Podcast #3 – The Fastest Female Motorcycle Racer in the World, Valerie Thompson

Doug Dvorak (00:01.294)
Hello Mission Possible Podcast Community. I’m your host Doug Dvorak and I’m so excited to bring you inspiring stories from incredible guests. These individuals are on a, I’m tongue tied today.

Valerie Thompson (00:19.246)
Good, because I probably will be too.

Doug Dvorak (00:21.994)
Hello Mission Podcast community, I’m your host Doug Dvorak and I’m very excited to bring you inspiring stories from incredible guests. These individuals are on a mission to create remarkable possibilities that not only enhance their own lives but also make a lasting impact on the communities around them. Stay tuned for some truly amazing conversations. My guest today is Valerie Thompson. Hi Valerie, how are you?

Valerie Thompson (00:50.348)
I’m good, thank you.

Doug Dvorak (00:51.86)
Good to see you. You’re in sunny Phoenix, and I’m in cold, snowy Idaho. What’s wrong with this picture?

Valerie Thompson (00:58.58)
So sorry. it’s cold.

Doug Dvorak (01:03.657)
So, you know, they say seven degrees of separation. I was at a pickleball tournament, the Hudson World Games, about three years ago, and I saw Valerie playing mixed doubles, and she just plays an incredible game. Not only is she the fastest female motorcycle racer in the world, she’s a very accomplished pickleball champion.

by virtue of her commitment to excellence and look at all those medals in the background. But I went over and I saw her backpack and it said Valerie Thompson Racing and I said, hi I’m Doug, what’s your name? She said, hi I’m Valerie, what is Valerie Thompson Racing? And then the relationship ensued. So she is now my mixed doubles partner. We’ve won several tournaments. Most recently we took third at the USSP Nationals in Phoenix but

Valerie Thompson (01:28.417)
you

Doug Dvorak (01:56.394)
Valerie is the fastest female motorcycle racer in the world. She holds 10 land speed records and boasts membership of eight 200 mile an hour clubs, one 300 mile an hour club, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame. She’s the only woman in the world’s fastest motorcycle racer rankings. She’s become the world’s fastest female motorcycle racer in 2018 at, what is it, Lake?

Gardner in South Australia with a top speed of 328 miles per hour in piloting Dennis Manning’s designed Bub 7 Streamliner. And you’ve always had a thrill for speed, a need for speed. You grew up in Tacoma and as you self-acknowledge a shy, socially awkward girl and then at 10 your mom Carol passed away which was very difficult for you. But somehow you dug deep within yourself and found respite

Valerie Thompson (02:25.998)
Yes.

Valerie Thompson (02:45.58)
Yeah.

Doug Dvorak (02:55.08)
with playing sports with boys in the neighborhood. Your confidence grew and sort of scaled in high school. You became a cheerleader. You discovered the gym. You worked at Burger King, BMW before joining a local bank and having a career in banking. But then at age 38, you found yourself in need of a new direction. And would you walk us through that walk into a local Harley-Davidson showroom?

Valerie Thompson (03:16.994)
Hahaha

Doug Dvorak (03:24.979)
purchasing a new motorcycle with no license unpack that for us

Valerie Thompson (03:30.366)
So it was a friend that had invited me to go for a ride on the back of his motorcycle and he said, oh, you your jeans will scratch my fender, but I can take you down to the local Harley Davidson dealership in Bellevue, Washington and you can, you know, ride your own and you could, you could buy a bike. And I said, well, how many women these, those days, which is in 1999 ride motorcycles. And he says, well, you know, there’s a good handful. And so I said, okay, well, you know,

I’m always different, I like to do different things. So I went down there with them and I said…

I was quite intimidated first and foremost because all the motorcycles are so big and they’re heavy and you know Yes, I was a workout, you know a holic I worked out in the gym all the time So my confidence for you know, my muscles and you know picking up a motorcycle was right there. However You know when you’re picking up a 650 pound motorcycle and not being able to take it off the kickstand you’re like, okay Well, what’s a smaller one? Well with me, I’m like go bigger go home however riding on two wheels with a clutch and you know never riding a motorcycle by myself ever it was quite an adjustment and you know just to back up it was quite intimidating however I chose a motorcycle and three months later I ended up selling it because it wasn’t big enough fast enough and heavy enough

Doug Dvorak (04:57.162)
that’s incredible but in March 2018 while you were chasing the world’s fastest motor motorcycle title you were back in South Australia on Lake Gardner and you crashed you were going approximately 343 miles an hour I’m sorry 363

Valerie Thompson (05:11.714)
Yeah, 363 miles per hour. I know the internet says 343, but it was, you we figured that it was afterwards. later then discovered that the computer data and whatnot has had around 363. So we’re sticking with that number.

