Kage Tadman: Learning the Trade
Watching a father-son duo unravel the mysteries of dirt track racing
On Father’s Day, the heartbeat of a 'racing family' reverberates in the life of American Flat Track rookie Kage Tadman. The potential he's displayed invites comparison to young matadors like Jay Springsteen, Kenny Roberts and 16-year old novice Lance Jones, who appeared out of nowhere to blow experts away at Granite City in the 1970s. 'Kage the Rage' burst onto the AFT scene mid-season this year, when he showed up at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico May 3, and pulled off the amazing feat of clinching his second win in just two outings as a pro singles rider. How did he do it?
To find out, I checked in with the AMA Grand Slam elite: Doug Chandler, a top competitor in Moto GP and three-time World Superbike Champion; sponsor-supporter extraordinaire Jerry Stinchfield; John Parker, unofficial dirt track talent scout and founder of Yeti Cycles; and premiere suspension guru, former racer Kayl Kolkman, who are all playing a role in Kage’s astonishing race to the top of AFT - and beyond.
Raising kids can be a challenge, but Kage's father Keith Tadman must feel he's had many a Father’s Day celebration, taken victory laps alongside his youngest son. He and Kage's mother Barbara set young Kage up for success with a gift of his first dirt bike at age two, and opportunity to start winning flat track races near their Salinas, California home, beginning at four years of age.
From very early on, John Parker discovered what sets Tadman apart from so many other young flat trackers. Parker, a welder who worked on the backlots in the film industry back in the 70’s, once re-assembled a 1928 Indian Scout 101 he purchased for the princely sum of $3500. He sold it for $5000 and used that cash to start mountain bike company, Yeti Cycles, which became the go-to for riders building endurance or recovering from injuries on the job. Yeti was an early career sponsor of several world class pro mountain bikers like a young Juli Furtado, who started cycling after her skiing career hopes were dashed by a knee injury. Going on to become an Olympian, Furtado, like a handful of pro cycling athletes Parker sponsored with bikes for endurance training or rehab, would eventually be lured away by others with even deeper pockets. “I had to learn to get up early and go watch the amateur classes and find young racers on their way up and try and grab them to come race on my team, until they were good enough that other teams would be motivated to steal them away.”
Eventually selling Yeti to Schwinn, Parker retired and began promoting short track races at Ventura Fairgrounds and scouting young motorcycle racers. “So along the path of doing that, I ran into what are called ‘Little League fathers.’ And I’ve seen some vicious Little League fathers that are straight from Hell. You’ve got two things going on with the young riders who are talented, but also they are so spoiled, they are so undisciplined, they lack honesty, they lack integrity and they absolutely are lacking in humility,” Parker observed. “I’ve learned that there's so much below the water line with a racer, that involves the family relationship, how the kid talks to his mother and what's really going on there.“
In 2017, while sponsoring National #98, Kayl Kolkman, Parker ventured down to Del Mar Fairgrounds for an indoor short track race. He recalled, “I got a pretty good seat in the grandstands so I’m just gonna hang out and watch these 13- to 15-year old kids. They come to the line on 125s and there's like six of them on the front row. They're kind of dallying around and you can kind of tell they're waiting for one more rider. Well, at the last second here comes this little ‘sawed off Shorty.’ And I don't know whether he was on a 65 or he was on an 85 with the smaller wheel size. So, when he rolls to the line, I'm like thinking ‘this kid’s in the wrong class.’ But no, they go ahead and start. And these kids on the 125’s are burying this little kid from the start. Then, like a train leaving the station, all of a sudden, the kid starts building up speed and he has more in the corner than these kids on their 125’s. In five laps this kid came from last place and won the thing!”
Driven to investigate, Parker went to the pits and found the kid, Kage Tadman, who was tinier than he thought. “Here is this mother and father, and the love for their son just permeates beyond the paddock. It’s so strong, it’s so refreshing, and the kid is as nice as can be. What struck me right in the chest was, true to my own failed beginnings as an amateur dirt tracker, the Tadmans were privateers, paying for everything, even the decals on the toolbox. It was a Mom and Pop team on a shoestring budget with such a high level of love and devotion to what they do. Even when they find a broken exhaust spring 2 minutes before the main, they're in a different orbit, they blend in, they complement each other and it's a real nice thing to be a part of.“ Parker said. “The very next day, after witnessing what I saw in Del Mar, I called Troy Lee, who designs helmets for all the greatest in motorsports [Troy was the Legend of the Sport honoree at the Quail MotoFest in 2025 - ed]. I said, ‘You better learn how to spell this kid's name. He's going to be somebody’.” Lee and Parker have been sponsoring Kage ever since.
