Aggressive jeans and a sensitive fender deserve some credit for professional motorcycle racer Valerie Thompson’s record-setting career.
In 2018, Thompson was racing on the BUB Seven Streamliner motorcycle team in a sanctioned event at Lake Gairdner, Australia. Here, she raced at speeds up to 328 MPH, making her fastest woman on two wheels. Ever. No woman has come close since.
“It didn’t hit me right away,” says Thompson, who doesn’t pay attention to the speedometer while racing, of that historic moment. “When I saw it on a piece of paper as proof, I was ecstatic. I did a happy dance outside of my motorcycle and shouted, ‘That’s history, baby!’”
But back to the jeans.
In 1999, in her native Tacoma, Washington, a man asked Thompson if he could take her on a ride on his bike. When she got there, he mentioned how her jeans scratched his fender and he suggested she get her own and took her to the local Harley-Davidson dealership.
“I knew nothing. Just two wheels, a throttle, a clutch, and go,” Thompson recalls with a chuckle.
It didn’t take long for Thompson to get the hang of it and fall in love with riding. No one in her family rode bikes, or even was a casual fan of racing, but she quickly made friends who did both.
It was a fun hobby for the former banker until she took it to the next level. Getting laid off after 13 years in the finance industry provided a jumpstart. She wasn’t sure what was next on her horizon but she knew it would be outdoors and not confined to a desk.
“I took my severance package, got on my motorcycle, and started going around to motorcycle rallies in different states,” Thompson says of the discovery of her new career. “I went for the gusto and created Valerie Thompson—a warrior out for myself!”
Her quest brought her to Scottsdale. She didn’t know a single person in the Valley, but soon settled into the motorcycle community. In a year, she developed fast speeds racing on city streets. That’s when a friend intervened.
“He told me I was out of control and I needed to take it to the track,” she says. “I was a bit out of control.”
Two months later, Thompson took her first rides on a legitimate racing tack. She never looked back. She was home.
“I knew I had to stop doing what I was doing. On a safer track you could really let your hair down,” she says.
And that she did. Over the years, she kept getting faster as this became a full-time career.
Then came her historical moment in that Streamliner. Her years of racing at this level taught her that the tough work involved everything except the swiftness of her vehicle. From the lengthy process just to get her into the motorcycle to every detail that requires her attention before and during the ride, eyeing the speedometer is the last thing on her mind. Nothing changed this time.
“The speed is the easy part. Everything else is the hard part,” she says. “When they close the canopy for the final adjustment and the engine comes to life, I get another burst of energy and quickly go into my ‘calming zone.’ I’m totally focused, when I take hold of the controls, I know I won’t let go until I slow down.”
Being a woman in a clearly male-dominated industry has its challenges. But Thompson has learned to navigate those well, with the assistance of her two-wheeled partner.
“As women, we are under a microscope. But the bike doesn’t know if you’re a woman or a man,” she says. “Being in a male-dominated industry has helped me develop my self-confidence, self-reliance, and taught me many things about who I am and who I have become. It’s definitely made me stronger, focused and the desire to repeat!”
Thompson’s quest to become the world’s fastest motorcycle racer is the subject of the upcoming film documentary, Rockets and Titans (Youtu.be/obtG4f3-c8k). It’s due to premiere next year, providing COVID-19 doesn’t spring any more surprises.
Thompson embraces being a role model to future generations of men and women who have aspirations both on and off the track that others may tell them are out of reach.
“When a girl or boy comes up to me and they want to know, ‘How can I be like you?’ I tell them, follow your dream and never accept no for an answer. You’re going to struggle. Work hard. You’ve got to keep doing it no matter how many times you get knocked down,” Thompson says. “I’m grateful to have that platform to be inspirational for other men or women.” ValerieThompsonRacing.com
8X Land Speed Record Holder
Featured in the book The History of Speed by Martin Roach—2020
Only female racer on “World’s Top 10 Fastest Motorcycle Riders” list—2019
“Top 100 Leaders in Powersports” by Dealernews—2019
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame Inductee—2018
Recipient of DLRA “Fastest Lady on the Lake Award” (328.467 mph)—2018
Beads of Courage Celebrity Ambassador
Inspired the song, Quarter Mile, by the rock band, CTS
American Woman Riders Association Community Hero Award
Her leathers and other racing gear are on display at the Hopkins BMW Motorcycle Museum in Highland, Maryland
Featured in award-winning documentary films Why We Ride and Mega Speed