Michelle Lavenia
My first track day experience began on April 19, 2013 during a Track Day Girl event. My husband had been riding track days for several years and kept trying to convince me that it would really benefit my street bike riding. Needless to say, I was intimidated by the speed, environment, and the fact that most of the riders were men. I didn't feel like I would fit in and didn't want to "be in the way" of more experienced riders. Luckily, we found Track Day Girl and Marika! Track Day Girl promised an environment that would give women a chance to learn how to be a more skilled rider. TDG gave women the opportunity to ride with other women in their own session without the egos that sometimes make you uncomfortable. That first event gave me the confidence to ride the track and gave me the itch for more!
Over the past few years, I have attended several track day events with different organizations. Most were just normal track day sessions with mixed groups of riders. But my most recent track day experience was a 2 day MotoExtravaganza in North Carolina with Ruts to Racelines. This event was a dedicated women's event that gave women an opportunity to get some great instruction in the dirt at NC bike with Greg Pamart, plus a full day of track riding! It was awesome to see so many women attend this event. Everyone was helpful and accommodating. The coaches were great and really took the time to give feedback and training. Because the environment was so comfortable, I had no problem when my 14 year old daughter asked to ride the track. She took the dirt class the day before and has some dirt experience, but had never been on a road course or a street bike. One of the coaches took her under her wing and brought her to the Novice classroom to learn the rules of the track. She rode a session following a coach and I have never been so proud. That never would have happened if not for Marika's vision of an all womens's event. The comfort level and safety that we felt gave us the confidence to let our daughter ride and now she can't wait to go back and do it again!
After all the track events I have participated in over the years, Marika's events are still the ones that have meant the most. They are fun, exciting, and help build a new level of confidence that you can't seem to get at other events with mixed groups of riders. The passion that Marika has for providing women a track day experience is shown in everything she does to make these events a success.