Valerie Thompson returning to Pro Stock Motorcycle after breaking land-speed records By Brandon W . Mudd

moves pretty fast . If you don ’ t stop and look around once in a while , you might miss it .” – F . Bueller ,

At 304.263 mph , Valerie Thompson is the world ’ s fastest woman on two wheels . This year , she ’ s taking Mr . Bueller ’ s advice and slowing down , relatively , with her entry into the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class . Racing her own bike under the Valerie Thompson Racing banner , she skipped Gainesville to test in North Carolina , hoping to make her 2017 debut at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals .

Thompson has taken the time to look around in different ways over the past year . She was married in October and recently earned membership into the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club . Oh , and that record run at the salt flats last year .

Racing a streamliner at speeds of 300 + mph across the famous Utah course sounds like something out of Tron . For Thompson , who got into drag racing on the streets of Scottsdale , Ariz ., until she took her Harley-Davidson Fat Boy to the track , there is never fear . Only speed .

“ The fear turns into energy for me ,” she said . “ When you have that energy and you have that excitement , you can see it in the video , that ‘ There is , yeah let ’ s go , let ’ s go , clap clap .’ Full of excitement in the cockpit . The adrenaline does kick in , but then when they say ‘ OK , see you later , have a good ride ,’ and you have your hands on the joysticks , it is like , ‘ Oh my gosh , this is reality . Wait a minute , calm down , calm down .’ You go from one level of excitement , adrenaline . Then you got the other one that is nice and peaceful .”

Remind you , that ’ s the statement of a Bonneville veteran . When Thompson headed there for the first time in 2005 , her research led to thoughts of possible escape .

“ As I researched the salt flats and as I researched

what kind of race I was going to , I got so scared , nervous ,” she said . “ I was thinking , ‘ There has got to be a way … to get out of this . There is no way I ’ m going on the salt flats . When I turn the corner , I am going to fall . It ’ s like ice out there .’

“ I got all freaked out . I tried to come up with many , many reasons why I couldn ’ t go and it just didn ’ t work out . I said , ‘ You know what , I just got to go , I just got to do it .’”

She continued to race the flats and began to look at returning to drag racing . After making her NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle debut at the 2008 US Nationals , she made a couple more starts , then put that portion of her career on hold to return her focus on Bonneville .

But now , while her desire to push herself and her machine even faster across the salt flats remains , returning to competitive drag racing is the current priority .

Her testing schedule to kick off her season this year has been intense , due mainly to the sizable differences between the streamliner she ’ s used to and the Buell she ’ s taking to NHRA-sanctioned quarter miles .

“ Going from racing at Bonneville ,” Valerie said , “ easing up into the throttle , so now I have to hammer the clutch out , I have to throw the clutch out , and I have to do all the other bells and whistles , and launch a motorcycle that has over three Gs . That is huge , huge .”

Speed is great , competition is incredible , but peace of mind ? Serenity ? Man , that ’ s the good stuff . Cruising through life at 300 + mph makes life move awful fast , but Valerie has what she needs to allow her to look around at her life and accomplishments .

“ It amazes me , it ’ s the most happiest and proudest ( moment ),” she said regarding the first bike she bought . “ I was in banking prior to that for 13 years when I got laid off . That was why I started riding a motorcycle , because I wanted to be outside . Something to have fun with . I had full control over two wheels now .

“ It is just me and my machine .” DI

PHOTOS : VALERIE THOMPSON RACING