Doug Dvorak (05:28.657)
So you crashed at 363. Most professional drivers would have said, that’s it. You walked away relatively unscathed. But tell us, what was your mindset to get back on the bike and back into the arena to still pursue your life’s passion and goals?

Valerie Thompson (05:46.882)
Well, you know, when you have the front row seat to history, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. And my once in a lifetime opportunity was right there to be with the team, to be the fastest team, to be the fastest motorcycle racer period. wasn’t, it’s not racing is not in our world of land speed racing. It’s not all about, you know, a male record or a female record. It is, you know, one record.

and that’s the one, you know, the world’s fastest motorcycle title, which we were trying to achieve on that day, but unfortunately we ended up upside down, right side up and skid for about a mile. But the reason why I wanted to pick up the pieces on that is because, know, when you’re…

at the highest level that you are at and you just don’t want to give up. It’s all about persevering through the difficult and the most challenging times even though the motorcycle was quite damaged. mean, it was not repairable. However, there was so much to repair, so much to use to put into the new motorcycle that they recreated. So that was the good part about it. But…

You like, you you just don’t want to give up on your team. You don’t want to give up on yourself and you just want, you know, we’re men. These are, we’re unique people. were unique in, in what everything that you do in this world, whether it be a banking job or be, be, you know, you work in pickleball.

you do whatever, know, or become a doctor. Every career is so unique and so is racing. And it really takes a special breed of us that want to go fast. And when they built the motorcycle, they built it for speed and safety. So the the great the greatness of their work that they did for preparing a motorcycle to go this fast is, you know, it’s it’s an achievement all in itself. So.

Doug Dvorak (07:46.057)
Excellent. Valerie, you’re known as the queen of speed. Can you share with our listeners what that title means to you and how you came to earn it?

Valerie Thompson (07:54.114)
Well, how I became to earn it was I was sponsored with BMW Motorrad and I had raced five land speed records on my BMW S1000RR and BMW had reached out to me to see if I would go to Germany and sign autographs and be with the BMW.

community they had this event once a year every year it’s called BMW motorod days and They called me the America’s America’s queen of speed so they gave me the title because I’m coming from America and I’m going to Germany and so it just kind of stuck my marketing

Eric Stutor had said you really need to start using this and you really need to start you know putting this into your your title and so it just really stuck.

Doug Dvorak (08:51.292)
Interesting, cool story. You’ve broken multiple land speed records, which is a huge achievement in and of itself. What was it like the first time you hit a new record?

Valerie Thompson (09:00.93)
Well, my very first record was like, gosh, I want to go faster. my gosh, I need to go, I need many more. so the feeling of setting a land speed record was like, I mean, I really didn’t know what it really was going to do to me, like as far as my career, because I had been drag racing on the All Harley Drag Racing Association. So I was doing the quarter mile drag racing and then,

In the meantime, I was doing the land speed racing. So they’re completely two different tracks. you know, just setting a first land speed record with a brand new team and, you know, a motorcycle that only went 143 miles per hour as a record. You know, they take the average of the mile. You know, was like you just the desire to go faster and go and go big.

right there so that’s kind of what said that I need to continue the journey and make this a nice new career.

Doug Dvorak (10:01.993)
Was there a particular moment in your career where you realized that speed racing was your true calling?

Valerie Thompson (10:08.84)
you know in the beginning racing was a hobby so it you know 20 years later fast forward it become my professional in my professional life you know so you know I told myself in the first you know few years that you know I I just told myself that you know this is going to be me this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life and I you know it’s like when you put your helmet on

Every single time I put my helmet on, I said to myself, I can be whoever I want to be. And right now I’m going to be the fastest that I can with me and my motorcycle. We’re going to be one together. We’re going to feel the heartbeat. My heartbeat and the race bike and the racetrack, we’re all going to be in harmony.

Doug Dvorak (10:57.098)
Excellent. As a woman in a male-dominated sport, did you face unique challenges when you first started and how did you overcome them?

Valerie Thompson (11:05.666)
Well, what helped me overcome the obstacles of being in a male dominant industry, the passion for the sports. And it helped me build up my confidence through the consistency of the practice, the preparation. And over time, earning the respect through perseverance and performance really helped.

