There’s never been a better time to be a girl interested in pursuing a career in racing motorcycles. Five years ago there were no factory rides for the ladies, they were lucky to get a good support role on a team. Today, the factory teams are getting behind the WMA effort in a big way. The second in what will prove to be a long line of factory WMA riders is Sara Price.
After taking a number of amateur titles, plus Rookie of the Year in her freshman season as a pro, Kawasaki decided to throw her under the factory tent with the likes of Chad Reed. Her dramatic rise through the ranks is a testament to the growth of WMA racing and her dedication to the sport. We had a chance to catch up with young Price for a quick interview. Here’s what she had to say.
First, give our readers a little background info. Where are you from and how’d you get started riding?
I’m originally from Riverside, Calif., but moved when I was seven. We moved about thirty minutes away to a really awesome community called Canyon Lake. I was really into showing horses at the time, I still have my horse Garnet today. My dad and brother saw my talent and fearlessness on a horse and wanted to get me on a bike. So that Christmas they picked me up a Honda XR50, I haven’t looked back since. I started going to the track every Tuesday with my older brother Dean and he noticed that I was doing really well. Family and friends kept saying that I need to go to an amateur national to see how I’d do. I ended up winning my first national championship my first time out of state in Texas and since I’ve won 19 national amateur championships before I started my professional career with Kawasaki. Read More
WMX has evolved from the motocross throwback that it was several years ago to an exciting professional venue. The Saturday racing format and the involvement of some high-profile riders have helped shape the WMX into an active, viable action sport. Some say part of the catalyst of change was the Factory Honda rider Ashley Fiolek. Ashley created a buzz that the WMX desperately needed. Her personality and the many adversities that she has had to overcome drew fans and publicity to the sport in record numbers. We managed to catch up with the 2008 and 2009 champion to ask her a few questions.
MotoUSA: Ashley thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Lets talk first about the Texas race. Freestone is always a brutal track as the heat can take its toll on riders very quickly. Can you describe the Freestone race from your own perspective?
AF: Hot! We always know Freestone will be around 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity but this year seemed really warm, like you said it seemed to get to riders quickly this year. For me I guess I wasn’t expecting anything different from previous years, I just wanted to go out and get good starts and ride the best I could, but unlike previous years, this year the heat got the best of me. Read More
For the last seven years, females have had the opportunity to compete in professional-caliber motocross races. Dominica “Miki” Keller founded the Women’s Motocross Association (WMA) in 2004 with hopes of one day giving women the chance to compete alongside the world’s fastest men in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.
Keller dedicated her life to the growth of women’s motocross in America. She encountered numerous roadblocks, dead ends, and experienced several bouts of disappointment in her relentless battle. However, after a few years of hard work, the women’s division slowly began to garner attention, eventually receiving the opportunity to compete in select events alongside the men in an AMA-sanctioned WMA Championship.
Round number two of the 2010 WMX series went down in Freestone County, Texas over the weekend at the Freestone National, and Red Bull riders Ashley Fiolek and Tarah Gieger finished second and third overall, respectively.
Though blistering hot temperatures created extremely challenging conditions for the riders, fans still came out in droves to support an incredible day of racing in Texas!
In moto one, Honda Red Bull Racing’s Fiolek snatched the holeshot and early lead. Fiolek and series rival Jessica Patterson immediately began stretching out a comfortable margin over the rest of the pack, with Lucas/TLD/Honda’s Geiger settling into the third position. Read More
The final round of the FIM Women’s World Championship this weekend at the Lierop circuit for the Grand Prix of Benelux will not be able to count on the participation of one of the main stars of the series. Double Women’s World Cup winner and Yamaha rider Katherine Prumm is currently recovering from operations to her right knee and left wrist as well as the collarbone break that prematurely ended her season while leading the standings of the inaugural championship. Read More
March 27, 2008 (Pebble Beach, CA); Hardcard Holdings, LLC, announced today that multi-time amateur motocross champion and rising star in the Women’s Motocross Association (WMA) professional series, Ashley Fiolek, has signed an agreement with Hardcard for management representation as part of a growing list of motorsports-related services the company provides. Read More
Ukiah, CA March 4, 2008 WMA Pro, Alisa Nix has signed with Fly Racing for 2008. Nix will be wearing the newly designed 2008 Kinetic Girls gear. Alisa has tremendous drive and ambition in this male dominated sport. Alisa is a past Toyota TMX rider who is no stranger to the podium. Alisa was a 2006 WMA Pro National Championship runner up and boasts a number of other racing accomplishments including: 2007 Mammoth MX Women’s Champion; 2006 World AX Finals Women’s Pro Champion; 2006 Lake Whitney Spring Classic Women’s A Champion; and 2006 GNCC Finals Oakhill Women’s A Champion. Results like these make her the perfect woman rider to represent Fly Racing on the podium.
