Article and photos by Rodney Rutherford
 Women’s racing has come a long ways since the first Women holder of an AMA Pro license Kerry Klied, had her license confiscated by the AMA in 1971. The rules at the time did not allow Women to hold a Pro card. She successfully sued in New York Federal courts and was given back her card. Dorene Payne knocked the barrier down to the men’s AMA Pro National main, making the cut at a Colorado track, Castle Rock MX in 1983. The Women marched on, and now we have the 2006 Hitachi AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship presented by Kawasaki.
Women’s Motocross Association (WMA) President Miki Keller leads the way into the 2006 Hitachi AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship presented by Kawasaki, this Pro class is arguably the fastest field of Women racers ever assembled for an extended series. The torrent of aggressiveness is obvious, racers laying their bikes low into corners with leg fully extended, touching the handle bar end into the knobbied tilled dirt, the growl of the bike reaches a crescendo up righting itself out of the corner, a small jump is hit and the rider jerks it hard in order to stay low, scrubbing speed preparing for the next turn. These are the women racers of today, ferocious, tenacious, competitive, and hammering tracks with the will of the warriors that they are. Let’s meet some of these slashers of the moto sword.
 Honda of Houston’s Jessica Patterson is the reining queen of the WMA, winning the 2005 and 2004 WMA Pro Championship, along with 2000 WML crown giving her three National Pro titles, and numerous Major Amateur National titles setting her place along some of the most highly accomplished Women racers in MX history. Patterson has set the precedence that she can arise to compete with anybody in the Women Pro gates, and is fit and ready to traverse her way to the box top for 2006. She had this to say about the oncoming season, “I am healthy and ready for the new season. I have been training really hard and keeping motivated for all the new competition. I know there are going to be a lot of new fast up-n-comers but I think I am ready for it and ready for an exciting year. I think we have a great season of races and I also have good support behind me to help me win. Like always I am ready and will rise to any occasion.”
Yamaha/Richardson's RV racer Sarah Whitmore was second in points to Patterson in the 2005 WMA points. The four time Loretta Lynn’s champion was an extremely strong finisher in 2005, getting three seconds and one third in the first four rounds. After winning the first moto at the fifth and final round, she took a hard fall unfortunately ending a great run at the series title. Probably one of the best well known WMA racers, her work is cut out for her this year with the growing corp of fast racers. The 2001 Women’s National champion, Team Green’s Kawasaki racer Tania Satchwell is one tough senorita. The seven time New Zealand National champion, finished out of the top ten the first two 2005 rounds, she dug in, getting a third and a second in the last two rounds to lock up her fourth series point podium in four years. Satchwell can never be counted out, look for her to pull an ace out of her sleeve for 2006 as she has been hitting her training schedule harder than ever.
 FMF/Thor/Yamaha’s Alisa Nix is the hottest racer to becoming into the 2006 series. Nix is fresh off two major titles, at Lake Whitney in Texas, in the Women’s Pro A Sport she went 1-2 for the title. In the GNC International at Oak Hill MX in Texas, she captured the Women’s Pro 99cc and up. Nix is a former quad racer who was on her way up in that discipline before she focused solely on two wheels. Finishing fourth in 2005 points, she finished out of the top five overall only once and was third in the last round. This racer has the gloves on and is ready to rumble. Richardson's RV, Yamaha Motor Corporation’s Tarah Geiger won two of the first three rounds and was shaping up to be a serious contender for the title, but was injured in moto two of round four, resulting with a fractured skull and a chipped vertebrae, she still had enough points to finish fifth for the series despite sitting out the fifth round. Geiger had a stellar year in 2004 finishing second in the WMA points, first at Loretta Lynn’s and the WMA Pro Cup. Geiger was reported to be back on the bike in February and will be ready to make a charge at the crown for 2006.
MSR racer Sheena Patterson finished third Nationally in 2001, and had four top ten finishes in 2005 with a third in round four. Team Green Kawasaki’s Elizabeth Bash was a fourth place finisher in 2004, and is healthy and ready to go. A strong starter and gritty competitor this could be Bash’s year. Girly Z Clothing Aubriana Dunn had two top ten finishes in round three and four for a seventh in the series and is always an exciting racer to watch with her air show. She also qualified in an AMA 4-Stroke National Premier class in 2005, being the first Women to do so. Scott USA’s Jessica Gebhardt had three top ten finishes with her best being a fourth in round five at Steel City, she was eighth in points for 2006.
Zip Ty racings Sherri Cruse has been on a tear of late in the 2006 WORCS series, winning two of three rounds, and placing a very respectable nineteenth overall out of one hundred and forty two finishers at round three in Lake Havasu, Arizona. The legendary Stefy Bau has unfortunately suffered a debilitating injury ending her storied career. She was a seven time Italian National Champion, had numerous major titles, and started a four year AMA National Women’s podium run in 1999 with the Women’s Pro title, third place Women’s National Pro in 2000, second place National Women’s Pro in 2001, and ended that run on triumphant note with her second National Women’s National title in 2002. Stefy will be missed, but look her for rooting the other girls on for years to come. Vanessa Florentino came through with two Amateur titles at the 2005 WMA Cup, turned Pro the next day and was third in the Women’s Pro, she podiumed in her first Pro race, that is not very common and shows the depth of the 2006 field.
