Jimmy White 7-20-00
- Updated: July 20, 2000
“J-Dub” seen here at Fast-Trak Promo’s “Legends 2000” (held July 29-30, 2000 in Ashtabula, OH). Kawasaki and Doug Roll from Roll Design hooked him up with this one of a kind Roll/KFX 250. He finished 3rd in his heat but bad luck in the main gave him a 7th place.
ATV Scene: We’ll only give you one person to thank for your incredible racing career. Who is it?
White: My dad. He was at almost every race. He really got the most out of me. He was my best friend and helped me in every way – racing and in life.
ATV Scene: What were some of the perks of being a factory ATV racer?
White: Freedom and great support. Kawasaki was the opposite of Honda. Honda had Wes McCoy as their manager, he was like a drill sergeant constently telling you what to do and when to do it. My bosses, Bruce Stregstrom and James DeGaine would let me be who I was. It was a pleasure to work for them.
ATV Scene: Any drawbacks of being on a factory race team?
White: The only drawback that I can think of was that Kawasaki was not able to practice on the national tracks the day before the race weekends like Honda did. They were a major sponsor and would get a lot of preferential treatment. We still kicked their asses our share though!
ATV Scene: What were a few highlights of your career?
White: Winning my first national at San Jose, CA in ’82 as a privateer. Honda had five factory riders at the event and I beat them all! Another was winning the Mickey Thompson Championship three times (’83, ’84, and ’86).
“J-Dub” was arguably the best 3-wheeler racer of all time! The battles between him and Team Honda’s Marty Hart are probably ATV racing’s best showdowns ever!
ATV Scene: For the Mickey’s Kawie put you on a Tecate 4 four-wheeler in ’87. How did that go?
White: I led most of the ’87 season on a Tecate 4 but had a turn of bad luck the last three races and ended up fourth for the year. I did win two events that year though.
ATV Scene: If you could go back and change something about your career, what would it be?
White: Nothing at all. I had the time of my life. I can honestly say I enjoyed every part of racing and my association with Kawasaki and all my other sponsors.
ATV Scene: What was your favorite kind of ATV racing?
White: Mickey Thompson style tracks. A cross between MX and TT.
White practiced for the Legend race a few weeks before the event on Tim Farr’s practice quad at a local race in Deerfield, OH.
His ATV racing expertise is not wasted! Now days, in his spare time, Jimmy White is the race coordinator for Clear Channel’s Pro Quad Stadium Series. He’s seen here having a laugh with Duncan Racing’s Doug Eichner.
ATV Scene: What was it like back in the factory hay days?
White: From ’82-’86 Honda had anywhere from 3-6 factory riders at any time. Kawasaki started off with myself and Chris White in ’83 and ’84, but I was the lone Kawasaki factory rider in ’85 and ’86. Kawasaki had a great support system, (Team Green) that had approximately 6-8 riders on different programs. We all got along well and worked great together. It was a blast.
ATV Scene: What in your opinion needs to happen to make ATV racing more mainstream?
White: We need to get rid of the AMA/ATVA. I can honestly say that the AMA didn’t do shit for us in the ’80s. And from what I’ve seen they never took the sport to the next level in the ’90s. And things seem to be going the same right now. I’ll end with that.
