GEICO Honda's Kevin Windham (Photo: Hoppenworld.com)

Combined, these factors make Windham the leading representative of the blue-collar motocross fan, which explains why he gets biggest roar of the crowd during introductions on any given weekend. And ever the showman, Windham expresses his gratitude with astonishing lane transfers and his iconic nose wheelie to set the tone for the evening.

On track Windham has developed into something of a late bloomer during the season. As the championship wears on, Windham becomes more and more comfortable with his bike and the pace of his competitors. Last weekend, in the muck of a rainstorm in Daytona, Windham took that first big step to becoming a fixture at the front of the field, leveraging his prowess in tough conditions to land on the podium for the first time in '12.

That podium effort should provide the kick-start Windham needs in order to continue to run with the likes of Ryan Villopoto and Stewart, the established leaders of this series. Providing even greater incentive is the fact that Windham is now in position to assume third place in the championship with Ryan Dungey sidelined for the time being.

Meanwhile, a large group of fast young riders are lurking just behind, stalking Windham in the standings. Jake Weimer is the closest at nine points back, while Davi Millsaps, Brett Metcalfe, and Justin Brayton are also all within striking distance. Of this group, only Metcalfe has yet to finish on the podium this season, suggesting that Windham has his work cut out for him to fend off a group of riders who know they are capable of running up front.

With seven races remaining, including tonight in Indianapolis, Windham should only get better and this evening could be the night he really gets into his groove. While finishing on the championship podium for the fifth time in his career is priority #1 for Windham, a win in 2012 could be in the cards as well.

Keep an eye on the veteran, he’s just getting warmed up.