Discovery Bay’s Elena Myers Becomes First Female to win AMA Pro Road Race

• Larry Lawrence

(News Release)

Elena Myers, the first woman to win an AMA Pro road race. (Nate Jacobson photo)

Elena Myers, the first woman to win an AMA Pro road race. (Nate Jacobson photo)

SONOMA, Calif. (May 15, 2010) — Elena Myers, a teenager from Discovery Bay, made history on Saturday at Infineon Raceway, becoming the first female in history to win an AMA Pro Road Race.

Myers, who came close to victory earlier this season in Fontana (fourth) and Daytona, Fla. (seventh), came away with the win in the SuperSport class in front of a roaring hometown crowd in the Sonoma Valley.

“I’m in another world right now,” Myers said minutes after the race. “I can’t believe it.”

Myers (Suzuki) started eighth on the grid of the scheduled 18-lap race and moved her way through the field. She passed race-leader Joey Pascarella (Vacaville) on lap 9. Pascarella lost control of his Ducati just long enough for Myers to pass on the inside entering Turn 7.

Pascarella crashed in Turn 10 on the same lap, bringing out the red flag. AMA officials declared the race final at that point, giving Myers the win. She was followed by top-qualifier Cameron Beaubier from Roseville (Yamaha) and Petaluma’s Tyler O’Hara (Yamaha). Pascarella wound up 18th.

“I’m just on another planet right now,” said Myers, who just attended her high school prom a few weeks ago and was competing in her first-ever professional race at Infineon Raceway. “The race went really good for me and some people made mistakes and I took advantage of it. It’s great to be at the top of the box. I don’t think it has quite sunk in yet.”

O’Hara understood the historical significance of Myers’ victory.

“I think it’s huge for the sport,” he said. “I think Elena just broke the barrier as a woman on a motorcycle at the top level. I’m proud of her, and happy and I like racing with her. … it’s going to bring a lot more fans and some more sponsors and make everything better.”

Myers will look to make it a sweep of the race weekend as the SuperSport class runs its second main event on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Infineon Raceway. There will also be feature races in National Guard American SuperBike and Daytona SportBike, presented by AMSOIL. Race tickets are available at the gate. Visit http://www.infineonraceway.com/ama for details.

(Editor’s Note: Sharon Friduss, of Gainesville, Fla., won a couple of Battle of the Twins Modified races in the mid-1980s, but at the time the AMA classified those races as amateur events even though the races ran on pro weekends.)

7 thoughts on “Discovery Bay’s Elena Myers Becomes First Female to win AMA Pro Road Race”

  2. Hate to be a nay sayer, but Sherry Friduss was the first. She won AMA Pro Twins at Daytona on a Moto Guzzi back in the 80’s. Now I think back then there were 4 pro twins classes, but I do believe they were all still considered “ama pro” and Sherry deserves the credit for what was a herculean effort on what at the time was obsolete technology.

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  4. Mike

    All the BOTT classes outside of Grand Prix were considered amateur at least through 1986. Do a search of the American Motorcyclist magazine via Google Books and you’ll see the name of the class was Battle of the Twins Amateur Modified.

    Now, an argument could be made that that is exactly what Supersport racing is today – a class for young up and coming riders. I have to admit I do not know if the DMG considers Supersport a pro class. Is there a purse? That would probably be the defining issue. Regardless Sherry Friduss did earn a major accomplishment that largely went unrecognized.

    Larry

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  5. Good point. Seems the periodicals of the day should take precedent. I’m sure it paid a purse, and current AMA web site info says Sherry was tied for 6th in the overall wins list for “BOTT Modified”. By the time I entered the class in 1989 it was called Pro Twins, and it did require a pro license (plain looking red plastic).

    Battle of the Twins Modified (1982-1989)
    Pos. Team Name, hometown Wins First Win Last Win
    –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
    1 David McClure, Danielsville, GA 12 6/17/1984 9/1/1985
    2 Joey Mills III, Algiers, LA 11 3/14/1982 10/2/1983
    3 Kevin Erion, Los Angeles, CA 8 3/6/1988 9/3/1989
    3 Peter Johnson, Hamlin, PA 8 3/6/1987 8/7/1988
    5 Winfried Hopp, Philadelphia, PA 3 6/20/1982 8/22/1982
    6 Gene Church, Turnersburg, NC 2 6/19/1983 7/17/1983
    6 Craig Shambaugh, Hummelstown, PA 2 6/26/1988 5/7/1989
    6 Madison Cox, Knosville, TN 2 3/21/1983 6/26/1983
    6 Sharon Friduss, Gainesville, GA 2 3/9/1984 6/23/1985
    6 Dennis Liebrecht, Ocala, FL 2 11/4/1984 10/20/1985

    from:

    Click to access superbike_mg_2008.pdf

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  7. Mike

    Thanks much. And like I mentioned, maybe now Sherry is finally getting some of the recognition she deserves for what she accomplished 25 years ago.

    Larry

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