I thought I would use this blog to tell a little about my racing past. Many fans have asked me what level of racing I started at and how I progressed to NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle.

I think some of you know that my husband and crew chief, Gary, was the key influence in my racing education. I actually started racing an El Camino at Las Angeles County Raceway, our local track in California. Speed was not the objective then, consistency was. I believe I covered the quarter-mile in 16 seconds, but I was consistent enough to win two events that season. I then raced Gary’s 67 Nova in the Sportsman/Non-electronic class. I still had the same objective, but it was with an 11-second car. Gary and I shared the car with the understanding that his participation in the normal track series, took precedent over my non-point races. So, I moved on to become licensed in a Super Comp dragster.

Shortly after that I raced my first motorcycle, a Honda Interceptor, in the Chief Auto Parts track series. I progressed my way down on the ET ladder from 12 seconds to eight seconds within two years. I was able to win a few racetrack championships and a few National Motorcycle Racing Association (NMRA) Championships during that time.

It was on the eight-second Top Gas bike that I won the NHRA Division 7 Championship. That was the year I won my first and second NHRA “Wally”. We put nitrous on my bike after that and raced the Pro Mod class. I was a rookie at running a “Heads Up” class. In the classes I previously competed, I had to be sure I did not go faster than my dial-in, or the index. Pro Mod was “Twist and Don’t Lift,” and I ran consistent mid-sevens, and liked it.

We participated in a NHRA event as a privateer in 1996 and quickly realized that we needed much more than what we had to be a professional competitor. We took a few years off to create a team and program, and in 2001, with the help of a friend, a team found us.

That’s pretty much it for my evolution to Pro Stock Motorcycle. It’s been a long trip to become a professional, and not the “normal” progression you see in today’s new faces, but it’s my story, and I’m very fortunate and happy to be here.