SARA KITCHEN
What’s your name?
Sara Kitchen.
Where are you from?
Born and raised in Washougal, WA.
Who is(are) your rider(s)?
Levi Kitchen
How long have you been a moto mom?
To Levi, since his 4th birthday. To his dad, since 1992.
Were you into motorcycles before becoming a moto mom?
I dated Levi’s dad, Paul, in high school and he was into it and lived right by the Washougal track.
Describe a typical race weekend for you.
Much different now that Levi’s living in Louisiana, but as a kid, waking up early to make sure he was up and fed and ready to race. He’s always been a challenging one to wake up! He loves his sleep!
What’s your family’s favorite meal at the track?
Moto Chicken - Chicken drumsticks smothered in Montreal Steak Seasoning and thrown on the grill. A moto dad at a local track shared his recipe with us one time on a weekend and we were hooked!
Do you have any pre-race rituals or superstitions while spectating?
I always tell Levi I love him and I say a little silent prayer to myself.
Most nerve-wracking moment watching your kid(s) race/ride?
The start for sure. Once they all make it through the first corner, I start breathing again.
Favorite part about being at the track?
Being with my family and reconnecting with moto families that we’ve met over the years.
Favorite and least favorite part about traveling to the races?
My favorite part is the camping we do along the way and the exploring we do looking for new fishing and hiking places. My least favorite is how long it takes to get to nationals since Washougal is so far away from all of them!
Craziest travel story?
Road to Loretta’s 2015. We had just upgraded our Class C motorhome to a Class A. Took it on a quick shakedown to the Seattle area a few weekends before to make sure everything worked. Took off from Washougal to make the trek cross country. Found out the fuel gauge didn’t work when we ran out of diesel in Wyoming. We were able to coast off the freeway and called Coachnet and they delivered diesel to us two hours later. Back on the road and then we completely lost power in the heart of downtown St. Louis towards the evening time. Ended up being the water pump. We had to be towed to a Freightliner dealer in Illinois where we were told we couldn’t sleep in our RV because it was a liability being in their shop with us in it and the hotels in the area were all rented out. I was sobbing because I wasn’t sure where we’d sleep and a lovely young man came in from the service department and asked to see Paul outside.He told Paul he would be off the clock in about fifteen minutes and on his own time he would reattach the driveline so it could be backed out of the stall and parked so we could sleep in it. It wasn’t until the next morning that they told us no one around had the pump we needed. This was a Saturday night. I tried to call around myself but everything was closed. I remember crying myself to sleep that night knowing that Sunday, no large truck shops would probably be opened, let alone, have the part. I woke up early and called the one and only open shop in the area and they had the water pump! He told me he could call a cab and have it brought to us because it would be faster than shipping it! We got it a few hours later and thankfully Levi’s dad is one of the handiest guys I’ve ever known and he was able to put it in by himself outside the shop and we were back on the road. We got to Loretta’s late Monday night and had to park in the lot that is furthest away with no pit vehicle. Definitely a trip to remember, but we made it and that’s what matters!
The most important lesson motocross teaches at a young age.
Oh geez, there are so many lessons. I think it teaches lots of self-discipline. For Levi, I believe it has also taught him life skills he’ll use forever; like working on his own bikes, knowing when things aren’t right with his bike and then figuring it out, talking to his sponsors on his own and learning to balance racing with other things in life. Being away he’s also learned to cook for himself and do his own laundry! LOL.
What’s your secret to getting all the dirt stains out of riding gear?
Stock in Spray-N-Wash and a scoop of Oxy Clean in every load. Hang dry everything!
Proudest moment of your career as a moto mom thus far?
Most recently when he raced Mini O’s for the first time. He’d been living in Louisiana at Real Deal and consistently training for the first time in his life and we hadn’t seen him ride or race since Loretta’s and he won three titles. It proved to us as his parents that we made the right decision to let him go and that a program was what he needed.
What’s your favorite track?
I really liked Gatorback. Maybe it had more to do with the weather because at home it was snowing during that time. Ha-ha! I do love Washougal too, but we all know it rains there eight months out of the year!
Who is your favorite pro racer?
Ryan Villopoto. We’ve always followed him and told Levi that just because Levi lived in Washington, he still had the chance to follow his dream and that with hard work and dedication, his dream is possible. Now that Ryan is retired and has hosted a few camps and races near Washougal, he’s given Levi and us some great feedback from a retired racer’s perspective.
What is your favorite genre of music?
I like oldies (music from the ’70s is probably my favorite), Indie Folk and Country.
What is your favorite movie/tv show?
Parenthood and Ozark.
What is in your red solo cup?
Vodka/Soda with a lime or red wine.
Any advice for the moto moms of the future?
Always be positive with your racer. Yelling and screaming doesn’t make them go any faster. They put enough pressure on themselves when they roll into the starting gate. I always wanted to go up and shake the parents that yelled at their kids...especially the littles! We always approached races with Levi telling him to keep these things in mind: have fun, always try your best and when you don’t win, learn something from it. At 19, as he becomes closer to racing professionally, we still treat them that way!