 Sick Racing’s Lindsey Jelitto sideswiped the elite when she won the debut Women’s Pro class at the US Open of Supercross/World Arenacross Finals. Jelitto has been a force with signs of brillance in the past, but she is now ready to start cashing in on those dividends of experience. The athletic Alison Jones has put up some impressive racing recently winning the Adelanto Grand Prix, and had an impressive win against rookie Pro Katie McGuire. Jones is hungry and it is obvious in her confidence and bring it on attitude, she is very appreciative of all those who have helped her, and when asked for a quote she unselfishly responded, “I really just want to thank the people who have helped me along the way O'Neal MX, One West Clothing, Blazin Gearz, Chaparral, Dynamite suspension, and specially my boyfriend Shawn.” American Honda’s Jacqueline Ross was second in the 2005 FIM Women’s Amateur Cup in Japan, and owns several National Amateur titles, look for her to be factor for the box when she gates. Zeal Racing’s Katie McGuire has been one of the dominant Women racers in the Southern California racing series the past year and a half, placing second to Florentino in both amateur races at the WMA Cup, then turning Pro the next day and placing ninth overall. McGuire is yet another powerful ingredient to the WMA 2006 field. American Suzuki’s Leah Cantrell has two Mini Olympics Women A titles in 2004 and 2005 respectively, was a runner up at 2005 Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championships along with many podium finishes at major events. One of Cantrell’s major highlights was winning the 2002 40th Motocross Grand Prix of Japan Women's race. A proven gamer Cantrell, the two time Mini Olympics Women “A” Champion is another speedy player to the tremendous field. Jessye Davis had recently put up some good number in 2006, along with some top finishes. Let’s one more racer, Sick Racing’s Kaide Garrett is the jester of the gate placing tenth in points in 2005, and always a factor in the top ten.
On the International front, German phenomenon Steffi Laier won every moto in the WMA 2003 season, dominating the series, she has since raced select races in the United State and was the 2005 FIM Women’s World Champion. Bridgestone Tires racer Larissa Pappenmeir is only sixteen years old, but was the 2005 German Amateur Women’s Champion, and fourth at the 2005 WMA Cup. Another racer in the strong German contingent is Kawasaki Team Green’s Alex Haupt who finished 3rd in the 2003 Women’s Pro Championship. Two-time Junior French Women’s Champion Yamaha racer Livia Lancelot, proved herself in 2005 WMA Pro National action. She was seventh in round one, but labeled her potential with a second in moto one at Hangtown, finalizing the day with a third overall. Lancelot was also third in the 2005 FIM Women's MX World Cup. Belgian racer Elien DeWinter was seventh at the 2005 WMA Cup and is another in a long line of power house racers from Belgium. It is likely that these women will race only the WMA Cup in November, as they chase their dreams in Europe at the two rounds of the FIM Women’s World Cup. However, their participation at the WMA Cup makes the Cup the “unofficial” women’s motocross global championship.
Yamaha racer Livia Lancelot is a two time Junior French Women’s Champion, in 2005 WMA Pro action she was seventh in round one, but labeled her potential with second in moto one at Hangtown, finalizing the day with a third overall, this racer knows how to win. Lancelot was also third in the 2005 FIM Women's MX World Cup. Belgian racer Elien DeWinter was seventh at the 2005 WMA Cup and is another in a long line of power house racers from Belgium. The men Pro racers like to refer to numbers like 649 as a zip code, well this zip code is coming to a podium near you.
New Zealand racer and number 649 Katherine Prumm is re-known in New Zealand and Australia. Prumm was second in the 2005 FIM Women's MX World Cup, 2005 Senior Women’s Australian MX Cup Champion, The Oceania Women’s Champion, and her speed just continues to get faster. At the New Zealand 125 National MX GP, Woodville, she placed eighteenth out of eighty racers. Prumm is a proven winner and is bring her winning ways to the U.S. of A.. Prumm is scheduled to race the first two rounds.
To find other racers and keep track of the series throughout the season please go to www.womensmotocrossassociation.com . For more information on Women’s motocross history please go to www.womensmxhistory.com .
Women’s Motocross Association would like to gratefully thank all the 2006 Sponsors, Hitachi, Kawasaki, Z1R Helmets, Sick Racing, Honda, Scott USA, VP Fuels, Suzuki, Dunlop Tires, Alpinestar, and Thor and Northgate Auto in Bend, Oregon.
2006 Hitachi AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship presented by Kawasaki Series Schedule
Rd 1: May 13, 2006
Glen Helen Raceway, San Bernardino, CA
WMA Pro Racing and 6 WMA Amateur Classes - all race on Saturday
Rd 2: May 19 - 20, 2006
Hangtown MX National, Sacramento, CA
WMA Pro race on Saturday
WMA Women’s B and C race on Friday, May 19
Rd 3: July 22, 2006
Thunder Valley MX National, Lakewood, CO
WMA Pro race on Saturday
No Amateur Racing
Rd 4: July 27 - 29, 2006
Washougal MX National, Washougal, WA
WMA Pro race on Saturday
3 Women’s Amateur Classes – Mini, B, and C run Thursday and Friday
Rd 5: August – 18 - 19, 2006
Broome Tioga, Binghamton, NY
WMA Pro race on Saturday
Women’s Amateur Class – Friday or Saturday (TBA)
Rd 6: Sept 1 - 2, 2006
Steel City Raceway National, Delmont, PA
WMA Pro race on Saturday
Women’s Amateur Class – Friday
2005 Top 20 WMA Series Overall
1. Jessica Patterson
2. Sarah Whitmore
3. Tania Satchwell
4. Alisa Nix
5. Tarah Geiger
6. Sheena Patterson
7. Aubriana Dunn
8. Jessia Gebhardt
9. Stefy Bau
10. Kaide Garrett
11. Elizabeth Bash
12. Sherri Cruse
13. Ashley Boham
14. Alison Jones
15. Livia Lancelot
16. Jolene Van Vugt
17. Jessica Foster
18. Malerie Prochnavy
19. Kirsten Raemisch
20. Alex Haupt
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