Introducing: Ashley Fiolek and the Women’s Class of motocrossers

It seems like it’s always the boys who get the spotlight in Motocross, but with girls like Ashley Fiolek taking to the track on her Honda 250, all that is changing.

Last weekend, the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship started in spectacular fashion at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif.

The Women’s Class  made it’s debut and reigning champion Fiolek made her maiden voyage for Honda Red Bull Racing count with a sweep of the day’s motos while rival Jessica Patterson followed closely in second.

Despite being born deaf, 18-year old Ashley Fiolek is  a top ranked women’s motocross rider in the world.  The Florida native began racing when she was only seven years old, quickly learning how to ride without being able to hear. She quickly learned how to shift and manuever her dirt bike with her sense of feel, gaining a “no fear” reputation as the fastest female rider on the circuit.

This weekend she and her competitors headed to Northern California to race in the 41st Annual Hangtown Classic at Prairie City Park. Race reports say big crowds were cheering the women on!

The legendary Hangtown Motocross Classic serves as the most tenured circuit of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, as well as the second round of the 2009 series.

Hangtown hosted its first professional motocross race in 1968 and has been a part of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship since 1974. Always looking to keep the world’s best riders on their toes, The Dirt Diggers Motorcycle Club have made several changes to the 2009 layout. After running the opposite direction last season, the course made its return to the traditional layout that has been the site of so many memorable moments throughout the years.

MX Sports Pro Racing took the next step at bringing women’s motocross to the forefront of American motocross when it announced the Women’s Class would be added to the 2009 season schedule. The entire program will be run on Saturdays, providing the opportunity for the nation’s fastest women to be showcased in front of thousands of motocross fans as well as on national television (Versus).

The women will compete in eight of the 12 rounds of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Last season, 18-year old Fiolek took the mx world by storm with her extraordinary talent and heartwarming story and she also became the first full factory rider in American motocross history when she was signed to a contract with Honda Red Bull Racing.

Hoping to steal her spotlight this season are a list of talented riders that includes five-time Women’s Champion Jessica Patterson. After being the most dominant female competitor for half a decade, Patterson was forced to hand over her crown to Fiolek after a hard-fought series. Now Patterson plans to come out faster and stronger than ever, setting the stage for an epic championship battle.

In addition to Patterson, Tarah Gieger and Sarah Whitmore will rely on their experience to help bring them to the top. Gieger won the gold medal at the inaugural X Games Women’s Moto-X event last year and is one of the fastest women to ever ride a motorcycle. Last September, she competed against the world’s best male riders at the Motocross of Nations, representing her home country of Puerto Rico. She is the first woman in history to do so. Unfortunately, a wrist injury while racing a Grand Prix in Europe a few weeks ago will have her on the sidelines for the early rounds.

Whitmore enters 2009 with a new team. The Michigan native is making the switch to KTM this season with increased support and will surely be challenging at the front of the pack throughout the eight races.

Sherri Cruse, a 2008 moto winner and the X-Games bronze medalist, will also be a prominent challenger. Her pint-size physique suggests a soft, quiet demeanor, but once she puts her helmet on, she shows no fear in mixing it up with the best. For Cruse, bar-banging is part of what makes the sport so exciting.

Throw in rookie Sara Price and promising rider Jacqueline Strong and several other very fast riders and the championship battle for the 2009 Women’s Class crown shapes up to be the best in history with seven women capable of winning on any given weekend.
Results for the Women’s Class at Hangtown and current points standings after two rounds.