Melissa Paris, wife of 2007...
Melissa Paris, wife of 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes, rode a Honda CBR600RR to second place in the inaugural WERA West Women's Superstock race.
Wera Women's Superstock RacingJanuary 4th was more than the 2009 season opener for WERA West. It was the premiere of an all-new, all-female class: Women's Superstock. So, was the inaugural ladies' race the equivalent of Jackie Robinson striding out for the first time with the Brooklyn Dodgers? Maybe if you don't count that WERA had a 125cc GP Women's Class in the 1970s, or that women have been roadracing professionally in the Canada Women's Honda Pro Oils Cup and UEM Women's Road Racing in Europe for some time now. Despite all the pre-roll, the all-woman, eight-person wave in the 11th race of the day at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, sent bilious stereotypes swirling, sped by the magic of the Internet. All this fuss over the teensy question that WERA had the good sense not to ask the masses: "Should women have their own class?" News of the series for the knee-dragging subset of the fairer sex spread fast and furious through Facebook communiques and BBS posts.
Proponents of a female-only class say it's the best way to bring women into the sport. Sort of a hand-woven, scented, organic sisal welcome mat to the Roman Colosseum. One prospective female racer's sentiment (plucked from the Bay Area Riders Forum) was "Guys are more aggressive...girls would tend to be nicer and safer." Admittedly, there weren't any red flags during race 11, which can't be said for most of the races that day. The only problem with that logic is that the length of time we females spent racing only against ourselves was about the time you spent reading this sentence. Because two more mixed-gender waves were flagged off right behind us. It wasn't long before the battle of the sexes was joined once again.
Some say that if you're at the track for a pleasant stroll, you don't belong at the track-racing anyway. That guy who spent his inheritance on slicks and a bored-out engine is there to pummel your ego into a purplish, well ground-in carpet stain. On the other hand, you don't need to eat raw eggs every morning and sing the Rocky Theme Song to prove you're tough enough for the sport. And you won't know whether you'll like racing until you do it. If more women might try racing because of a women's series, why drown their enthusiasm?
 Author Kristi Martel tied...  Author Kristi Martel tied her hair in a ponytail and then won the Novice Women's class. When not writing stories or ad copy, she instructs at the California Superbike School. |  Star School instructor Angie...  Star School instructor Angie Loy put her Suzuki GSX-R600 in the winner's circle at Auto Club Speedway, turning lap times that would have been competitive with the boys. |  Elena Myers, 15, is poised...  Elena Myers, 15, is poised to show the world what a woman can do on a motorcycle. |
What about those who advocate the women's class based on the principle of our gender as a handicap? Do biological truths like lower testosterone levels and hard-wired self-preservation instincts make us less capable racers? This concept really steams me, so I'm gonna count backwards from 10 while you read on: If I suck, it has less to do with my ovaries than my opportunities. If you put a girl on a bike at a young age and teach her proper technique, she could do incredible things. Case in point: Elena Myers-5 feet, 3 inches and 115 pounds of womanly whoop-ass who was preparing to unleash herself on the Red Bull U.S. Rookies Cup until the U.S. series was cancelled. So you can take your biology, put it in your petri dish and smoke it.
By the way, former Motorcyclist Online Editor Angie Loy won the Expert Women's Superstock race, and had lap times that day in the 1:35s-about 2 seconds behind the top C Superstock Expert. Not too shabby by human standards, male or female. Melissa Paris was second, and Joy Higa third. In the long, venerable history of roadracing, it seems that women are just beginning to show what they can do, and I'm excited to see what we can bring to a sport that requires technique, precision and finesse.
But first, women have to come out to the track. Which brings me to the Novice Women's Superstock category: There was only one entry in the inaugural running, and she was me, which makes me the winner. Woo-hoo! What do you say, lady racers? The grid is waiting for you to deliver some stereotype-busting smack downs. Also, I need some egos to grind underfoot...