Congrats, Ash!

This afternoon, with one moto let to be run in the WMA National Championship Series, my buddy Ashley Fiolek wrapped up the championship in her first professional season. “I’m soo pumped,” she texted me. “I am so relieved. I was so nervous. I can’t explain what this means to me.”

Last year, we composed a feature in the magazine version of TransWorld Motocross dubbed “Crystal Ball.” In it, we made several predictions about the 2008 season, and one of our insights was that there would be a new women’s champ, and her name would be Ashley Fiolek.

Ash and I have been good friends since we first met several years ago. She and her father Jim - who I also consider a very close friend - have stayed with my family while they are in California, and my wife Eileen even worked as Smashley’s personal trainer last off-season. My kids, Samantha and Megan, absolutely adore her, and they even tried to learn some sign language so that they could communicate with Ash.

Knowing what Ashley has gone through to win this title makes her feat even more impressive. Last month, while she prepared for X Games, Ashley crashed hard and broke her left wrist. As all racers do, she tried to keep it a secret, but the truth of the matter is that shit was snapped! I accompanied the Fioleks to Dr. Brad Baum’s office the day after her big crash, and the break was clear as day in the x ray. Jeff Brewer at AllSport Dynamics whipped together a wrist brace for her in short order and she was able to “salvage” seconds at Washougal and Southwick, riding in pain.

Today, Ashley holeshot the first moto at Steel City and led every lap en route to the win and what I am sure will be the first of many championships to come. Congrats, Kissy67, I knew you could do it!