Overcoming those obstacles and the biggest thing was surrounding myself with the right people the right team the right sponsorship and having a solid foundation You know, I went into racing not knowing what I was doing. I was racing down Scottsdale Road on my Harley Davidson fat boy and you know friend of mine said hey Valerie you’re out of control take it to the racetrack and

That was the, that was a new animal inside of me. I knew I had it in me, but I never thought I could ever, you know, go and make this a professional way of life, new career.

Doug Dvorak (12:09.993)
What goes through your mind before a race, especially when you’re going at speeds over 300 miles an hour?

Valerie Thompson (12:16.066)
Well, everything that, you know, when you’re in there, on your motorcycle or inside the cockpit, and you’re in race mode, everything slows down. I don’t think about how fast I’m going because that’s the easy part. What matters is their precision because there’s no room to wiggle and every opportunity…

to execute perfectly and etch my name into the motorsports history is, you know, that was my hope and my desire. you know, fast forward, you know, I got a nice little 328 miles per hour, .467 miles per hour under my belt.

Doug Dvorak (12:56.927)
You’ve been part of some incredibly high stakes high-speed moments. Can you take us through your most intense or memorable race?

Valerie Thompson (13:04.898)
Well, the most intense and most memorable would be the last run that I made in the Bug 7 Streamliner. And when I felt like I was on a good run, the bike was smooth, the track was so smooth, it was like, boy, this is going to be it. Well, it was an boy, it was going to come to Jesus moment. But it was truly my most memorable run.

Doug Dvorak (13:27.016)
You

Valerie Thompson (13:33.874)
get out of the cockpit after all the paramedics and everybody was there and I first thing I wanted to do is look at the motorcycle make sure it was okay so we can get back ready to go back on it again.

Doug Dvorak (13:48.937)
That’s great. You know, the psychological aspect of speed racing is fascinating to me. How do you stay calm and focused in the face of such extreme pressure?

Valerie Thompson (13:58.694)
you know, be yourself, you know, you got to take those moments alone. You got to like, you know, find out, you got to find yourself what works for you. Not everything works. Like the music for me and listening to my music in my eye, in my ear, you know, it’s, that’s what I enjoy before I go on a run. And it gives me all pumped up. If I could race with music inside the cockpit, I could be.

I mean, I could have been the world’s fastest a long time ago. Because that music is so motivating and it helps me, relaxes me. You my crew, when I get into the cockpit and they’re strapping me in and they’re pulling at me and they’re tugging at me and they’re pulling the straps tighter and tighter. And then when I get to the starting line, the steward, as he pulls and tugs on me again, and it’s like, that’s exhausting because it’s, you’re getting pulled and you’re.

lifting up and you can’t move, it’s just, it’s a very small little, like there’s no room in there. But once they close the canopy and my hands go onto that steering wheel or on the handle grips, I will tell you is like, this is the last time I’m gonna remove, I’m never gonna remove my hands until I become into a stop position. And so, you know, just knowing that I’m not going to,

you know, take my hands off the steering wheel, until I stop. That is where I just become relaxed.

Doug Dvorak (15:31.721)
You know, Valerie, you’ve set world records on motorcycles, but you’ve also had challenges along the way. Can you tell us about a time when things didn’t go according to plan and how you recovered from it?

Valerie Thompson (15:42.658)
Well, the biggest challenge that I had was it has always been sponsorship. When you’re out there and you’re racing and the only thing that’s going to get you from point A to point B is the racing funds. being in the industry for that’s what you depend on, that’s

is probably the most challenging aspect of all of that. But when somebody believes in you and they take you under their wing and they donate and they help you, it just makes, everything else goes out the window. Because now you can do what they’re designed to do and that is to represent your sponsorship and go as fast as you can and have your team there with you cheering you on.

Doug Dvorak (16:32.531)
You know, in high speed motorcycle racing, technology plays a big role. How has the evolution of technology, whether it’s in the bike or the gear you use, influenced your performance over the years?

Valerie Thompson (16:44.473)
Well, every year everything gets more advanced, more technology is out there. And our race team had been nice and old school, so we were always back to the basics of a lot of things. But I’m not with that race team anymore. so I know that the technology, it’s out there, it’s ready for them to go faster and fast.

But I mean, it’s a huge help. But going back to the basics on everything in racing kind of is, it’s always, it’s just, it is what it is.

Doug Dvorak (17:25.353)
Excellent. Can you talk about the role of teamwork in your racing and how important are your support crew in helping you achieve your success?

