How I got started

My little sister Tara started racing when she was 5, after going to watch her race I decided that it was something I wanted to try out. My first bike was a Honda XR 100, and after I decided I wanted to race, my parents got me a Honda CR85 for Christmas. I have been hooked since my first race!

Goals for the Future

For next season, I am planning on racing the 250 class, and towards the middle of the season start racing 450 class. I want to race the 250cc 2-stroke and 4-stroke classes at the North Central Nationals in Wisconsin and the Amatuer Grand Championships in DuQuoin Illinios.

What has been your most embarrassing moment?

My most embarassing moment happened this June, we were racing at Pekin Motorcycle Club, and the crew just got done watering the track. My friend and I decided to go check the track out. We got on the XR100 and went up the hill onto the track and of course i was the pilot. The track was way too wet and we did a very very slow slide out in the mud. Instead of both of us falling, since it was in slow motion my friend just stepped off the back of the bike, and I was trying to save it. Of course I was in my white and pink gear and laid the bike over with me under it in the mud in front of everyone at the track. It wouldn`t have been that bad if I didn`t scream like a little girl on the way down. My friends at the track are still giving me a hard time for it.

Why do you compete?

I already explained how I started racing, but that`s not why I continue to compete. I never imagined when I made the decision to start racing, that I would get the same thrill every race as I did the first one. It`s such a rush everytime I get on my bike, and I couldn`t even imagine not doing this. When I first started, I was just happy to not get last place. As I gained more experience and practice, I wasn`t quite as content at the back of the pack. I started watching more and practicing more. Now I compete not only for the rush but to keep what I have accomplished. Being one of the very few girls that race flattrack in District 17, I really feel that there is a target on my back. I know that it bothers alot of the guys to get beat by a girl but I have worked hard to get where I`m at and I don`t plan on giving them any slack! My plan is to keep practicing and improving every weekend! I get to do something exciting every weekend and some people never have the chance to experience anything like the thrill I get when the light turns green. I intend to keep this up for a long time!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I plan to become a nurse when I grow up. I am currently a freshman at Illinois Central College and have taken all the tests and have already submitted my application for the Registered Nursing program at a local nursing school. I am now working at Grayboy Motorsports part time and also working at Wet Seal in our local mall. All I need to figure out is what type of specialty I want to choose, I am leaning towards neonatal care or emergency services.

How's Life Treating You?

My life is great! I have the support of my family behind me in all aspects of my life. I had a great race season and am very excited to start training for next year. We are planning on trying to find a 450 so I can start practicing on that for the rest of the year and see how well I adjust to the bigger bike. My dad is going to give my new CRF250 a facelift over the winter so I will have a great looking 4-stroker to go along with my other 2 bikes which are already the sweetest at the track! I am doing well in school and our volleyball team is having the best season our school has had in over a decade.  I have a great boyfriend who is also a racer so we have opportunities to spend time together at the track and I have someone to practice with that I can learn from.

One of my biggest highlights, is racing at the Springfeild Shorttrack. It was only the second time I had been to that track to race, unfortunately when all the other competitors were racing on that track at nationals earlier in the year, I was injured from a crash the week before. I ended up going out on my 250 for practice and feeling really confident. There was a very large number of riders for an amateur race but then, we were racing on the same track that the Pros in the AMA Grand National Dirt Track Series would be taking the next night. There was a lot of very fast riders there. I noticed that another female competitor from several states away was there. We had seen her race at the Amateur Nationals and thought that she was fast. We had different heat races so we didn`t get on the track together at the same time until the final. I couldn`t believe it when the checkered flag dropped at the end of the final, I crossed the line in front of her! It gave me a boost to see that I could hang with a rider that had done so well at Nationals. I can`t wait to compete there again in 2006!