Defending 2009 and 2010 Moto X Racing Women’s champ Ashley Fiolek was knocked unconscious in practice Saturday and will miss finals at X Games 17, according to her father Jim Fiolek.

Fiolek, 20, crashed in practice and was knocked unconscious for approximately 20 seconds. She was hoping to compete regardless but has pulled out on the advice of X Games medical staff, her parents and her Honda team manager, due to an increased risk of post-concussion crashes, her father told ESPN.com.

“She wants to ride, but as parents we need to think about her safety and we, along with her Honda team manager, decided to pull her from the race tonight,” Jim Fiolek said.

Fiolek will instead focus on recovering in time for the three remaining stops of the AMA Women’s Motocross Championship, which continues on Aug. 27 in Southwick, Mass.

That could leave an opening for Jessica Patterson: The two riders have been dominating women’s competition over the last few years, trading the top podium spots back and forth in what has become one of the biggest rivalries in motocross. Fiolek is currently ahead of Patterson in the AMA rankings.

Reigning X Games Moto X Women’s Champ Ashley Fiolek recently took time away from her busy WMX racing schedule to prep with fellow Red Bull moto athlete Robbie Maddison just days before X Games 17. After regretfully declining an invite to race the inaugural Enduro X event, Ashley admitted that the time constraints of training and the lack of practice facilities led her sponsors and family to agree that her energy would be best focused on defending her Moto X gold.

Recently noted for his 2010 80-metre jump of the Corinth Canal in Greece, consistent Red Bull X-Fighters podium threat Robbie Maddison definitely qualifies with the coaching credentials to pass along a few pointers to the young Fiolek. As she worked to tighten up her ramp skills before this weekend’s competition, Robbie was on hand to spin laps and offer tips on making the jump from ramp to dirt a bit smoother and more efficient.

Ashley’s X Games Schedule
What: Moto X Women
When: Saturday July 30th, 6 – 7pm PT
Where: Staple Center, Los Angeles
TV Station: ESPN 2 or ESPN 3D, Live

Red Bull factory Honda rider Ashley Fiolek, the reigning X Games gold medalist, is looking to fatten up her trophy collection with another Moto X victory. X Games 17 is just around the corner ( tickets on sale now) and despite being in the midst of another fiercely competitive WMX season, Fiolek has found time to sharpen her “indoor” skills in preparation for the Women’s Moto X Racing competition.

Fiolek took a moment to talk about the upcoming X Games, the new STAPLES Center venue for Moto X events, and also talked about why she had to regretfully decline an invite to race the inaugural Enduro X event.

Just a few years ago it was a big deal for the Women to get invited to the Moto X event at X Games – and now you’re the headliners! How does that feel?

Well of course it feels great! I mean, I still wish the guys were there, but this is huge for women racers and I am glad that I am a part of it all.

This year’s Moto X Racing will take place in STAPLES Center rather than the Coliseum. Do you feel that moving things indoors will improve the track conditions (dust, sun glare), and by extension, the racing?

I think it will be a little of both. There will definitely be the environment improvements that we will not have to worry about, but at the STAPLES Center the track is also supposed to be tighter and shorter and we will be doing qualifiers now, too – something we haven’t done in the past X Games races.

How much do you and the team dedicate to racing X Games? It’s only one event, but it’s very different from WMX. Do you have a dedicated bike? How much preparation?

Every year it seems the dedication from my team and myself is improving. The Honda race team and Red Bull have been very supportive of me racing X Games. I have done some testing and I have a bike just for [X Games]. The team has come out to support me even in practice. It is hard to turn SX on and off compared to my outdoor national racing but I have been doing some practice since after the fourth of July.

You were invited to compete in the Enduro X Women’s competition – are you going to do it?

I just recently came to the decision, but I will not be participating in Enduro X. I did want to do it – it’s something new and everything about X Games is always exciting. But when a few of my sponsors approached me about not racing it, it was time for my family and me to re-evaluate.

There just wasn’t enough time to prepare for it and I don’t really have anywhere to practice. I would need a completely different bike and setup. My sponsors want me to focus my energies on the SX race right now.

Do you have any background in off-road? Have you ever attempted things like boulders and log crossings?

No, I have not done any of that. It doesn’t really come up in moto racing!

Moto X Women’s Racing is Saturday, July 30 at STAPLES Center.

After a well-received week off from racing, the riders of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship returned to action on Saturday in Millville, Minnesota to kick off the second-half of the series with the Spring Creek National. Round 7 of 12, the Spring Creek circuit is always among the rider’s favorites on tour thanks to its loamy soil and natural, hilly landscape, but on Saturday morning the famed venue was bombarded with rain showers that would create challenging, muddy conditions during the first half of the day.

With the skies clearing and track conditions improving as the afternoon approached, the enthusiastic Minnesota motocross faithful were treated to a spectacular day of racing, and Red Bull’s Ashley Fiolek threw down an impressive 1-2 performance to maintain her championship points cushion.