“I am really happy to be with Fly Racing this season. I always liked the gear they made and was excited to see them come out with a women’s line. When the opportunity to ride for them came up, I jumped at it. The next step is getting Fly’s women’s line on the podium in a pro race. I am looking to follow up my win at Lake Whitney in 2006 with a win again this year, since I missed it last year due to an injury.” Nix said of her new gear and upcoming race at the Lake Whitney Spring Classic.
Alisa Nix is sponsored Fly Racing, Enzo, Yamaha, FMF, AMP, Scott, Dunlop, Posey Racing Engines, Stockton Recycle, Motul, Galfer, Lost Coast Yamaha of Ukiah, Pro Wheel, Works Connection, Asterisk, No-toil, Trick Racing Fuels, Shoei, Dirt Tricks, Universal, Acerbis, Alpinestars, CP Pistons, Hotcams, Hot Rods, Pivot Works, CV4, Ogio, and Coker Precision Graphics.
World’s Fastest Female Motocrosser Joins Yamaha for 2008 Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) is very pleased to announce a new partnership with current FIM Motocross Women’s World Cup winner Katherine Prumm. The 19 year old New Zealander will steer a YZ250F for 2008 and strive to add the very first FIM female world championship to the two World cup titles she claimed in 2006 and 2007. Prumm’s union with Yamaha four months ahead of the inaugural FIM endorsed championship is a major coup as the women’s competition will enjoy top billing alongside the MX1 and MX2 world series and embark on a five round schedule as part of the 2008 Grand Prix campaign.
The Kiwi will work from the Dutch Van Beers Yamaha set-up in the paddock, alongside Aigar Leok (MX1) and Evgeny Bobryshev (MX2), using YRRD (Yamaha Rinaldi Research and Development) parts on her number one plated YZ250F.
With her victories in Europe, (two from two rounds in 2006 and two from three outings in 2007) numerous female Australasian titles, and several female AMA wins on the other side of the Atlantic, Prumm is presently one of the leading figures in Women’s motocross.
“The move to Yamaha is really exciting for me,” said the reigning champ. “It will be a whole new bike and new team and I am really looking forward to being part of the Yamaha environment. Yamaha is behind me 100% and I feel that they can give me the best chance of success in 2008.”
“I cannot wait for the upcoming season and the FIM Women¹s World Championship where I will try for my third title on my new Van Beers YZ250F,” she added. “At the end of the year I will also compete in the Men’s New Zealand Motocross Championship under the MXDK Subway Yamaha team banner and my goal is a top ten finish in the Men’s MX2 class after having attained a 12th place in 2007. I will also be going for my fourth New Zealand Women¹s championship. For my activities back home I am officially supported by Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Motor New Zealand.”
“Yamaha is happy to see that the number of women riding and racing our machines is growing along with their interest and participation in off-road motorsport,” commented YME Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp.
“The upgrade of the FIM Women’s World Cup to a World Championship is a good example of how the sport is progressing and we are very much looking forward to competing in this new class with Katherine as well as promoting women and motorcycling in general.”
The Women’s World Championship was officially sanctioned towards the end of 2007 after the World Cup had seen growing entry lists in its three year existence and an increasing level of interest from female competitors across the globe. The series now has the recognition it deserves and is no longer merely a sideshow to the MX1 and MX2 motos.
The 2008 calendar will see the ladies in action in Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany and Holland. The first event will be at the Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria on May 11th.
Katherine Prumm
Date of Birth: 04/06/1988
Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
Residence: Auckland, New Zealand
Nationality: New Zealand
Height: 172cm
Weight: 66kg
Hobbies: Cycling, running, Graphic design, spending time with friends and family
Career Highlights
2007: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, AMA WMA Women’s Cup winner, Australian Champion
2006: FIM Women’s World Cup winner, winner of two WMA (USA) rounds,
2005: FIM Women’s World Cup runner-up, Oceania Champion, Australian Champion, NZ Champion
2004: New Zealand Women’s Champion senior and junior classes”
