By Jim Kimball
Honda Red Bull Racing's Ashley Fiolek
They say that good things happen to good people, and Ashley Fiolek is a perfect example. It all began years ago, when Ashley, who is deaf, began riding a 50cc minicycle at 7-years old. With the help of her parents, she would soon start winning AMA Amateur Motocross Championships. Fiolek ultimately graduated to the top-level of female competition, racing in the Women's Motocross Association in her first full season last summer. Fiolek excelled, winning the prestigious championship in her first year. While '08 was stellar, '09 is starting off even better, however. Just prior to Anaheim II, the Honda Red Bull Racing Factory Team announced that they had signed Fiolek, now 18, for the 2009 season. AMASupercross.com caught up with Fiolek right after that announcement to get her thoughts on her recent success.
Q: Ashley, I’m not quite sure where to start, with you winning the WMA Championship this summer, or becoming a factory Honda rider. Why don’t you start with what is most exciting to you?
A: That’s really tough, Jim. Of course, I love to win and always want to win, so taking the Championship is exciting. But being part of Honda Red Bull Racing as a factory racer is huge. Really, they’re both very exciting. I’m thrilled about winning my championship and also about being part of the team.
Q: Going back to the championship, that must have been awesome to win it in your first attempt!
A: Yeah, for sure it was. You know, when the season started I knew I was ready, but I didn’t even think about actually winning the championship. I just wanted to be consistent. I knew it was going to be very difficult racing weekend after weekend, but after the first round, I knew I had the speed. Things kind of fell into place for me, and I ended up winning the championship. It definitely gave me a lot of confidence.
Q: It was quickly evident in the WMA series that you had the speed, but was there anything in racing with the pros that caught you off guard?
A: Well, as you said, I knew that I had the speed, but I think the biggest difference in the pros, or the biggest surprise to me, was their race pace and how fast they go throughout the entire race. The tracks get super rough, something a little different than what we see in a five-lap sprint in the amateurs. So I think it was the rough, rough tracks and stuff like that that were most different.
Q: You also had an arm or wrist injury during the summer, right?
A: Yeah, when I was training for the X Games, I hit a triple that I didn’t quite clear. My suspension kind of soaked up at the base of the triple, and I landed on the jump face, breaking my wrist. We just rehabbed it as quickly as we possibly could, and a couple weeks later I was back racing at Washougal. It hurt a little bit, but overall it was good.
Ashley Fiolek and WMA competitor Elizabeth Bash
Q: You’re very friendly and well liked by everybody, including your competitors. Still, was it awkward to come in as the new girl, and so quickly start beating the established pros, like defending champ Jessica Patterson?
A: Well, JP’s definitely a great champion. She’s won a lot of races and a lot of championships because she knows how to win, and she trains very hard. I have a good relationship with all the girls, but when we’re on the track, we’re racing. When I raced in Europe, me and Livia Lancelot (the 2008 Women’s World Motocross Champ) had even hit each other and gone down, but it’s really just about racing on the track. When we’re off the track, I’m friends with everybody. The other girls and I have a good relationship, and that’s the way I think it should be. 
Q: How was your racing experience in Europe?
A: It was an awesome experience. I hope that most of the girls here get to experience it sometime. The GPs were really nice to race, and competing in them helped me a lot, as far as being on all the different types of tracks. It’s an awesome experience to get me ready for here, and I’m going to go back over and do five rounds again this year.
Q: Switching to your recent signing with the Honda Red Bull Racing team, I know that you have had some Honda support for a while, but how huge is it to now be a factory rider?
A: Yeah, I’ve been riding for Honda for a long time, since 2004, and we have had a great relationship. This was the next step. Of course, it’s hard to believe still. To be a part of Honda Red Bull Racing is simply a dream come true for me. I tell you, this motorcycle is awesome. Really, it’s unbelievable.
Q: It’s now almost February. When do you start preparing for the WMA series?
A: I’ll start training hard here very soon, and start ramping up my program. Actually, at the end of March I will go to Europe probably for the first three World Motocross rounds before the WMA starts here. Then I’ll spend some time in Southern California getting ready for Glen Helen and all the WMA races.
Q: Obviously, you want to defend your championship, but what else do you want to accomplish in 2009? Is there a chance we will see you line up for a men’s AMA Pro Motocross?
A: That’s always my dream and my goal: to one day be strong enough to race with the men. I think I’m a couple years away, but I’m trying to get my speed up, and racing over in Europe also helps. Of course, in 2006 I qualified for Loretta Lynn’s with the boys and finished 11th. I wanted to show everybody that I had the speed then. It’s a good experience for me, and I think I’ll be ready in a couple years.
Q: Anything that you want to add?
A: I just want to say to all the girls out there that whatever you dream, you can make happen. If you’re willing to work for it, you can do it. I had a dream when I started on my first little 50 that I wanted to be the best in the world and ride for Factory Honda, and now here’s where I’m at. So it works!
The newest member of Honda Red Bull Racing