Representing the USA
With the history of so many great American riders in World Championship motorcycle racing down the years it is an honour for anyone to represent the USA on the world stage. MotoAmerica graduate Mallory Dobbs does so with pride and her journey to the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship this year has been an unorthodox one, considering she did not begin riding motorcycles until she was in her twenties. The civil engineer from Olympia in Washington State is racing on European tracks for the first time this season at the age of 30 and her story is one of a thrilling ascent in racing.
Catching the motorcycle bug
Detailing her first encounters with motorcycles Dobbs comments, “I didn’t ride a motorcycle until I was 22. I was honestly terrified of the thought of riding motorcycles on the street for the longest time. I just remember my boyfriend at the time showing up to my house on a CBR600 with a spare helmet. I rode on the back of his bike for a couple of months before I decided that I would much rather have my own. My first bike was a 2007 Yamaha R6 that I bought in 2016. I remember the first couple of times I took it out I was too scared to take it out on the highway so I just cruised around town instead.”
A quick switch from road to racetrack
Dobbs may have started her love affair with motorbikes later than many other professional riders, but she has certainly made up for lost time since then. “I started racing at the amateur level six months after I started riding,” she explains. “In 2017 I bought a 2003 Yamaha R6 as my first race bike and raced with the Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association (WMRRA) and the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA). From 2017 to 2020 I would say I was a casual racer. I was racing for fun on the weekends with my friends. In 2018, I finished second overall in the Novice 600 class and throughout the years won various female championships.”
Stepping things up
Having enjoyed the amateur experience and proving to herself that she had the talent to take things up a notch, Dobbs then decided to test herself at a much higher level. “It wasn’t until 2021 that I decided to put some serious time and effort into my racing program. I started racing in southern California in the winter, where I met Jason Pridmore. I got coaching from him in preparation for my MotoAmerica debut. I bought a brand new ZX6R and finished third overall in all of the 600 race classes I raced in that year. In 2022, I did my first two professional events in Supersport with MotoAmerica at The Ridge Motorsports Park and Laguna Seca. These two rounds were pretty successful and I decided to do a full season of Supersport and Superhooligans in 2023. I finished the season seventh overall in Superhooligans with multiple top 10 finishes, as well as a handful of Supersport points.”
Arriving in WorldWCR
Having increased her level with consistent performances in MotoAmerica Dobbs takes her place on the inaugural WorldWCR in 2024, competing on European tracks at world championship level, with her only previous race experience being on home territory. In fact before this year Dobbs had not visited Europe, stating that prior to this season she had only left the USA twice in her life for vacations in Mexico. She states, “It’s really exciting to go to Europe and see the places, but also race on some iconic race tracks. Regarding the privilege and responsibility of representing the U.S. in WorldWCR”. She adds, “It is incredibly important to me because the racing isn’t just about me anymore. This is the first time in my life I have ever been a representative for my entire country and it definitely feels like a lot of pressure! There are a lot of really good riders in America, so to say that I am the one representing our country instead of all the other girls that I race with and I know are really good…It puts some weight on what I am doing and motivates me to do everything I can to make my home country proud.”
A welcome from her compatriots
Finding her way around the WorldSBK scene and quickly familiarising herself with the tracks visited by the WorldWCR series, Dobbs says she has been made to feel at home by the American contingent already firmly established in the paddock. She reveals, “Members of the other American teams have come and introduced themselves to me, because they know how hard it is, being the only American in the paddock. It’s super cool. Part of [Garrett] Gerloff’s team came over to me and said, ‘Welcome, we want you to know you can come hang out with us anytime, we want to make sure you are taken care of.’ I really appreciated that. I know what it’s like to be the new kid on the block. It’s a very nice community to be involved with and everybody has been so welcoming here.”
Meeting Rins at COTA
Dobbs singles out Alex Rins as her favourite professional rider and again a key factor is a welcoming approach and warmth he demonstrated when meeting her at the Circuit of the Americas, when the two stars crossed paths there. “We went to MotoGP™ at COTA and that was my first MotoGP™ experience,” Dobbs states. “You can pick a favourite rider based on their skill or who they present themselves as on social media, but when we went to MotoGP™ Rins was asking me a lot of questions about how the [MotoAmerica] championship worked, where I was staying, how things were going and if I was excited. He took a big interest in what I was doing as a racer. Racing is inherently a very selfish sport, so it was really cool to hear him asking questions and caring about what we are doing. It was very nice.”
Mallory answers our direct questions…
What motivated you to seriously pursue competitive riding? “I have always been a competitive person, but motorcycle racing was not my first interest. I grew up showing horses competitively at the world level. I got my first horse when I was 11 and I still have him. Motorcycle racing was something I started doing for fun and then realised I wanted to see how far I could go with it. I never would have imagined that I would be racing at the World level. Getting into racing was somewhat of a fluke for me. I started riding track days and met some really nice people that kind of just told me I should come out and try racing, and it didn’t take much to convince me!”
“Once I started racing, I really enjoyed the community and became addicted to the constant work to improve. When I started racing with MotoAmerica, I got to interact with and see so many more fans. And something that has truly inspired me to keep pushing to see how far I can go, is seeing the little girls that get so excited to see a female racer. Being able to be a role model for other kids and little girls in particular is something that I really enjoy while pursuing my passion. Being a female in the sport still has its challenges and I really hope that I can do my part to make it better for other women in the future.”
How did your friends, family, or relatives react when you mentioned your interest for racing? “My family doesn’t quite understand why I love to race so much, but they are my number one fans and support me through it all! I am an only child and it can be hard for my dad to watch me race in person but he is still really proud of me for chasing my dreams.”
What advice would you give to young girls who aspire to compete at the highest level in racing? “My advice is to find people who will always be supportive of you and surround yourself with them. This sport is hard and there will be times when you want to quit, it’s normal. But having the support around you will make it that much easier to keep pushing. Never give up on your dreams! As cliché as it sounds, your dreams may seem big and daunting, but keep working towards them and they will happen, I am living mine right now!”
What does it mean to you to be competing in the inaugural WorldWCR season? “It still feels like a dream! When I talk to people and get to tell them that I am racing in WorldSBK it still doesn’t quite feel real. I never would have thought that I would say that! It means so much to me to be a part of the inaugural season as the only American. This season is something that I won’t soon forget in my life.”
What do you do away from racing? “I am a full time civil engineer outside of racing. It is quite the challenge to juggle a full time job while trying to be the best athlete I can be as well. As a civil engineer trying to win projects, I talk to people, network and build relationships with them, so that they want to work with me as an engineer. It’s similar in motorsports, you want to meet people and work with people who will set you up for success. That’s the same in motorsports. Your team really matters. The people in your corner are a big part of how success works.”
What are your hobbies? “Outside of motorcycles, I still ride horses from time to time. I also do a handful of sports like bowling, golf, pickleball. But honestly, when I am not racing, it is sometimes nice just to sit at home and play some board games or watch movies. It’s been a while since I’ve had time to do that though! Recently most of my life revolves around motorcycle races. I race in Europe, travel, recover, go to work, do more track days and training at home, road cycling. Those are the sacrifices we have to make to be here. I went to the barn a couple of days ago and got to ride my horse for the first time in a couple of months and that was nice.”
