INTERVIEW I KEVIN SCHWANTZ
P82
A
fter the global pandemic,
American hero Kevin Schwantz
admits he leads a mostly quiet
life. "We worked a bit on the track
here," he told television cameras at
the Grand Prix of the Americas. "But
fishing, my dog, my girlfriend—that's
about it. Just enjoying life," came his
response when asked by pitlane re-
porter Simon Crafar how he currently
passes his days.
One thing Schwantz neglected
to add was watch racing. The 1993
500cc World Champion keeps a keen
eye on MotoGP, the series he lit up
for over seven-and-a-half years that re-
sulted in 25 victories against arguably
the strongest field of riders that ever
lined up on the same grid.
And even if the Texan has been
retired for 26 years, he still has an
eye for the details. Sitting down with
Cycle News just after MotoGP qualify-
ing had finished at the Circuit of the
Americas, he could see what was
incoming the following day. Marc Mar-
quez had just finished in third place–
his first front-row start of the year.
"Does he still have the speed to win
here?" Schwantz asked, rhetorically.
"Absolutely." Twenty-four hours later
he was proved right.
MOTOGP ACCORDING TO
KEVIN
SCHWANTZ
In a conversation with Cycle News at the recent Austin
MotoGP, Kevin Schwantz assesses the current goings on
in the MotoGP World Championship
BY NEIL MORRISON I PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE