INTERVIEW
ELENA MYERS
P86
I've really had to step up my
training a lot. It's also tough at
the end of day because it's my
team packing up and I have to
do half the packing!"
Myers knows the world is
watching MotoAmerica closely,
with the series now under the
guidance of three-time World
Champion, Wayne Rainey. She's
become a team owner at what
might prove an opportune time,
as money slowly starts flowing
back into a championship that
had seen a dearth of it in recent
times.
"I've got to make a living at
this," Myers states matter-of-
factly. "I think money is starting
to come back that way. In 2007,
'08, riders were making really
good money. Base salary was
$30-$40K, and I'd have been
lucky if I made that in my best
year. There's certainly riders who
are winning races week-in-week-
out who are doing quite well, but
if I want to keep racing and make
money to live, no one's going to
give me that opportunity. I have
to make it for myself."
A large chunk of that is door
knocking for sponsors, some-
thing she's gotten rather good at.
"Well, we're in the middle of
the season and trying to find
sponsors for next season," she
says. "Right now my title spon-
sor has been McGraw Powers-
ports out of Northern California.
It was crazy how all that came
together and they're wanting to
extend for next year, which has
been wonderful, but in order to
expand, I need to bring in some
more money. I've got to continue
to look. So far I think it's been
going alright and I'm hopefully
going to have a better shot at
getting sponsors for next year
starting from July versus late
February this year when I signed
McGraw, when we didn't have
motorcycles a month before the
start of the season. Everything
was last minute last year, but it's
worked out quite well."
She's got an old head on
young shoulders, a quality that
In 2012 Myers' became the first
female to take a professional
motorsport win at the legendary
Daytona International Speedway with
her win in the Supersport class.
