Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/779724
VOL. 54 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 31, 2017 P83 then race the Team Splitlath EBR 1190 RS at a venue explod- ing with 70,000 people in the stands. It was broadcast live, I was racing against WorldSBK level racers, and I would be the first female ever to race a mo- torcycle in Zhuhai. Oh, and I'd never raced a Superbike before. Splitlath EBR owner, John Dimylow, and chief mechanic, Tony Pogue, made it clear to me that our main goal was to come out of the weekend with smiles on our faces. We were there to do well, and to gain exposure for our effort, but first and foremost, to have fun. The team immedi- ately felt like family to me. I was a little intimidated by the 1190cc EBR, but not over- whelmed. This rocket was wrapped in a battleship livery out of World War II called Dazzle Camo, and I set my mind to make the Splitlath EBR team proud of this little American girl on this huge superbike. One practice was all I had to get used to it—next would be qualifying. The session flew by and my head was in a whirlwind when I came off the track. In the back of my mind, though, I knew the bike was good. It wasn't as different as I'd expected it to be. The wheelies were fun and pre- dictable, and it flicked through corners impressively well. I wanted more. We worked hard to get the bike set up and get me going in the right direction. I was drop- ping seconds at a time, and word of the American girl on the American superbike was spread- ing quickly through the pits. When we gridded for the race, the organizers opened the pit gates for the VIPs and fans poured in with cameras aimed T E A M S P L I T L AT H I 've had some great experi- ences with some top line teams, but Splitlath EBR has been one of the best. We are hoping to work together again in 2017. The team understands me, and they think outside the box. They're engaging and get a kick out of ruffling feathers, but more impor- tantly, they are interested in how they can make me bet- ter, the sport better, and give back to the wider world. I've never had this level of support. They made it clear from the beginning we were out there to have fun and to come away from the weekend with a smile on our faces. Their idea is that we work best when we are happy. And boy, were they right! We got on the podium, we posted respect- able times in the super- bike class, and we made consistent improvements all the way to the very last lap of the last race—our last lap was our personal fastest. The team cares about my performance and they work hard to give me the equip- ment I need to go put "our little battleship" on the box. Tony Pogue, my chief me- chanic, constantly works to improve the bike and make it work better specifically for me (even in the blazing heat of Zhuhai). Splitlath brought in a guy named Truman who does music videos for Jennifer Lopez, to do videos for us, because they want edgy, they want outside the box thinking. They will be a game changer in motorsports. We are working on bring- ing more high-level sponsors on board for 2017 because our ambition is to take this project to the next level. Splitlath is used to traveling to Isle of Man, Macau, and other parts of the world, so we are looking at highlight races in every part of the world. I'm looking forward to being even more of a trail- blazer this coming season. One of our ambitions for 2017 is to be more active in sponsors' Corporate Social Responsibility Programs. Splitlath is looking to being a part of our big sponsor, Gefco's CSR program called Transaid to help train people in rural depressed parts of Africa, how to ride a motorcycle to access life- saving healthcare. I'm so proud to be a part of a team who thinks about their impact on every single level. Nobody does that. Let alone a motorcycle team. These guys are the future. They are what will make motorcycling known, and great, and relatable to everyone in the world.