Ashley Fiolek won four US women’s motocross championships. Her record also includes runner-up in the 2010 season, showing a sustained contest for the overall crown rather than a single standout race.
Her first full professional season, in 2008, ended with a title. In January 2009, American Honda announced her arrival in its factory team. She became the first woman on that team and prepared to defend her championship aboard a CRF250R.
Deaf since birth, Fiolek learned to judge gear changes through the motorcycle’s vibrations. Feeling how the engine worked provided a cue that other riders could hear.
Riding remained part of her life beyond the professional championship. In August 2023, she wrote about qualifying for the Loretta Lynn amateur national championship on a stock 125 cc motorcycle. She was preparing to race there for the first time since 2006. Her father helped with transport and bike maintenance so she could concentrate on practice. It is a familiar side of racing: family support and the desire to keep riding sit behind the results.