GNCCRacing.com: Hey Kevin, congrats on this third consecutive title! Are you excited?

Kevin Cunningham: Thanks! Yeah, it’s an awesome accomplishment, and I couldn’t do it without the support of my family and sponsors.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m 27 years old, from Greenburg, IN. In addition to the racing, my dad and I have our own shop. We work on all sorts of off-road stuff – ATVs, dirt bikes, side-by-sides, things like that.

So, what were some of the ups and downs of your 2018 season?

To be honest, I put a lot of work into my racing and this year we had hardly any down moments – they were all up. (laughs) This season we won all of the races but three, and at those races we finished second. I can’t complain one bit!

Sounds like you had an awesome season for sure! How did you get started racing?

I never did any youth off-road racing at either GNCCs or the locals. I raced some flat track stuff back in the day, but that was it. I didn’t start racing cross-country at the local level full-time until 2009 and didn’t start doing the GNCC series full-time until 2016. A couple buddies of mine raced GNCC and I went to watch. I’ve been hooked ever since!

What motivated you to move up to the GNCC series?

The first time that I went to a GNCC, I had a blast! I ran a few races in 2015 in the pro-am class and ended up on the podium a couple times. I just couldn’t win against those guys who did it full time, I wasn’t fit enough to ride that hard for that long, even though my speed was there. I ended up getting a 4x4 quad, since I had always wanted to race one. I did pretty well with that and at the end of 2015 I inked a deal with Can-Am to run the series. Before, we never really had the time to travel or the funds to run the GNCCs.

Now, I heard from Bolton that you plan to retire from full-time GNCC Racing now that you are a father. Are you excited about the next phase of your life?

I am! Coming into GNCC, my goal in 2016 was to win three straight championships. Up until then, the record was two championships, held by Bryan Buckhannon, who is a legend in 4x4 racing. I met that goal, and now I’m going to take some time to spend with my boy. I will still race here and there, probably a little bit of everything.  Quads, dirt bikes, go karts, whatever sounds good. I’m sure I won’t be able to stay away from it! I might race a few local hare scrambles or a round or two of the GNCCs, but it definitely won’t be a full-time deal. I don’t think that I’ll ever sell my last championship 4x4 race quad. This was a big part of my life and it means a lot to win 3 straight national championships!

So, I take it you’re satisfied with what you’ve accomplished over the course of your career?

I am completely satisfied. Over the course of the years we have raced since 2009 we have won 10 different championships, 3 being at the National level. Every year I have raced GNCC I have won a championship, not many people can say that! I won 22 out of 39 GNCC races I entered in 4x4 Pro, and only finished outside the top three a handful of times. So yes, I am satisfied with what I have accomplished.