their engines running good on the top end and Ryan has helped them in that area with all his knowledge. Kawi feels that they are already a step ahead of everyone else and they’re building a solid program. They’ve been testing engines since October so they’re way ahead.

Quad Magazine: It’s no secret that you’re a little rough on your equipment. How has the Kawi been holding up under you so far?

Chad Wienen: Really good actually. The frame is really stout.
At my first test, I was also really impressed with the overall power, too. The bike I rode was relatively mild engine-wise; it had a Pro Circuit cam, pipe, and intake, but it felt amazing.

Quad Magazine: When you look at the Kawi’s at the track, they just look tall and narrow. How is the machine suiting you—you’re a big dude and you’re very tall! Have you adjusted to it well?

Chad Wienen: The bike is really small, it’s lightweight, and believe it or not I already feel way more comfortable on it than I did on my Suzuki. It feels taller, but I feel like it gives me way more traction. It turns great—it turns on a dime. I actually like it more than I did my Suzuki when I first got on it.

Quad Magazine: How are you getting along with the new team members so far?

Chad Wienen: Great so far. The biggest thing that I’m really looking for is a home. I want to be able to ride for these guys for the rest of my career. I like to make good friends out there and have strong involvement with a team and help win them championships.

Quad Magazine: So we have to ask, is there bad blood now between you and Suzuki since they didn’t re-sign you?

Chad Wienen: No, it was totally a budget thing. They tried and tried, but they just didn’t have the money. It’s just the way things go. My whole outlook toward next season is to go out there and make them pay for not picking me up again (laughs). It’s actually motivating me to work harder…you’ll see it the first time I ride this bike at a race.

Quad Magazine: So, obviously this year is all about the championship.

Chad Wienen: For sure. Definitely. My goal is to stay good and healthy and I’ve worked hard to redesign my body once again (laughs) and try to make myself as bulletproof as I can.

Quad Magazine: Speaking of which, how’s the shoulder feeling?

Chad Wienen: Really good—I’ve been able to hit the weights and it’s feeling good. I got x-rays after the season was over on my cracked shoulder blade and the doctor told me I was good to go.
I’m going to be trying out a new EVS neckbrace for ‘09. I believe that the reason I had my shoulder injuries this year was because of that Leatt brace I used last season. I had two shoulder injuries this year and I’ve never had them until I started wearing the Leatt brace. The EVS neckbrace actually comes down and wraps around your shoulders more. So I’m looking forward to trying it out. Every little extra bit of protection you can get will definitely help out.

Quad Magazine: You’ve got to be excited joining a new team and getting prepped for 2009.

Chad Wienen: This team is ready to go out and win every weekend. They’ve invested a lot into their program and in me, so I’m going to go out there and give it everything I have. I think Josh and I are going to go out there and work together to win a championship.

Quad Magazine: Speaking of Josh—you two have been pretty tight off the track for a while. How is it now that the two of you are teammates?

Chad Wienen: Josh is actually recovering from knee surgery and he’s almost at 100 percent so we should be hooking up here pretty soon during the off-season. We are really open with each other and I’m glad we’re teammates. We get along together great and I think we’ll push each other. Right now they’re calling us the team to beat. And that’s what we plan on being.

Quad Magazine: Right on, thanks a lot Chad. Anything else you want to pass along to your fans out there?

Chad Wienen: I would like to thank Reid, Jimmy, Ryan, Chappy, Patrick and everyone behind the team for giving me an opportunity to ride for Team Green. Most of all, I’d also like to thank my family and friends for all their support and I hope everyone has great holidays!

Tags: chad wienen, Josh Creamer, Monster Energy, Ryan Cox, Team Kawasaki

This entry was posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 11:32 am and is filed under Features, News. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.