The Gentle

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FEMALE motorcycle racers in Ireland and Great Britain are quite uncommon, and none have, to be frank, really risen above average standard.  While Kate Parkinson and a few others have been by no means slow, none have come close to championship material.  

  The female case is not helped by the fact that there is a distinct lack of encouragement for girls thinking 
about racing, and they have few, well none that spring to mind, inspirational figures.

Jocelin, not your typical looking motorcycle racer
  In the United States it was like up until recent years, but now there is a steady flow of female racers entering the arena.  While none have yet made National championship contenders, many are making a big impact at regional/state level, and their success is encouraging more of the fairer sex to kick off their dresses in favor of helmets and leathers.
  One such girl is Jocelin, that's it, Jocelin, no second name.  More about that later.  Jocelin, from Waterville, Maine, in the North East of the United States, only started circuit racing in 1998, but by the end of 1999 had progressed from Amateur to Junior, to Expert status, qualifying for her AMA Pro license.  At the time of writing, she's on her way to Daytona for the 200 meeting where she will take part in the 250 GP race, on her TZ250 Yamaha. alongside a certain Mr. McGuinness.

  28-year-old Jocelin has been involved with motorcycles for almost 19 years.  When she was just ten, she purchased a KDX 80 with her paper round money and by the time she was 16 and licensed, she had a 250 Kawasaki.

  A 750 Ninja was to follow, and on it she had her first taste of competition, taking part in eighth and quarter mile drag races.  It was sold to help finance her business, Tri-Signs (graphics, signs, logos).

  Two years later, in 1996, a ZX-7R was purchased, and at a major drag meeting in Sanair, Canada, Jocelin finished 18th out of 186 entrants, top woman and top American.

  But drag racing didn't give Jocelin the adrenaline rush she craved, and after trying sky-diving, bungee jumping and polar bear swimming (in freezing water), she finally realized that proper GP style racing was the answer.

  In October of 1998 Jocelin completed a basic road racing course at New Hampshire International Speedway, which qualified her for her license.  She showed immediate potential by finishing second in the Rookie Race on her ZX-7R.  In the two Amateur Superbike races she finished mid-field.

  A month later she traveled to Homestead in Florida where she rode a Kawasaki EX500 to 13th, 12th and 8th in the Lightweight twins class and completed an advanced road racing course.  

  Boy, was she fired up for 1999.  A Yamaha TZ 250 was acquired and an extensive campaign was planned.  It started at Roebling Road in Georgia where she took second place, and that was followed by fourth and third placings at successive meetings at New Hampshire.

    July was a good month for Jocelin with a second place at Carolina Motorsports Park being followed by her first ever win, back at New Hampshire.  Top three and top six results continued until, in October she moved to Expert category and finished 13th, 12th, and 12th at New Hampshire.

  Jocelin finished the season at Daytona where she took a third place in the Race of Champions season finale.

    

  It is worth noting Jocelin moved to Expert status voluntarily, she said: "I could have gone on and won many Junior and Amateur events, but I wanted to ride with the better and more experienced riders.  It paid off, as immediately my lap times improved considerably."

  Jocelin is a motorcycle fanatic, she is so dedicated to racing that she hasn't watched TV for over three years.  She describes TV as "a distraction".  I asked her where her interest in the sport stemmed from?  She told me: "I don't really know, there is no family connection with motorcycles, but since I was about eight years of age, I wanted a dirt bike, it's just developed from there."

  Earlier you read that Jocelin has no second name, and that's official, she gave the explanation: "My family name was Veilleux and I got so annoyed with it being mispronounced, I decided to legally drop it.  It is nothing against my family or anything like that.  The move wasn't intended as a publicity stunt, but I have to admit it got me noticed and has become a talking point."

  The state of Maine has few motorcycle racers, so the fact that one is a woman is even more unusual.  How do other women, family and friends react to the fact that Jocelin is a racer?  She said: "My family and friends thought I was crazy, there was a lot of disbelief.  In Maine there are few racers and racing is not really well understood, there is a perception that it is extremely dangerous.  Because of this, I've gained a lot of publicity and become a bit of a local celeb, which has helped in the search for sponsorship.

  "Many other girls have reacted very positively, some think me racing is real cool and a few plan to follow in my footsteps.  I will do all I can to help other girls who want to start racing and I'm flattered  to be inspirational and a role model."

  Did Jocelin have any role models or any rider(s) she particularly admired?  "I use to really look up to Scott Russell, but his attitude has changed a lot recently, I'm not so keen now.  I really admire a teenager called Jason Di Salvo, he is really going places (British Supercup 125 this year), I became good friends with him.

  Jocelin has made a lot of male friends through racing, but does she encounter any hostility or suchlike from male competitors?  Jocelin said: "Because I'm a woman, I find it easier to get publicity and sponsorship, you would have thought some of the guys would have been a bit jealous, but none have ever said anything.  I think they understand that because women are the minority in the sport, they will always get that little bit of extra exposure.  "However, some get peeved when I beat them on the track, but most are good sports."

  Women may have the advantage when it comes to chasing sponsorship, but obviously most men have a physical advantage, and usually, better technical knowledge.  How does Jocelin prepare for racing?  She had her own methods:  "I work out for two hours every day, it keeps me in good shape.  And what I lack in strength, I maybe make up because I'm a lot lighter than most men.  I do a lot of mental preparation as well, if I have spare time I will be lapping each circuit over and over in my mind.  To help me with this I have maps of each circuit that I put on the ceiling of my bedroom.  I have some technical experience from working on my dirt and drag bikes, and when I'm stuck the former owner of my TZ, Tim O'Connor, and Bill Nickerson help out.  There are always plenty of people willing to give advice."

  After Daytona, Jocelin will take part in selected AMA 250 GP rounds and will contest the CCS North East regional series.  All systems are geared to a full AMA campaign in 2001.

  And a trip to Ireland is not out of the question in the future, Jocelin said: "I'm game for anything, I would really like to try some pure road racing, it would be a new and exciting challenge.  I think I really have to do it, don't I."

  And Jocelin's final words spelt out her ultimate ambitions: "I just want to do good, win races and make a name for myself as a motorcycle racer.  I want to be remembered as a good racer, not just a woman who happened to race motorcycles.

  Jocelin's professionalism and dedication, and of course her charm, had brought her a number of sponsors for 2000.

  She is sponsored by Tri-Signs, Starting Line, EBC, Sharkskinz, Eagle Rental, Finish Line Products, Elm City Photographix, Dunlop, Street & Competition, Day's Jewelry, Hair By nature, Madsen Engineering, R&B Electronics, Willows Motorsports, Mobil 1, R.H.Foster, Vanson Leathers, Concept Automotive, and Barnett.

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