[American Motorcyclist Association] - Katie Mette: women's class motocross racer

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Katie Mette of Teutopolis, Ill., decided that 2014 would be her last season racing in the AMA Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship Series so she wanted to do well.



And she did.



“It was my last season but I took second in the nation (in the Women’s class) and made some unforgettable memories,” says Mette, a 21-year-old nursing student who decided to stop racing to concentrate fully on her studies.



Her toughest competition on the track, she says, was Megan Manshack, the 2014 Women’s class champion.



“She had a great program behind her and was, literally, willing to do whatever it took to win,” Mette says.



Her plans now?



“My plans are to sit back, relax, and enjoy time with my friends and family from the sideline,” Mette says. “It will be bittersweet not racing, but the extra time I am able to enjoy with my family and friends outweighs the bad.”



Most of her free time outside ATVs was spent “studying and at school,” Mette says. “Hobbies include traveling, golf and going out with friends.



“Most people would be surprised to know how dedicated I am to school and becoming a nurse,” she says. “I volunteer at the St. Louis Children’s hospital once a week, I was elected my class representative, I spend an enormous time studying, and I keep a 4.0 GPA.”



Mette began racing five years ago at a local track.



“To say it was great would be an understatement,” she says. “It was enough to make this sport consume my life for the following five years.”



She enjoyed racing in the in an AMA ATV series because of “the friends, the memories, the awesome people I have met, and the way it helped shape me into the person I am today.”



Her final race was emotional, she says.



“I remember riding around my last lap of my last moto at Loretta’s, thinking about how it would be the last lap I would probably race. That was a majorly bittersweet moment,” she says. “We had both quads sold within a couple months after that and it was the last time I raced.”



Those she thanks for supporting her racing include “My parents, most importantly. I couldn’t begin to repay them for the time, money, and energy they put into helping me chase my dreams. Also, Cody Willenborg with CW Motorsports who has been there since day one. My friends for their support and encouragement. SSI decals, Walsh Racecraft, Maxxis Tires, Jim Blunt and Fox Shox, Baldwin Motorsports, Rath Racing, and anyone else who has helped me out along the way.”



Her advice for others who want to race: “Make as many friends and memories as you can. Winning races is awesome, but now that I have finished my last season, looking back, I treasure and remember certain times with my family and the friends I made more than I do any race wins.”



Story by Bill Kresnak





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