Women’s motocross has been around since the ’70s. Sue Fish was popular along with some other racers but until you, and especially your generation, women’s motocross hadn’t really hit the mainstream or earned the acclaim that it has now. Do you attribute some of your fame to helping build up the sport?
I’ve always had a thought about how women’s motocross could grow and how we should represent ourselves as riders and show the world that we work just as hard as everybody else in the sport. We don’t go as fast as the men but we go fast for women. I wanted that to grow into something, to be an opportunity for women that if they want to do it for a living they can do that.

How do you feel when people still say that women aren’t as fast as men? You are probably faster than almost 90% of all motorcycls racers in the country.
Thank you. Again, I don’t know what they base that on. I just try to go and show them how to work hard, show them that I’m working hard and doing all the right stuff. I’m trying to go as fast as I can and I’m hoping people pay attention and one day people will realize that even though we don’t go as fast as James or them, we go pretty darn fast.

Your generation is almost the first generation where women can make a living racing motorcycles. You are one of the few or only Factory riders out there, do you see a future in racing as a career? What are your future plans?
Yes, that was one of the reasons why I pushed to be a Factory rider. I wanted all the girls to know that there is an opportunity there and it could be there for everybody if they worked hard. If this is what they wanted to do, I wanted to help provide that path for them.

You’ve become a spokesperson for the hearing impaired because of your fame. Did you ever think you would be in that kind of position? Do you think any of your fame had to do with the issues you’ve had to overcome?
Well, I was born deaf so it doesn’t really come into play for me. Of course I do represent the deaf community and I want to encourage them as I do anybody to go out and do whatever you think you want to do in your life and know that there should be no limitations. I never really think about it. I ride a dirt bike, that’s what I do.
Her signer said: I personally think that a lot of people don’t pay attention to motocross because they might think it’s like a tractor pull or a mud bog kind of, that’s how they think but I think they’ll stop and pay attention to Ashley because she’s deaf and then they’ll pay attention to the sport so it’s the best for both worlds.

Does it ever get on your nerves that people still bring up your hearing impairment when you are just a motorcycle racer like everybody else?
No, I think it’s really the fact that they are curious about it. They want to know something about me and it just so happens that I’m deaf so they ask me about that. Sometimes I forget I’m deaf so maybe they do and they just want to ask some questions.

You’re back on top in the Women’s Championship. Do you think you can continue racing for a long time?
I love racing and I want to do this as long as I can. This is what I love to do. I want it to be fun, so as long as it’s fun I’m going to keep doing it. I’m only 21 right now so I have a lot of time. I want to win more championships and I want to keep going.

Do you have any aspirations to go to college while you’re still racing?
No, I don’t really think too much about that right now. My job is racing motorcycles and that’s what I love to do and I’m going to stay focused on this as long as I can.

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