“In Kage, you've got a young Valentino Rossi. You've got a young Wayne Rainey. Does he go all the way? I don't know. Does he stop and pick up golf? I don't know. But I've never met a racer on the launchpad for greatness, who’s more dedicated and more humble, that I wanted to work with, than Tadman." Lest you think it’s all pride and indulgence in Kage, who often brought home amateur titles and trophies taller than himself, here is the first thing Keith said about what he expects as a father, “I tell my kids, in this house, after high school you can take a year off. Then you’re either going to college, going to trade school, or you get a job.” The dynamics of their close father-son bond touched social media viewers in Bell’s 2021 Under the Helmet video, where Keith’s emotional testimony revealed the heart and soul values of a family raising an aspiring athlete with integrity and hard work.
Up till now, Kage’s dad has been coach, mechanic, driver and sponsor, in the pits alongside his mom serving support and great meals. Because when Kage was young, money was always tight. “At one point we had four kids in the house, and we didn't have a lot. As my career went on, then it became a little easier financially,” according to Keith. “I’m an electrician by trade. He has an older sister just graduating college, and a brother who works full time.” Kage may be interested in becoming a lineman or a welder but makes no secret of his love and passion for the trade of professional motorcycle racing. “If I'm outside school, I'm riding or hanging out with friends. I used to skateboard a lot.”
Kage-watchers have remarked on the level of maturity Tadman has shown, quickly progressing to sixth in the 450 Singles Class point standings, after entering only two races mid-season. “Its just one of those things where you're happy and you're really proud for the first couple of days and then,’ Ok, let's start focusing on the next race’,” Kage said. Tadman has been getting help from three main sponsors: Roof Systems of Dallas Texas, Old Oak Farms of Soledad, CA and Brian Vernon of BKB Ag Services. “Jerry Stinchfield was a big help in my amateur career and for him to step up in my pro career and help us get to the races this year is such a blessing. The Roof Systems riders were one of those teams that I've always looked up to. So, for Jerry to come on board it was kind of like a dream come true. That’s the least I could say.”
The feeling is mutual for Stinchfield, who recalled meeting Kage at age 12 or 13 at a little short track in Lodi, California. “I was wandering through the pits and saw this kid on a KTM 250. So I watched him go out for his heat and thought ‘Man, this guy’s fast’. And then in the main event, he jumped the start and had to go to the back row,” according to Stinchfield. “He lost the main event by inches, but he passed everybody on the outside. At Lodi you just don't pass outside. Not usually. Only some good guys can do that.”
Stinchfield, who supports the AFT racing series, Roof Systems twins class rider Brandon Robinson, and singles rider Taren Santero, provided Kage with support for transportation, new leathers and canopies. “So when he shows up at Lima, (Ohio) he'll be part of our 80 foot pit area like we're the largest team in American Flat Track,” Jerry said.
“As part of our program, he has our suspension guy, Kayl Kolkman at his disposal, and a very good mechanic on our side of the paddock with Ben Evans. So we're going to take care of him the best we can.” Stinchfield reflects, “I think Kage was raised right by his parents. His dedication to the sport he loves could win a Grand National title and make him a future world champion. I absolutely believe that.”
Beyond logistical support, Tadman is inspired by Doug Chandler who is opening the door for Kage to think about future road racing in the youth ‘Road to MotoGP’ program, along with MotoAmerica President, Wayne Rainey. Chandler, who is working with Kage to get his feet wet in Moto America’s Talent Cup, was dubbed the “New Fast Kid on the Block,” in an August 1983 Cycle World story. His rise from a young flat tracker to Superbike champ was documented in Chris Carter and Gerald Foster's book When Honda Went Flat Track Racing, a history of the Japanese machine’s impact in the 1980’s American racing scene. As someone who's been there and done it, Chandler offers a lifeline of experience to guide Kage’s future. “I was in the same boat he is. Growing up as a kid, all I ever thought about was flat track, but realized if you ventured into road racing that potentially could get you over to Europe and World Superbike or Moto GP stuff.