Fiolek Maintains Championship Points Lead

The rain, mud and resulting adverse track conditions that surfaced early in the day at Millville weren’t enough to stop young Red Bull phenom Ashley Fiolek from dominating the opening WMX moto aboard her factory Honda CRF250R.

Fiolek came into Millville rested and confident after absolutely dominating the WMX action at RedBud two weeks ago with impressive 1-1 moto scores to extend her championship points lead to eight. Picking up right where she left off, Ashley set the quickest qualifying lap time of the morning (2.27.141) during the WMX timed qualifying sessions before grabbing the holeshot and leading every lap en route to a dominant moto one win.

Behind Fiolek, series rival Jessica Patterson crossed the checkers over 14-second back, and Red Bull teammate Tarah Gieger cruised in for a strong third after battling with Patterson early on.

Though unable to repeat her winning performance in Moto #2, Fiolek did exactly what she needed in order to maintain her eight-point gap in the championship standings, as she motored in for a conservative second-place finish behind Patterson. Patterson was awarded the overall win for the day at Millville, but both riders received 47 points after splitting the motos (2-1, 1-2), and thus the championship scenario remains the same as the women of the WMX now head into a five-week break before returning to action at Southwick on August 27th.

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In the midst of a tight championship battle, nothing feels finer than a dominant performance in some of the most challenging conditions of the series, and that’s exactly what Ashley Fiolek served up on her factory Honda at RedBud on Saturday. Though loved by the majority of the riders on tour, the RedBud circuit can be brutal and unforgiving thanks to rutted, choppy terrain and hot and humid conditions, but Fiolek triumphed and proved once again why she is one of the top female MXers in the world by dominating the WMX action.

Starting with practice, Fiolek laid down the quickest laps in both timed qualifying sessions, and then went on to holeshot and lead every lap of both motos to take the overall win in convincing fashion, extending her championship points lead to eight over series rival Jessica Patterson (RedBud’s second-place finisher).

Two-time Women’s Motocross Champion and X Games Gold Medalist, Ashley Fiolek has been nominated for an ESPN ESPY Award. The Honda Red Bull Racing rider is nominated for the award of Best Female Action Sports Athlete for the second year in succession.

The Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports performances for the prior calendar year. The 19-year-old, deaf motocross champion was also nominated in 2009, losing out to surfing’s Maya Gabeira for the prestigious award.

“I had so much fun at the ESPYs last year. It was so cool to be with the world’s greatest athletes at the show and at the parties,” remarked Ashley. “I’m proud to represent the motocross community to try and win an ESPY for our sport again this year.”

The Female Action Sport ESPY will go to the athlete with the most votes from fans. All fans of Ashley and motocross are encouraged to vote online or by mobile device at www.espn.com/espys or on the ESPN Facebook page: www.facebook.com/espn.

The 2010 ESPYs will be televised live on ESPN July 14 from Los Angeles. This year’s show will be hosted by Seth Meyers.

Her shiny blond hair framing wire-rimmed glasses that look three sizes too big, Ashley Fiolek giggles and smiles as she signs autographs just beyond the steps of California’s golden-domed state capitol.

Petite and bubbly, the 20-year-old in neon colors looks more like a rock star than someone who spends her days in the dirt.

In a way, she kind of is.

Deaf since birth and one of the best female motocross riders in the world, Fiolek is an inspiration and role model on two wheels and two feet.

“She’s a great motorcycle rider as well as a great person to be a role model for kids, shows how you can overcome difficulties, with her being deaf,” Honda team manager Erik Kehoe said. “She shows that when you’re determined, you can do what you want.”

Fiolek flashed her determination at an early age.

Born in Dearborn, Mich., she was three when, after watching her dad ride, told her parents she wanted to race motorcycles. Her father was thrilled, her mother worried she’d get hurt, but she got her way and by seven she was on the track, mixing it up in races.

Fiolek started winning, too, becoming the youngest Women’s Motocross Association champion by knocking off five-time defending champ Jessica Patterson in 2008, then backing it up with another title along with an X Games gold the following year.

Fiolek finished second to Patterson last season despite winning the season finale at Pala Raceway in Southern California and has been strong again this year, leading the points after opening with a second in Northern California and a win at Texas — not to mention starring in a new television commercial.

“My mom and dad were always supportive, like, ‘just believe in yourself and you can do it,’” Fiolek said through friend Brittany Sharp, using the sign language she relies on. “Once I finally got the hang of shifting, I went from there.”

The shifting is part of what makes Fiolek’s story so amazing.

While most riders listen to the engine to know when to change gears, she can’t hear the revving up and down.

When she first started riding, it wasn’t a problem; the smallest bikes don’t have gears. Once she moved up to the bigger motorcycles, the frustration level rose because she was having a hard time shifting.

She never gave up, though, using determination to learn how to shift by feeling the vibrations of the bike. Now, she can squeeze the clutch and flip the lever without even thinking about it.

