T
he good news is, I’m fi ne
and the prognosis is good.
The bad news is, I’m typing
this with one hand. I had surgery
on a broken scaphoid bone and I’m
at home in Arizona recovering.
A big crash caused my injury,
and it happened on the fi rst lap,
in the fi rst infi eld corner of Super-
bike Race One at Laguna Seca. I
was rammed from behind by a
rider who made a poor decision
on the brakes, and I was punted
and ejected off my bike through
no fault of my own. I’d be happy to
own my mistake, but I didn’t make
one. My frustration isn’t directed
toward the guy who hit me. I’ve
moved on from that. I bring it up
only to tell what happened.
In 2012, I started KWR (Kyle
Wyman Racing) and I knew what
I signed up for. I put my name on
the side of the truck and the bike,
and with that comes tremendous
responsibility. All of the things I
do away from the track to operate
and manage a team and make this
show go around the country, it’s
all on me. People’s behavior with
my logo on their chest? All on me.
Mechanical failures? All on me. I’m
accountable and I have no problem
with that, but that’s why I struggle
with this situation. Part of me is
trying to own this one, too.
I never wanted to be a team
owner, marketer, PR profession-
al, logistics manager, salesman.
I’ve learned to make those things
a part of my routine, but all I’ve
ever wanted to do was be a suc-cessful motorcycle racer. I do all of
the other stuff so that I can race
a motorcycle at the highest lev-
el possible. To have that stripped
from me on Saturday, in the fi rst
turn requiring use of the brakes,
and not fi nish a single race lap af-
ter everything that goes into just
getting there? It’s a drag. This isn’t
about return on investment, cor-
porate budgeting, or the cost of fi x-
ing my bike. It’s about my desire to
race my motorcycle.
Having said that, this year
still has been the most rewarding
experience of my life. I made a bold
move to race the new Ducati Pan-
igale V4 R with zero factory sup-
port. (We are now starting to get
some help, and that’s great.) I’ve
gathered support from fans who
want to see the process of this pro-
gram, every step of the way, and
I’m happy to share that with them.
I’ve grown my team, and seeing
people rise to the occasion in an
environment I’ve created gives me
a great feeling of satisfaction. I’m
never, ever satisfi ed, but I am al-
ways grateful.
I’m grateful for the opportuni-
ty that I have to race motorcycles,
and to represent a slew of incred-
ible companies that back me and
want to see KWR succeed.
As I look forward to the fi nal
part of the season, I see nothing
but opportunity. There’re four
rounds, eight races, numerous
laps left. As long as I’m making the
most of myself and the bike, I can
hold my head high. But, I look for-
ward to the day when the rider and
motorcycle win races, and I won’t
give up before I have.
I’m 29 years old and I’ve had
18 surgeries. As I write this, I have
four weeks to be ready for the next
race, and I will be. I look forward to
racing my motorcycle once again!
Thanks for reading!First Person/Opinion:
RWBY KYLE WYMAN
MotoAmerica Superbike At Laguna Seca: “As I look forward to the fi nal
part of the season, I see nothing but opportunity. There’re four rounds,
eight races, numerous laps left. As long as I’m making the most of
myself and the bike, I can hold my head high.” Photo by Brian J. Nelson.56—Roadracing World, August 2019