Out of the Blue | Ashley Card | Brought to You by Schrader’s

Out of the Blue | Ashley Card | Brought to You by Schrader’s

By Jensen Amyotte

Name: Ashley Card

Date of Birth: December 7th, 2009

Hometown: Sombra, Ontario

Grade or Occupation: Grade 11, part-time waitress

Race Number: #1

Bike: KTM Supermini 2022

Race Club: Thames Valley Riders, AMO, AMA

Classes: Supermini, Small Wheel A, Ladies A, Girls (9-16)

Who/what inspired you to get onto a dirt bike and how long have you been racing/riding?

When I was little, my dad bought my two brothers their own dirt bikes and I was really jealous that I had to watch them ride and I didn’t get to. Shortly after, my dad surprised me with my first KTM 50 and I’ve been in love with the sport ever since. That was 9 years ago and I’m still into it.

Who is your all-time favourite rider and why?  

My all-time favourite rider is Eli Tomac because he is a great rider who is continuing to prove himself even with him being one of the older guys against all the new young fast guys. He is also very humble and nice to the riders, and overall he is great to watch.

What is your favourite track and why?

My favorite track is Motopark, because it has some really fun ruts to hit and I can hit every jump there. It’s a really fast-paced track with lots of different kinds of jumps that are big and fun to hit.

What event do you look forward to most every year? What’s one you don’t ever want to miss?

I look forward to Motocup every year. I started going when I was little on my 50 and 65 and I had a lot of fun. We took a few years off, but we came back recently and they have been so much fun. I always have some great battles there. There are also so many fun events on top of the regular racing like a whip contest, a big meal for everyone and an awesome pit bike race that I’m a 2-time champ of.

Who has been your biggest inspiration/hero on and off the track? 

My biggest inspiration on and off the track would be my dad. He got me into the sport when I was 6 years old and ever since then he has supported me with everything I have ever needed to get to where I am now. He’s always pushed me to be my best with also giving me the space to let me figure it out on my own without any pressure. I believe that his support is the reason I am where I am today.

What are your plans for this upcoming season? Any specific events you’re looking forward to?

My plans are to qualify for Loretta Lynn’s next year. I tried to quality this year for the first time in the Girl’s class and I ended up one point and one position away out of 37 riders. I am looking forward to trying again next year’s area in the area qualifiers and regional championship.

What are your biggest accomplishments to date?

My biggest accomplishments were probably being one position away from qualifying for Lorretta Lynn’s due to a crash. I’m very proud of myself for even making it that far and to know that without my crash I would have made the American Grand National.

What is the biggest lesson that racing has taught you so far?

The biggest lesson so far that racing has taught me is to never give up, and to never let a bad race get to me. The race isn’t over until it’s over and anything could happen so you can never give up because you’ll never know how good you can be if you give up before you get there. If you crash you just have to get back up and keep pushing like nothing happened.

What kind of track/dirt/terrain do you feel you excel at most and why? 

I feel like I ride the best on a hard clay track with deep ruts. I think ruts are a lot of fun to lean over in the corners, and hard clay big jumps are really fun to hit and the more I enjoy a track the better I ride it.

If you ever have children will you give them the option to race as well? 

Yes, as soon as my kids are old enough to hold up a dirt bike I will offer up the option for them to ride.

If you could give 1 piece of advice to a female of any age who wants to start riding what would it be?

I would tell them not to be afraid to get in there and push all the boys around. It will improve your riding skills so much to ride with everyone and push yourself to battle more people. The less you are scared of the more you can accomplish in this sport.