Valerie Thompson (17:32.92)
Yeah. Well, without them, they make me look good out on the racetrack. They can’t see me, but they make me look good because the team is the biggest. We’re a family. We are out there. We’re doing this together. We put our hard work, sweat, tears into it. And without them, I wouldn’t be where

amazing team with the bub7 team and you know we just we all jelled till this day I still talk to all of not all of them but a majority part of them I talked to and I still get Christmas card thank you Jim Mosier he’s one of the true members and you know when I’m done at the at the end of the my run and they’re there you know and you get to cheer them on they don’t know how fast they went because they they couldn’t hear you know

Doug Dvorak (18:15.271)
Valerie Ha- Izzy.

Valerie Thompson (18:27.438)
A lot of times they didn’t hear how fast I went. So it was always a challenge. It was like, how fast did I go? How fast? You know? And they’re like, we don’t know. But then it’s like, that goes out the door because who cares? All I know is I stopped safe, here is my crew, and now they’re doing their work with the race bike. And it was always so nice to see them at the end of the finish line.

Doug Dvorak (18:47.685)
Excellent. Valerie, how do you balance the drive for speed with ensuring your safety during high-risk events?

Valerie Thompson (18:56.206)
Well, the old saying is throttle works both ways. So, that I’m going to leave it at that.

Doug Dvorak (19:00.137)
Hahaha

Okay, speed is clearly one of your great passions, but what drives you beyond the thrill of the race? How does that deeper motivation influence your approach to life, business, and racing?

Valerie Thompson (19:15.938)
Well, it approaches everything in a way of like the confidence to do everything on the racetrack gives me so much confidence in myself, confidence in the crew, confidence in just life in general.

The racing has really raised the bar for thinking that I know that I can do anything now. I can now play pickleball, which was very challenging at the beginning. now it’s like pickleball gives me a second chance to be an athlete again. And the desire to be better, as you know, and to make those right shots.

Doug Dvorak (19:41.127)
Yes you can.

Valerie Thompson (19:59.734)
just to be out there competing, know, it’s, love to compete.

Doug Dvorak (20:05.161)
So what mental strategies do you use to overcome fear or doubt especially when pushing yourself beyond limits?

Valerie Thompson (20:12.834)
Well, the fear, gives me the energy in a way. Yeah, fear is energy. Fear is good. I like it to a certain extent. But yeah, the fear is my energy.

Doug Dvorak (20:15.324)
Really?

Doug Dvorak (20:26.267)
Excellent. Fear is your energy. Valerie, you’ve been a trailblazer for women in motorsports. What advice do you have for young women looking to break into a similar high-performance, male-dominated field?

Valerie Thompson (20:37.07)
That’s a good one. Well, know, first you… Yeah. Well, you know, my old saying is that, you you follow your dreams, never accept no for an answer. The struggles, the sacrifices are there, but if it’s something that you truly love, it’s so easy. So, you know, if you have the passion for what you do, it becomes contagious. So be yourself, stay humble, and work hard and enjoy the moment.

Doug Dvorak (20:38.982)
I knew you’d like that one.

Valerie Thompson (21:04.238)
because you know like a lot of times I never enjoyed my moments but there was a lot of times that I was like just let me get from A to B you know quick and fast no matter what it took so you know with all that being said you need the talent the desire the extreme focus and you know there is a some part you know in me that I had to you emotionally disconnect

detached myself from things when things got tough. you know, the best advice at the end is surround yourself with the best people, the right people, and, you know, from there you’re going to have a solid support team and, you know, that’s that.

Doug Dvorak (21:54.347)
through all your success, setbacks, and triumphs, what would you say has been your biggest lesson in life?

Valerie Thompson (22:01.602)
Surrounding yourself with the right people. I mean, I can’t stress that enough. is so many, that’s just like on everyday life, I believe. But more in my racing career, surrounding myself with the right people, you know, was the key to my success.

Doug Dvorak (22:19.657)
Excellent. Is there anyone who’s been particularly inspiring or influential in your journey, whether it’s a mentor, a fellow racer, or someone in your personal life?

Valerie Thompson (22:31.256)
Well, you know, going into the racing career, I really didn’t know anybody in the racing career. I mean, I was developing something that I started from scratch. So I was not born in the racing world. My parents, you my family never was into racing. And so I kind of had to create my own, you know, mentorship. So I created me and found out that

That’s all I needed. Yes, I looked up to certain individuals, men and women in the community, but when I had to really dig deep, I had to just create Valerie.

Doug Dvorak (23:15.089)
and you’ve done an incredible job of building the Valerie Thompson brand. So what’s next for Valerie Thompson? Do you have any big upcoming races or projects you’re working on that you’re excited about?