“Most of her other senses must be that much stronger and I think her feel through the vibration in the bars is what helps her decide when to shift and when that motor needs a little more clutch or a little more throttle,” Kehoe said. “She can’t hear it, so she’s got to feel it, so it’s truly amazing that she not only rides and is competitive, but has raced to the top level that she has.”

Fiolek also can’t hear the riders behind her, so she has to hold her line a little longer and look for shadows to make sure she doesn’t run into anyone.

Being deaf does have one advantage on the track.

Because she can’t hear the riders over her shoulder, Fiolek doesn’t feel the pressure that comes with it. While other riders tense up from the I-need-to-go-faster sensation of someone bearing down, she can focus on the humps and bumps in front of her, not what’s behind.

“It’s a little less pressure because I don’t know they’re there,” said Fiolek, who now lives in St. Augustine, Fla. “I don’t have that in the back in my brain, I’m just looking forward. Nothing distracts me really because I can just focus on going forward.”

This season, Fiolek is going forward on her own, at least a little bit.

Since she first started racing, her parents were always with her, making sure she had everything she needed, translating sign language for her, providing moral support.

For the opener at Hangtown, just outside Sacramento, Fiolek decided to go without her parents, instead hitting the road with just Sharp, a friend she had met at Loretta Lynn’s amateur race about six years ago.

The trip went well and Fiolek plans to go parentless a few more times during the season, though it won’t be a permanent move.

“It’s a lot of pressure when my mom and dad are around,” Fiolek said. “They’re trying to help, but it gets in my head a little bit. I wouldn’t be here without them, but I think it’s a good idea for me to be out here on my own a little bit.”

Compared to the other obstacles she’s faced, this one should be easy.

Round two of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship series rolled through Wortham, Texas for the Freestone National on Saturday, and Red Bull’s Ashley Fiolek took home the WMX win with impressive 1-2 moto scores in the blistering hot temps.

When the dust settled and the smoke cleared on Saturday afternoon in Texas, Fiolek was ecstatic to take over the WMX championship points lead, but her day wasn’t without its hard knocks early on. A back injury suffered during a gnarly practice get-off left Ashley and crew wondering if she’d be able to compete come race time. Determined to shake off the morning crash and improve on her second-place finish at the Hangtown series opener, Fiolek regrouped and came out swinging when the gates dropped for WMX moto one.

After rocketing down the long Freestone start-straight to grab the holeshot, Fiolek immediately sprinted out to a comfortable lead to assert herself early in the moto. With series rival Jessica Patterson scrambling to move forward after a mediocre start, Ashley looked to have things well in control up front. With the win all but in her hands, Fiolek uncharacteristically stalled her bike on lap seven of eight, allowing Patterson to close the gap and actually run into the back of her rear knobby. Both riders went down briefly, but Ashley was able to remount quickly to hold onto the lead.

At the checkers, Fiolek motored in for a comfortable win over Mariana Balbi in second, and Patterson, who had difficulty restarting her machine after the incident, crossed the line in the 13th spot. Rounding out the podium in moto one, Red Bull-backed TLD Honda’s Tarah Gieger cruised in for a comfortable third-place finish after starting just outside the top-five.

In moto two, Fiolek once again got a great jump out of the gate to capture the holeshot and early lead, but she was overtaken by Patterson on lap number two. With the track brutally rough and continuing to deteriorate under the hot Texas skies, Ashley played it safe and backed it down a notch, knowing full well that a second-place finish in the moto was more than enough to take the overall win.

“I’m so happy to get the win here in Texas,” Ashley happily commented after the race. “This morning definitely didn’t start the way that I had hoped, but I’m very thankful that I’m healthy and was able to compete. I can’t thank everyone on my team enough for all of the hard work and support today!”

Behind Patterson and Fiolek at the checkers, Gieger once again rode strong for a third-place finish, resulting in a hard-earned second overall for the day.

Stay tuned for round three of the Women’s Motocross Championship series in Lakewood, Colorado on June 25th.

With the AMA Supercross series now in the books, the series switched gears over the weekend, taking Northern California’s famed Hangtown circuit by storm at the opening round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motocross Championship series.

In front of an estimated 21,000 fans, the first gates of the summer outdoor season dropped for the ladies for their first of 8 WMX rounds.  The Women’s Motocross class evolved into one of the premier spectacles at any AMA motocross event, and none other than Red Bull’s Ashley Fiolek is the primary draw.  Looking to recapture the brilliance that led her to the 2009 WMX championship, Fiolek entered Hangtown fit and on a mission.  Unfortunately for Ashley, so did longtime rival, and defending champ, Jessica Patterson.

The two highly talented women battled for holeshots in both of their Hangtown motos, but it was Patterson who negotiated the extremely rough circuit with fewer mistakes to take wins in both motos.  Fiolek ended the day with a hard-fought 2-2 for a second overall.

“The track was super gnarly,” Ashley said with a smile.  “I’m just glad I rode well and finished the race safely.”  With the first race of the season in the books, the Woman’s Series now moves to Texas, where Ashley hopes to challenge Patterson at the front of the pack.

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