As Kage said, “My whole life we’ve been dirt track racing and it's always been a dream of mine to become a national champion. It's something I've worked for, and if let's say I get the opportunity to go road racing or Moto GP, I mean I would definitely not say no. It's been crazy because I didn’t know what to expect from Doug. I mean, he's a Hall of Famer and a great example of going from flat track to road racing -- and same thing with Wayne Rainey. He’s been a big help and one of the greats, so to get to know those guys is incredible.”
Chandler can relate to the speed at which Tadman’s career is shining in the spotlight. “I mean, you kind of work, you pay your dues, and once you're at the certain age that you can go pro, everything happens so fast. Kage has so much potential, he could go in multiple directions. You know he could still do it all.”
Along with Stinchfield, Chandler and Parker, former racer Kayl Kolkman is a part of Kage’s dream team, offering expert suspension and sound advice based on his own experience in the Roof Systems paddock. “I watched him race for a long time because I'm from California as well. I saw him race 50s all the way up to last year, when we actually got to race a little bit together. He's always been like’ The Little Fast Kid.’ Just everything, from his passion and confidence to race craft has really put him in the spotlight right now. I think there's a lot of people kind of waiting to see how he's going to do. He's a really well-rounded rider.“ Kolkman, a plumber who now operates his business Underground Suspension out of his garage, recalls his flat track days were before MotoAmerica’s Talent Cup was re-building interest in road racing in America. “More people are starting to go back overseas, like they did years ago. So, I think Kage is going to have opportunities and offers heading his way.”
With respect to his competitors, Kage has said, “It was my dream to be running with Chase (Saathoff), (Tom) Drane and (Trevor) Bruner. It's crazy because I grew up watching all of those guys. And for my first ever 2 races, it was an awesome feeling. I've known Briar Bauman my whole life, growing up watching him and Bronson and all the Salinas boys. After going pro and talking to Briar a little bit, I learned he's a good guy. That's for sure.”
The question on everyone’s mind is; Will Kage the Rookie rage on to a phenomenal three-peat, June 27th at Lima, Ohio, in AFT’s Triple Challenge?
As Kage puts it, “Honestly, it’s so early in my pro career. I’ve tried my hardest to study the riders in certain situations and study the lines of the tracks, so I can just come out swinging.”
WKR: The Maker's Mark
[By Catherine O'Connor]
Engine builder Woody Kyle is the tuner to the stars - of racing. His clients have included Scotty Parker and Jay Springsteen, Nicki and Casey Hayden, and generations of AFT riders, just to name a few. If winning a race requires a mysterious ratio of visual acuity, finely tuned balance, endurance, and composure at high speed, it's the tuner's skills that make a great rider into a champion.
From Grand National Champions to the youngest kids burning up flat tracks and motocross courses, success comes from the rider and motor builder having a relationship based on trust, technical know-how and effective communication. Working quietly behind the scenes, engine builder Woody Kyle has become a shaman of the tribe, an elder passing engine building knowledge to young scouts, fostering and mentoring them, and keeping the flame alive. What he has learned over the arc of his astonishing career in the paddock, and what he thinks of the coming electric revolution in motorcycle racing, could fill volumes.
It was the Alabama phenom, National #23 Lance Jones, who tipped me off to the intriguing role of Woody Kyle in shaping decades of winners, who sport the iconic Woody Kyle Racing checkered flag emblem on T-shirts, box trucks and vans was they follow the circuit around the country. More than one vintage racer mentioned that if they saw a WKR sticker on a bike beside them, they’d think, “uh oh, I guess I’m not going to win.” And if they saw WKR “wicker sticker” bikes lining up on both sides, they’d basically just surrender.
