Nineteen-year-old WMX racer Sara Price has been riding dirt bikes since she was 8 years old. Riding at a pro level is no easy feat, though. Major costs are involved and it can get expensive quicker than you can kick your bike over.
With a limited season and not much in the way of prize winnings to be had in the Women's MX series, Price discussed with us some ways she's looking to branch out and find other avenues to expand on her love for the sport, as well as her ability to give back to it.
ESPN.com: How was 2011 for you?
Price: My 2011 season was good when I wasn't on the ground. [Laughs] I trained very hard with Ryan Hughes and really felt the best I ever have on a bike. When I get faster I tend to go through a crashing stage before I get strong at the speed I've achieved. That made it tough this last season 'cause my speed picked up so much, so fast that I seemed to go through my crashing stage during the outdoor season instead of in training time. When I was on two wheels I rode strong and great and up front but ended up getting pretty banged up where my hard work didn't show in my results.
At Red Bud I had a very bad crash that caused me to sit out of the next two rounds and heal up to make it to X Games where I raced Super-X and Enduro-X. I ended up crashing in both events getting still a fourth in Super-X, and then in Enduro-X I crashed while in first and dislocated my shoulder. And after getting it popped back in off track, I hopped back on the track and finished the race. I never give up and never will. I ended up having to sit out the rest of the season with a full shoulder reconstruction that has been needed for a while now. Now six months later I'm 100 percent healed from that, feeling better then ever and back on the bike.
What are your plans, goals for 2012?
My plans for 2012 are to race X Games and thanks to MotoMingle.com I will be able to make it to and race the first and last rounds of the outdoors series, as of now. Continue to train hard with myself and Ryno and spend a lot of time on Supercross to get gold and hopefully come up with the funds to race not only the first and last rounds of the outdoor nationals, but all of them because as of right now I don't have the funds to make it to all the rounds. Also get into some different avenues to hopefully build women's motocross, 'cause as of now us women racers can't make a living racing.
Any sponsor changes?
As of now I'm not signed on a team even though I would like to start my own all-women team in the future. I'm currently on the Sara Price program that is based on my family and friends and fans and dear sponsors like: MotoMingle.com, Scott USA, One Industries, IMG Motorsports, Auto Styles, Renthal, DT1 Filters, Maxima Racing Oils, Alpinestar, Ferodo brakes. Thanks so much to you sponsors!
I'm still looking for more sponsors, and also out-of-the-industry sponsors, and would really love to hit the women's mainstream market. So anyone interested in me as an athlete or other future endeavors, I would love to talk to you.
I saw you are starting your own Sara Price Racing Academy?
Yes, I started a riding school in my downtime with surgery after X Games and it really took off.
Racers who have trained with me have benefited very much and have a great time. I train all ages and at all Southern California tracks and work on everything there is to know about riding a dirtbike to the training off the track.
I also held my first race with the academy and it was really great training for any riders looking to get the closest thing to a race predicament. Look for me around the tracks and check out the academy and [we] will be training racers all year even while I'm in racing season. Check it out at sarapriceracingacademy.com.
What does that mean to you to be able to give back like that?
It means more than anything to me 'cause I only know racing, it's all I've ever done my whole life. I've trained with many different trainers and have been to the very top of the MX racing industry with racing the best tracks and events in the world. I have a lot of knowledge to share and the biggest thing is I know how to talk to people and share it where they understand and can apply it. It makes me pumped to see some of my racers make their goals and even more and know that I helped them achieve that.
What inspired you to want to do that?
Well, I started training two little boys by the name of Revin and Talin Easley and only them for a long while just to help them out. The boys started getting really fast and people were asking what they have been doing, and their parents said training with me. Soon after Brian [Bates], with the first series I ever raced back in the day -- MotoXKids, got ahold of me and wanted to hold a Sara Price Invitational race. I thought about it and while talking with Revin and Talin's parents they said that there are so many families that want to train with me that I should start an academy and that can be what the winners receive for winning the invitational, is a free lesson with me. I did and Sara Price Racing Academy was made, and I'm loving it.
Do you have any interests in the sport off the bike as opposed to riding, teaching?
Yes, I do. I would love to get into commentating, and hosting as I'm a racer and would be a very cool twist to the motorsport world. Growing up I've always been told that when I get interviewed on the podium or anything I'm a very great talker and so that's [one of] my goals to also pursue a future in commentating and would love to be next to Jamie Little one day in the male-dominated world showing we are strong women that know a thing or two about racing.
Also I have racing in the blood so I'll race anything, and lately I took a real liking to offroad truck racing and would love to get in one of those things as well.
