Drag Illustrated Issue 143, April 2019 | Page 74

ONLY THE BEGINNING Although their racing journey began the same, their paths branched in very different directions: Jianna to Pro Stock Motorcycle and Jasmine to Top Fuel via Top Alcohol Dragsters. “I love how many women are in the class, and the Pro Stock Motorcycle community reminds me of the Nostalgia racers. They all just hang out in the pits, and they’re super calm. I feel so comfortable and at home there. It’s like a breath of fresh air.” Through careful research and talking with a handful of teams in order to find the right fit, Jianna hooked up with the Stoffers to learn the ropes. “They’re just amazing people,” she says. “Karen and Gary took me under their wing, and now I call them my race parents. It’s just really fun to have even more family out here. Every team we talked to is really nice, but it was hard to find the right fit and people that I have a connection with. I instantly had that with the Stoffers.” Finding the right folks to learn from and race with is one thing, but for Jianna, the challenges of maneuvering about on a Pro Stock Motorcycle became immediately evident. “The very first time I ever got on the bike was at Gainesville last year,” she remembers. “We didn’t even start it up, they just pushed me around on it up and down the return road. That’s when it really hit me. I was like, ‘Oh my God, what am I getting myself into?’ I was kind of in a panic. I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is a really big bike. Can I even hold it up myself? How do people even ride this? How?’ Karen helped me stay calm and told me it was super easy, and everybody said that the hardest part about riding the bike was getting pushed around and trying not to hit people – they told me not to freak out and that it was no big deal.’” The girls and their mother again share a chuckle, acknowledging the Dr ag Illustr ated unusual circumstance of learning the intricacies of the 200-mph machine. “Karen helped me put on all my gear and explained that she wanted me to get a real feel for everything,” Jianna continues, then pauses before adding, “But the first time they pushed me, I fell off the bike. I was so embarrassed. I was thinking, ‘If I can’t even stay on the bike while getting pushed around, how can I expect to ride it when we start it?’” The next lesson was a month later in North Carolina following the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway. “We spent pretty much the whole day with them pushing me down the track and back again. They would talk me through it and tell me, ‘OK, now pretend like you’re going into second gear, third gear,’” explains Jianna. “It was an amazing experience for them to teach me that way, especially because I had zero experience. Most people come from bracket racing, and at home I ride street bikes – I have a ‘48 Sportster. When they asked me if I had ever ridden before, I was like, ‘Does that count?’ “I definitely remember feeling extremely nervous when they told me that they were going to let me ride it off the starting line. My nerves started going crazy, but when I got to about half-track and started shifting, it hit me. I was hooked. When I got back, they asked me how I liked it, and I told them I wanted to do it again. It was really fun, and I knew I needed more speed.” Along with developing her Pro Stock Motorcycle skills, Jianna has been in the trenches at San Jose State. She is majoring in child development 74 D r a g Il l u s t r a t e d . c o m