Harold Woodrow 'Woody' Kyle was born 1941 in Orlando, Florida, and moved closer to Leesburg as a child. His father was a military reconnaissance photographer in WW2, traveling around the world from South Africa, to Sicily, and was finally stationed at Coco Beach. “When (Francis) Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union in a U2 spy plane, that was my dad’s operation. He came home soon after that.” When Kyle Sr. retired from the Air Force, Woody completed his last year of high school in Orlando. Later in the 1960’s, Kyle began racing as an AMA Novice with his Florida buddy, the late Ed Salley. They ventured into America’s heartland, racing in Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. Kyle had earned his Junior points, characterizing himself as “…sort of competitive; Salley, who was an Expert, always did way better than I did.”
Trained as an aircraft mechanic in the military, Woody earned a pilot’s license to work with two uncles with an agricultural business in northern Alabama. “I flew crop dusting planes and sprayed family gardens. It was a lot of fun. Learning mechanics for aircraft started my career. By the late 1960’s I had my own shop; two-strokes were my specialty.” In the 1970’s Kyle worked his magic on Yamahas that enabled Alabama’s Lance Jones to wow fans every Tuesday night for weeks in a row at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois. Even at 16 and still a Novice, Jones competed against Experts, and didn’t even break a sweat, according to Kyle. “In those days, if they saw Lance and I roll into the combined programs, they’d say, ‘oh well, it’s over’.”
To Kyle, who is now in his 80's, the DuQuoin Magic Mile brings bittersweet memories of victories and disastrous injuries that ended the career of promising Georgia champion Jay Ridgeway, one of dozens of riders whose poignant story is a consequential part of the WKR heritage. Ridgeway, a dynamic rider from Atlanta, tragically died in the 1977 DuQuoin AMA Grand National Championship race. “We know dirt track could be a very unforgiving sport, before air fences and such,” Kyle said. Another young rider Kyle worked with in the 70’s was Jeff Purvis, a Novice national champion from Georgia. In addition to Expert Jay Springsteen, sponsor Vista Sheen had taken Purvis on as their junior rider, but he got hurt at Valdosta Short Track, just before Daytona.
Kyle has said that his favorite motor to build was definitely, “not a Harley.” Instead, the 1979-80 air cooled, red engine 250CR Hondas were his go-to . “I did one for Terry Poovey and we won every (short track) race at Daytona that year.” Honda made a flat track bike with a heavy flywheel and right-hand shift, which paired well with Poovey’s Knight frame. “Back then, Terry Knight from San Francisco built drag bike chassis and didn’t even know how to ride a motorcycle. But he just designed a great chassis,” Kyle recalled.
By the 1980s Kyle did get into the Harley-Davidson game, building short tracker two-strokes for a couple of future Grand National Champions and AMA Hall of Famers; Rookie Expert Scotty Parker, as well as Expert Ricky Graham. “Parker didn’t like his bike; he said it was too fast. But Graham loved his!” Kyle’s extraordinary talent as a builder transformed Harley-Davidson’s MX 250, built when the company owned the Italian Aermacchi brand, and took two Grand Prix World Championships. “It was probably the fastest bike ever at the Sante Fe (Chicagoland) raceway. With racer Garth Brow, we had everyone beat by a couple seconds,” he said.
Kyle worked with road racer Scott Russell in his rookie year, on his way to becoming Mr. Daytona and World Superbike champion. Kyle’s resume also includes building engines for Jim France’s Superbike team with stars like Jay Springsteen and Wes Cooley. Kyle had a hand in early Honda Racing, and with the first FZ 750 Yamahas ridden by Jimmy Felice. Woody’s highlight reel includes decades of being the guy whose mechanical know-how and last-minute resourcefulness is clear in stories like this one from the 1990’s: “We needed an extra Daytona bike for Lance, so I had him ride my Honda 750 Interceptor with the compression hopped up.” Kyle is still astonished to think that Jones, on a modified street bike, was running 10th in the Daytona 200, before it developed an oil leak that put him on the ground.
Building a reputation primarily by word of mouth, the always-humble Kyle said, “It used to be that a young guy with ability, who no one knew, could show up and win a race. But now it takes more.” Kyle has said he was lucky to assist many young riders to become winners, and that WKR checkered flag sticker is what kept him on the map.
