Vans MX Team rider Ashley Fiolek, the 2009 X Games Women's Moto-X Gold Medalist and 2008 AMA Women's Motocross Champion put in a courageous ride to clinch the 2009 WMX Championship on Saturday, Sept.5th at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, PA. Less than a day after throwing out the first pitch at a Pittsburgh Pirates home game at PNC Park, Fiolek lined up against the best women motocross racers in the country for the finale of the AMA Women's Motocross Championship.
Going into this race with a 41-point lead in the Championship standings, the 18-year-old deaf athlete needed to finish eleventh or better in the first moto to wrap up the 2009 title. After qualifying fastest, Fiolek got off the line in sixth but quickly worked her way into second as her Championship rival, Honda-mounted Jessica Patterson, held a strong lead. Ashley settled into a comfortable pace to ride for the Championship points, but that all changed when she cross-rutted on the back side of a large tabletop jump.
Fiolek took a hard hit as her Honda CRF250R tumbled end-over-end in the dramatic crash. The Honda was still running on the ground as Fiolek ran to the downed motorcycle, but upon picking it up, she felt a sharp pain in her collarbone. She remounted and continued on, not knowing that her collarbone was broken.
"When I crashed, I knew I had to get back up and keep going," commented the bandaged Fiolek after the race. "I was in a lot of pain, but I couldn't let my team or fans down."
Fiolek slowly worked back up to speed and was soon clearing all the big jumps, despite her broken collarbone. She finished seventh in the moto, which gave her enough points to secure the 2009 Women's Motocross Championship.
"My team and I worked so hard this year, and I am thrilled to win the Championship," said Fiolek after the race. "I have to thank Honda Red Bull Racing for their incredible support throughout this season."
Fiolek now travels home to Florida where Dr. Steve Augustine of the Asterisk Mobile Medical Center will perform surgery on the collarbone in Jacksonville on Wednesday, September 9.