Valerie Thompson (23:26.638)
Well, I’m working on, you know, I always said that I wanted to retire at 400 miles per hour so I can play pickleball and travel the world and pickleball and become a senior pro in the pickleball world. And so I’m not going to give up on that. I wanted to, you know, take next year. Well, coming up next year, 2025, I really wanted to give.

my journey one more shot at doing something kind of crazy out there. So I’m out there looking for opportunities. in the meantime, I’m gonna play as much pickleball and playing tournaments as I can.

Doug Dvorak (24:08.089)
Awesome. Valerie, what kind of legacy would you like to leave in the world of racing and beyond?

Valerie Thompson (24:13.698)
Well, it’s always nice to be in the racing, like in the Hall of Fame, and I love that. And just my legacy is to be the world’s fastest. And I can’t wait for somebody to go faster than I. And am I going to be sad about it? No, but because being the first is always the best.

Doug Dvorak (24:38.025)
Excellent. Excellent. Now we’re going to do the rapid fire round. Here’s a few questions.

Doug Dvorak (26:34.387)
Valerie, what is your favorite motorcycle and why?

Valerie Thompson (26:39.52)
My favorite motorcycle is my BMW S1000RR and it’s my favorite because it’s my first bike that I ever rode as a sport bike. Coming from the Harley world, the Harley Davidson world, to get on a sport bike, completely different animals and I just love it.

Doug Dvorak (26:57.798)
Excellent. Favorite race course and why?

Valerie Thompson (27:01.326)
Vonnegut Salt Flats. Because it is the best place to go out there and race. It’s in Utah.

Doug Dvorak (27:03.517)
Because?

Doug Dvorak (27:08.679)
And that’s in Utah, Awesome. Awesome.

Doug Dvorak (27:54.888)
I observe that you really have constructed a high performance world around you with your friends, associates, very positive people, but you also take really good care of your body and your mind and your spirit. Can you speak to the importance of creating that high performance culture and self care and how it’s really impacted your performance as a world class motorcycle racer?

Valerie Thompson (28:32.522)
Yes, my performance has to, my performance on the pickleball court and on the racetrack has to match the performance of my machine. Everything is in hand in hand and everything is behind the scenes in the training, know, following a low fat or you know, low fat protein, high nutrients diet, you know, the fitness regimen that you go through on and off the track or court.

you know, it’s really important for you because the mental aspect, racing is 90 % mental, pickleball is probably even 95 % mental, I don’t know that. But I know it’s probably over a little 90 % mental, so the focus and the preparation and the training and to the breathing work and all the food, how you take care of your body.

It takes a big toll on everything else. So when you can have all clear mental and focus on and off the court, it makes your break a new point.

Doug Dvorak (29:40.745)
Valerie, the title of our podcast is Mission Possible, bringing incredible human beings like yourself, athletes or people who’ve accomplished incredible feats in their respective area of focus, job, community. When you hear the title of our podcast, Mission Possible, what does Mission Possible mean to you?

Valerie Thompson (30:27.297)
Okay.

Valerie Thompson (30:51.0)
Well, everything is a mission for me and everything is possible for me. So they go hand in hand, racing, pickleball, you know, the mental, dedication, the hard work, the practice, the strategy. You know, the mission possible is, know, those are two great assets.

Doug Dvorak (31:12.795)
Excellent. And how important is a positive mental attitude or disposition for you in life, business, and in your sport?

Valerie Thompson (31:21.038)
Well, it truly can make or break your day. It can really make or break your career. You know, having the right mindset to do anything, you know, like I say, know, putting on my helmet. could be whoever I want to be when I get on the pickleball court and I…

on to protect my face and my eyes you know it’s like I’m I am who I’m going you know I am gonna be who I want to be and that’s gonna be a winner

Doug Dvorak (31:52.336)
Awesome. Well, my guest has been Valerie Thompson, the queen of speed. She holds the land speed record, an incredible human being with a pure kind and radiant soul, an incredible human being, an incredible pickleball player. Valerie, anybody wants to get a hold of you, has questions about how they can sponsor you or purchase some of your incredible swag that you have, how can they reach you?

Valerie Thompson (32:18.158)
Well, they can reach me through my website, which is ValerieThompsonRacing.com, or you can go to all my social media, Instagram and Facebook. I’ve been a little quiet during the holidays this year, but you can still reach me through there.

Doug Dvorak (32:33.221)
Excellent. Well mission possible podcast nation. Thanks for your time. Our guest has been world land speed record on a motorcycle Valerie Thompson Stay well stay focused and no mission is impossible Carpe Diem

Valerie Thompson (32:49.516)
Thank you.

Doug Dvorak (32:52.906)
Good job, let me

Valerie Thompson (32:54.51)
I got a little tongue-tied.