Kevin Johnston wears a lot of hats at the races. He's a racer, of course, taking the Utility Unlimited Championship a few years back and then contending for wins in the 4x4 Lites class while helping develop product for Kymco. On the side, he has created a new contingency and support program for GBC tires and has even taken two young racers, Jesse and Jodi Stracham, under his wing. How does one man do it all? We asked for this week's Tuesday Toolbox.

You're returning to the Utility Unlimited class this year. Why did you decide to go back?
I have a Kymco factory ride, but my new machine didn't show up for the Lites Class in time so I decided to drop back to old school and get back on a V-Force and ride the U2 class for Kawasaki. We wouldn't have had the Kymco until the middle of the season. We made a decision. I'm still going to race their side by side and run their team, but I'm going to ride a different bike for the series. Kawasaki always supported me in the past.

How did you get involved with Kymco in the beginning?
Going to ATV shows, I met some people who had a Kymco 250 Mongoose that had been raced in the desert and we started talking about the woods and put a program together for the local series where I live --the Mideast Interstate series-- and we decided to extend to the GNCCs and put a team together and  it was going really good. In the 500's (4x4 Lites Class) we have an independent (rear suspension machine) coming out and we need to be competitive in that class.

This year you're just going to be managing at Kymco instead of riding, how's it going so far?It's very good. Every year we seem to get more support. We're starting to see the presence of Kymco. It's a stand up machine. By keeping a presence in racing they're showing they're committed and want to make a big presence in the U.S. market.

So not only are you racing and managing with KYMCO, you are also the point man for GBC who has a new contingency program out. What's going on with their new effort?
We have a $209,000 contingency program. We're supporting a lot of riders this year. But my heart is in GNCC. That's what we do, we ride in the woods. So we're putting all our effort in GNCC and it's going really good. We've been around a long time and we're just now getting in to really promoting the tires. Our brand is  really taking off.  We're going to have some big name riders this year.  We're developing new products for our racers this year. They've seen the potential of a return. The contingency covers every single class except pro. They're seeing the potential in the amateurs. They're the ones who need support. So they'll stay with us. Pro riders have their own deals, so we help everyone else.

We met last year at Yadkinville and got talking. They're really dedicated young girls that love racing and riding and they ended up moving down south so they could ride more and train more. I'm just working with them, helping get them sponsors and pushing them toward the next level.  Jessie is moving up to pro this year. Jodi is practicing and when she turns 16 she'll move to novice. There's a lot of potential there. It's kind of easy to help people who want to learn and go faster. It's a lot on my plate but I enjoy it. The busier you keep yourself, the better it is. It's all coming together. They've been drag racing and racing since they were 6 and 7. It's where their passion is. They've helped me more this year then I've probably helped them, because they have been helping me train and get back in shape.

So how did you get started racing?
I've always been a trail rider. I've been a rider since I was five on three wheelers. It's been my passion. I moved to NC and hooked up with some people down here and started racing locally and decided to go to the GNCCs.  Now my son races and it doesn't seem like its ever going to stop. Hopefully I'll be able to do what John Gallagher does and race in my 60's.

How do you get connected with all these people? It's like you have a honing device to attract people who need help. How do you feel about having all of this under belt?
It makes me feel real good. I've always had great support. I've stayed with a lot of my sponsors and stayed loyal. Going to trade shows and meeting people helped me work my way into the industry and then once you're in there, like my job at GBC, now I'm more connected. I deal with a lot of distributors and companies. When you're in the industry, people trust you and know what you're looking for.

Do you find it hard to ride and work for sponsors?
You end up finding yourself doing 20 different jobs. You have to stay focused and it's a little tough. You find yourself with a lot of different responsibilities. There are new products I have to deal with. It does get complicated but it's fun. They see a return and they see what you do for them. The only thing I can say to amateurs is, communicate with sponsors. Let them know what you're doing.

So what are you hoping for in 2009?
I'm looking for a good comeback, how about that!  I haven't been on a V-Force in awhile. With 5 weeks to go it's a little rough. I'm shooting for a top 5 and I'd like to say win the championship, but I'm trying to be realistic. It's going to take a lot of things to go the right way. I've got the right support. For GBC, I want to see a lot of riders on the podium and a lot of smiles. I'm just going to keep pushing forward. I want to see Jessie in the top 5 with a couple podiums and see my Kymco riders to push forward and be progressive. We're just telling people to shoot for top 10 and just everyone have fun out there.