"Spud Thumper"
Interview: Spud Walters
Story & Photos by Eddie Graveline
www.motopress.net
 Not long ago,
a motocross rider had to have good supercross and outdoor
national results if he wanted to be a household name. The first rider to
really change that was Buddy Antunez, who made himself known by winning
multiple Arenacross championships. Spud Walters is arguably the second racer
to do the same. Unless you are the most casual fan, you've probably heard
his name. But you didn't here it the same conversation as Ricky Carmichael
or Jeremy McGrath's because Spud really hasn't ridden the top series much at
all. What Mr. Walters has done is capitalize on this sport's most solid
trend of the past decade; 4-stroke motocross bikes. Spud won the very first
AMA Western 4-Stroke National championship and has been a force on the
thumpers ever since.
Q: Give us some background on yourself, Spud. Where are you from?
A: "Originally I'm from northern California, up by the Sacramento area. I
moved to Southern California when I was 19. I currently reside in southern
California and I'm 29."
Q: So you probably grew up doing a lot of GFI, CMC and CMA north races.
A: "Yeah, CMC, GFI and some CMA. That's pretty much it. I hit Loretta
Lynn's, Ponca City and all that."
Q: You've been around the block and seen motocross in America from just
about every angle. How do you rate what you're doing now, competing and
defending a championship in the Western 4-Stroke Nationals, compared to
running the 125/250 nationals and supercross?
A: "I enjoy this a lot more. It's not nearly as high-stress as the
nationals. It's a lot more laid back. You still have really good riders.
It's a lot more fun than the nationals where everything is so serious, you
work your ass off to drive across the country and you really don't make any
money. With this you can make a decent living and not have to drive nearly
as far. It's a lot better."
Q: Being the top dog in the Western 4-Stroke Nationals has to be more fun
than fighting for top 20 finishes in the nationals.
A: "Yeah, it's definitely a lot more encouraging. You still have to ride
hard, but it's not nearly as intense as battling for 16th place in a 250
national where those guys are ready to take you out for twenty bucks. I've
got a family, a home and this is just way more enjoyable."
Q: You ride for White Brothers Racing, which has some factory backing from
Honda this year. How does your situation differ from the factory teams in
the premier series?
A: "Well, White Brothers is the main team. American Honda is helping out
with some bikes and parts. It's as good as you're going to get at the
4-stroke level. It's definitely not a full factory ride like in supercross,
like a Honda factory ride. But it definitely helps that they're backing the
team. Unfortunately, White Brothers is paying for pretty much everything
still. Hopefully as the series continues to grow, some outside sponsors will
get in, see how good the racing is and hopefully step up and help out some
more."
Q: This series continues to grow and become more prestigious each year. It
seems to me that as the 4-Stroke Nationals evolve, the manufacturers will
put more emphasis on winning the series. Do you see operations like this
year's White Brothers Honda team becoming more common in the near future?
A: "Yeah, I definitely think so. As the years go by, all of the
manufacturers are coming out with more highly advanced 4-strokes. In the
next couple of years, I think there will be more manufacturers getting
involved. White Brothers has done a great job by stepping up and taking it
more seriously."
Q: Getting back to your career, how hard did you try to make it at the
national level before finding your niche in 4-stroke racing?
A: "Actually, I didn't do too much national stuff. I raced more local stuff.
I was kind of following all of the contingency races. My parents kind of cut
me off after I turned 18 and moved out of the house, so I had to be
realistic about it. I went where the money was and not necessarily across
country for the nationals. I didn't really have any good national seasons. I
just raced more for the money and the love of it. White Brothers saw that I
was a decent rider back in 1996. They offered me a ride and I've been riding
for them ever since we were on XR 400s."
Q: I remember that. They had you riding seriously modified XR 400s back in
the day.
A: "Yeah, we were running XR 400s before the Yamaha YZFs came out. We've
definitely come a long way. I'm looking forward to the next couple of years
to come. I think that we're going to go even farther."
Q: Man, you must have done some serious damage to some of those XR 400s!
A: "Oh God, yeah. We had some pretty bad luck on those. They were good at
the time, but it's nothing compared to what we're riding now."
 Q: You've
been riding the Western 4-Stroke Nationals for a few years now and
have gotten to know a group of riders that many motocross fans aren't
familiar with. Are there any guys from this series, past or present, that
you stick out in your mind as riders who could do really well at the premier
level if they were given the right breaks?
A: "The top guys in this class could easily be in the top ten or fifteen at
a national. It's amazing, the talent here. Every year it gets tougher and
tougher. There are guys like my teammate, Paul Carpenter, who has been
getting in the top six at nationals. He's a really good rider. There's
Nathan Woods, Dustin Nelson, Jimmy Lamastus. All of those guys could be
running up front in a 250 national. This isn't as big a series, but I think
it's going to get just as big."
Q: The motorcycle industry has known for several years now that 4-strokes
are the future of the sport. With that in mind, would you recommend this
series as a starting point to young pros since the gates at all races will
most likely be dominated by 4-strokes in the near future?
A: "I think 4-strokes are the wave of the future and I would definitely
recommend getting your feet wet in the 4-stroke national series. It's a good
place to start. Once you start dominating here, you can go to the nationals
or just stay here like I'm doing and have fun."
Q: What are your plans for the future, after the Western 4-Stroke Nationals
wrap up?
A: "Actually, after this series ends, the following week, we start the
Eastern 4-Stroke Nationals. That's eight rounds in a row on the East Coast.
We're going to be doing all of that. After that, we'll have a couple of
months off and then we'll be starting the Western 4-Stroke Nationals all
over again. I don't do any supercross, so I'll probably just kick back and
get ready for next season. I'll do some testing and start it strong. I think
this series starts in March of next year, so it's a pretty hectic schedule."
Q: Do you have a long-term contract with White Brothers?
A: "No, I don't have a contract for next year, but White Brothers has a
two-year contract with Honda and they'll definitely be around next year.
Hopefully I'll be with them next year and do it again."
Q: At 29, how are you looking at your career? How long do you plan to keep
riding?
A: "As long as I keep making money, my results are good and I keep having
fun like I am now. That's the main thing. You've got to keep it fun. Guy
Cooper is 40 years old. That guy still pins it and he's having fun. The
bikes are so good nowadays. Just because you're 30 year old doesn't matter.
I don't think it's nearly as hard on the body. I would like to have at least
another five good years in me."
Q: It was good talking to you, Spud. Have a good time the rest of the year
and good luck with that East Coast series.
A: "Thanks a lot. I really want to thank White Brothers for all of their
support. Also, American Honda, AXO, HJC, Smith, Works Connection and Done
Now Graphics. That's about it."
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