Women continue to make headway in professional motorcycle race series worldwide. Top-class riders like Maria Herrera, Ana Carrasco, and Laia Sanz have blazed trails in recent years, but NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racer Angelle Sampey has been taking it to the boys for decades.
The three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion has the hardware to prove it, and she isn’t slowing down any time soon. At least, that’s what Sampey’s performance at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals suggests. Held in Norwalk, Ohio, on June 24-27, 2022, the sixth round of the season marked a critical juncture in the championship chase.
After qualifying second, Sampey dominated the first heats, taking wins over Ron Tornow, Jerry Savoie, and defending champion Matt Smith. In Sampey’s 80th final-round appearance, she faced Joey Gladstone in a Suzuki Hayabusa shootout. Number 02 easily walked away from Gladstone, though, with Sampey setting a 6.861-second/197.13-mph run against Gladstone’s 6.928-second/194.60-mph dash.
“I’ve got to give the team all the credit because Andrew (Hines) and all the guys, they always do what they need to do to give me a great motorcycle,” revealed Sampey. “When he set that axle and the wheelie bar in the third round, it went down the track like it was on a rail and it gave me all the confidence I needed for the final.
“It was a long, mentally tough day. I did a lot of digging real deep into my soul and my mind, reminding myself of what I’m capable of and trying to remember who I used to be when I first started racing.”
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals victory marks Sampey’s 46th career win. With that total, she only trails Andrew Hines (56 wins) and Eddie Krawiec (49 wins) in the all-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle wins record. Sampey hopes to continue her winning ways, but she knows just how much confidence has played a role throughout her illustrious career.
“I was young. I was fearless. I didn’t think anybody could beat me, and that was the mental toughness that I needed,” Sampey admitted. “This weekend was the start of my journey back to finding that person I used to be when I believed in myself as much as I believed in my team and my equipment.”
After eight rounds, the Vance & Hines/Mission Suzuki rider sits at fourth in the 2022 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle standings. Trailing 185 points behind championship leader Matt Smith, Sampey hopes to narrow the gap and add to her record-breaking legacy in the last two rounds of the season.
