"I didn't have any background
in the sport," she says, "other
than a dirt bike that I would
sometimes ride on the street. I
took the new position and abso-
lutely loved it!
"I never really had a job de-
scription," she says. "I would
do PR work and local radio
interviews before the races.
There was one restriction in my
contract, however, that stated I
could not date any of the racers."
She says today, "I was there for
everyone—and no one."
Griffis developed a close con
-
nection with her racing family.
"I was so happy to be there. We
were all so innocent, and we
cared about each other. It was
like an instant family."
And the victory kisses? "They
were mostly all gentlemanly
kisses." All of them? Did any of
the race winners ever get too
familiar? At the question, Grif
averts her eyes, almost looking
off to see a past moment, four
decades gone. "Yes," she says,
with a wry smile and then, after
a pause, one more, "yes." There
is quite likely a name on the tip
of her tongue, but that is where
it remains. Grif is a professional;
she doesn't kiss and tell!
So, most of the victory
smooches were rated G. While
she couldn't have her favorites,
Grif remembers a handful of rac
-
ers who became good friends.
Harley-Davidson rider Clifford
"Corky" Keener stood on the
Grand National podium five times
with Grif, and she remembers
Corky as "my first best friend.
Maybe because he was older
than me and many of the other
racers, but I just felt safe with
him and his wife, Mary."
She remembers other rac-
ers well. Kenny Roberts, who
"seemed very serious, very deter-
mined," and Jay Springsteen. "He
was so loose and so much fun,
just the opposite of Kenny."
No one can deny that much of
the thrill involved with racing is
the reality that competing at this
level means that a rider is often
on the ledge, living somewhere
between glory and disaster. The
good side of the ledge is exhila
-
ration. On the other side and not
so far away is a place of devas-
tating injury—or worse.
"Ted Boody," she remembers,
"was just adorable. He was not
afraid of anything. He was so
good-natured and could be so
goofy." Grif was at Ascot Park
the night Boody lost his life in a
last-lap crash. "That night," she
remembers, "was just horrible."
Grif stayed with the Camel/
Winston series for an amazing
17 seasons before something
told her it was time for her next
journey.
"I am a very spiritual person,
deeply into metaphysics, and I
listen to what I hear within my
-
self. I was 37 years old, and I just
felt that I needed to move on."
Life has been good for the
former Miss Camel. Acting, pro-
ducing plays with the late Patrick
Swayze and starting a jewelry
company, GrifCreation.com, with
musician/composer Quincy Jones
are just some of the adventures
that Grif has had since leaving
AMA racing in the 1980s.
"My life as Miss Camel gave
me the confidence to do these
things," she says. "Being around
winning, seeing what it took to be
a winner, gave me the confidence
to take on new and exciting
ventures. It was a magnificent,
magical time."
CN
VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P143
Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives
(Above) Grif stayed with the
Camel/Winston series for 17
seasons. She currently lives in
Maui. (Below) "Grif" even made
the cover of Cycle News.
