HER STORY: meet Mallory Dobbs – "It wasn’t until 2021 that I decided to put serious time and effort into my racing programme…"
Dobbs had a relatively late start to her racing career but has made the most of it since she started out, making a name for herself on the world stage in 2024
Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) made the step into the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship for 2024, having made a quick rise through the motorcycle racing ranks in her native USA. The Washington State native was a consistent performer when luck was on her side throughout 2024, showcasing her ability as she raced in Europe for the first time. Get to know her, and her journey to the World Championship, in this special profile article.
REPRESENTING THE USA: a rapid rise for Dobbs
With the history of so many great American riders in World Championship motorcycle racing down the years, it is an honour for anyone to represent the USA on the world stage. MotoAmerica graduate Dobbs does so with pride and her journey to the FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship this year has been an unorthodox one, considering she did not begin riding motorcycles until she was in her twenties. The civil engineer from Olympia in Washington State is racing on European tracks for the first time this season at the age of 30 and her story is one of a thrilling ascent in racing.
CATCHING THE MOTORCYCLE BUG: how she fell in love with bikes
Detailing her first encounters with motorcycles Dobbs comments: “I didn't ride a motorcycle until I was 22. I was honestly terrified of the thought of riding motorcycles on the street for the longest time. I just remember my boyfriend at the time showing up to my house on a CBR600 with a spare helmet. I rode on the back of his bike for a couple of months before I decided that I would much rather have my own. My first bike was a 2007 Yamaha R6 that I bought in 2016. I remember the first couple of times I took it out I was too scared to take it out on the highway, so I just cruised around town instead.”
A QUICK SWITCH FROM ROAD TO RACETRACK: starting her racing career
Dobbs may have started her love affair with motorbikes later than many other professional riders, but she has certainly made up for lost time since then. “I started racing at the amateur level six months after I started riding,” she explains. “In 2017, I bought a 2003 Yamaha R6 as my first race bike and raced with the Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association (WMRRA) and the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA). From 2017 to 2020 I would say I was a casual racer. I was racing for fun on the weekends with my friends. In 2018, I finished second overall in the Novice 600 class and throughout the years won various female championships.”
STEPPING THINGS UP: from amateur to professional racing
Having enjoyed the amateur experience and proving to herself that she had the talent to take things up a notch, Dobbs then decided to test herself at a much higher level. “It wasn't until 2021 that I decided to put some serious time and effort into my racing programme. I started racing in southern California in the winter, where I met Jason Pridmore. I got coaching from him in preparation for my MotoAmerica debut. I bought a brand new ZX6R and finished third overall in all of the 600 race classes I raced in that year. In 2022, I did my first two professional events in Supersport with MotoAmerica at The Ridge Motorsports Park and Laguna Seca. These two rounds were pretty successful and I decided to do a full season of Supersport and Superhooligans in 2023. I finished the season seventh overall in Superhooligans with multiple top 10 finishes, as well as a handful of Supersport points.”
A WELCOME FROM HER COMPATRIOTS: American contingent help her settle in
Finding her way around the WorldSBK scene and quickly familiarising herself with the tracks visited by the WorldWCR series, Dobbs says she has been made to feel at home by the American contingent already firmly established in the paddock. She reveals: “Members of the other American teams have come and introduced themselves to me, because they know how hard it is, being the only American in the paddock. It’s super cool. Part of [Garrett] Gerloff’s team came over to me and said, ‘Welcome, we want you to know you can come hang out with us anytime, we want to make sure you are taken care of.’ I really appreciated that. I know what it’s like to be the new kid on the block. It’s a very nice community to be involved with and everybody has been so welcoming here.”
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