“One of the things I’m most proud of in my racing career is that I’ve gotten to do it all. I have had some top motocross guys, top road racer guys, and I’ve built minibikes for the fastest kids in the world. Actually, I built all of the Hayden’s minibikes, until Nicky started riding pro. I worked with Nicky (Hayden) on his first road race at 16. I traveled with him for the whole season. The Hayden family, who lived in Kentucky, flew me around the country.” The stage was set for 1999, when 18-year-old Hayden would win his first AMA Grand National Championship race (Hagerstown Half Mile) and take AMA Rookie of the Year honors. Those early days with WKR minibike tuning primed the three Hayden brothers for victory as they claimed a remarkable podium finish, (Nicky first, Tommy second, and Roger Lee third) at the 2002 Springfield TT. After honing his skills in dirt-track events, Nicky Hayden quickly graduated to road racing as the youngest ever AMA Superbike Champion to also win the Daytona 200, in 2002. The memory of a Kentucky Kid who became Moto GP World Champion in 2007, for whom Woody Kyle turned wrenches and fostered support, lives on. When Kyle joined Hayden’s crew, Nick Daniels, the father of current AFT star Dallas Daniels, was Nicky Hayden’s mechanic. Kyle counts Daniels, who is now the chief mechanic of Estensen Racing team, along with Tommy Hayden, team manager as a part of his race family.
In the spirit of nurturing the sport, Woody made a temporary move to Southern Illinois in 2006, setting up shop to lead a young Jeffrey Carver Jr. on the path from AMA Amateur Nationals to become a contender in the professional race series. Kyle is a backstage legend whose reputation is baked-in as the model for generations in the race community. After his 2019 Springfield Mile success, I spoke to winner Jeffrey Carver. Both he and road race superstar J.D. Beach agreed wholeheartedly that Woody has been ”The Man” in the background, playing his part to keep the flat track community running.
What Kyle has learned along the way comes down to the concept of moderation. “I built more moderate engines, which were what I call ’user friendly,’ even for top experts. If the rider is not comfortable, they won’t go fast. And they also need to be durable.”
Durable friendships also seem to be a hallmark of Kyle’s legacy. At the recent DuQuoin Amateur Nationals, the lasting bond between builder Woody Kyle and racer Lance Jones was evident. Reminiscing, Kyle said, “At 16, Lance was unbeatable. He beat all the Novice, Juniors and Experts on the short track.” And some 40 plus years later, Kyle enjoyed lending tech support, as Jones battled in a late evening heat race, winning his class well after 1:00 am.
Kyle recently worked with Jay Springsteen to start a riders’ school; “I’ve been good friends with Jay since we were teammates when Purvis rode for Vista Sheen, in around 1975.” It was planned that expert racer Springsteen would teach technique, with Kyle focusing on set up. According to Kyle, it ended up that Springsteen did much of the set up too. “We had a lot of Vintage guys in the pits. Trying to get them up to speed, we’d take their suspension off, and we had to tell them; ‘Don’t worry, Springer is really a talented mechanic too’.”
Watching the growth of Ben Evans, a tuner who works with AFT Twins rider Brandon Robinson, Kyle recalled, “I was once Ben’s mentor -- and now he’s, my mentor.” With his expertise always in demand, Kyle continues to work his magic, recently assisting upstart rider of the year, 15-year-old Walker Porter.
Oh, and what does Woody Kyle think of the E Bike revolution? “ Not much. I know they’re fast and we definitely need to do something different.” But, Kyle said, “If I can’t smell it or hear it, I don’t think I can get excited about it.”
Woody Kyle Racing’s WKR label is an indelible Maker’s Mark that has endured for generations. Undeniably, thinking about Woody can open up an emotional portal symbolizing how a humble expert can deliver that alchemy to propel a champion.
At his first professional AFT Singles race win at the 2019 Peoria TT, young champion, National # 32, Dallas Daniels stepped to the podium to thank those who had played an integral role in building his career. “I couldn’t have done this without Woody and Judy Kyle,” said Dallas, an expert chasing the next American Flat Track Grand National Championship crown.
Just like his dad, (Nick Daniels) had done, as soon as Dallas could drive, he decamped with Kyles’ in Florida, absorbing the wisdom. “While Woody gave my bike a refresh, I pretty much just stood around and watched. He showed me basic maintenance, but more than that, he fed me. Woody is more than race family. He feels like a part of our actual family,” Dallas said.
