Torrance, CA: American Honda is proud to officially announce that 2008 WMA Women's Motocross Champion Ashley Fiolek has joined the Honda Red Bull Racing factory team. Fiolek will join Honda Red Bull teammates Andrew Short, Ivan Tedesco, Davi Millsaps and Ben Townley, and will defend her WMA title in 2009 on Honda's CRF250R.
For 36 years Honda has led the way, winning 57 AMA Motocross and Supercross titles and more races than any other manufacturer. In addition, Fiolek's signing with Honda Red Bull Racing marks an historic milestone for the industry as the 18-year-old champion is the first female athlete in history to be signed with Honda's factory team.
After a successful amateur-racing career that saw her win 13 amateur national titles and more than 100 races, Fiolek made her full-season professional racing debut in 2008, winning the AMA/WMA Women's Motocross Championship in her first attempt and garnering unprecedented mainstream and enthusiast media coverage. The inspirational racer will represent the Honda Red Bull Racing team in the 2009 WMA Championship, X-Games 15 competition and other select events.
Honda Red Bull Racing Team Manager Erik Kehoe is pleased to have five talented riders on the factory team. "It is great to have all four riders back this year and I am really looking forward to welcoming Ashley to the team," said Kehoe. "Ashley's commitment to racing and her strength have earned her not only the respect of Honda but the entire industry. Her achievements have really helped elevate women's racing to a wider audience."
"Being able to race Motocross professionally on a full factory team at Honda is a dream come true for me," said Fiolek. "I have been excited beyond belief! I can't thank American Honda enough for providing me this opportunity and I look forward to working with Erik and the whole Honda Red Bull Racing team."
For more information on Ashley and the Honda Red Bull Racing team, go to www.hondaredriders.com or www.redbull.com. To meet Ashley in person as well as other members of the Honda Red Bull Racing team--Andrew Short, Ivan Tedesco and Davi Millsaps--stop by the Honda Red Bull team transporter at Anaheim 2 on January 17, 2009 and get an official Honda Red Bull Racing sticker as well as autographed rider posters.
About Ashley Fiolek
Born profoundly deaf, Ashley began riding and racing motorcycles at age seven and worked her way up the amateur Motocross ranks. In 2004, at the age of 13, she won her first national championship at the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn's. Between 2005 and 2007 she went on to win 12 more national championships. She has won more than 100 races in her career so far, including winning six races in the 2008 AMA/WMA Women's Motocross Championship to lock up her first professional title. For more information about Ashley, see: www.ashleyfiolek.com.