U
nbelievably, Joi “SJ” Harris became the First Professional African American Female Road Racer when she took the track for her first season in 2014, just 4 years after she learned how to ride a motorcycle. SJ began riding in 2009, picking up quickly on the aggressive streets of Brooklyn, NY. SJ explains, “I never dreamt of racing, but this was my reality. I didn’t know much about bikes back then.” In her quest to learn new riding techniques, SJ decided to head to the race track. She found New Jersey Motorsports Park, 3 hours away from Brooklyn. Determined to learn, she made the trip with a friend. Soon, she began to grasp the technical side, and grew to love road racing as a sport. SJ explains, “Road Racing is very different from motorcross and drag racing. When you go
to the track, they don’t teach you how to race. They teach you how to ride that particular track only. We learn as we go.” The cost of road racing is a huge challenge for new riders. An average track day can cost as much as $500. SJ wouldn’t let that deter her, often making the trip to the track alone. She eventually found a local storage spot for her track bike, to keep transportation costs down. Her message to others seeking to enter the sport is simple: “Don’t let it intimidate you. We tend to over think things too much. Try it! Just do it!” Her competitors are mostly young, white males from affluent backgrounds, most who have been riding since their early teens. SJ notes, “I am everything people never saw in this sport.” She described her first race day, “I was alone for most of the day, scared and in tears. I had no one
to talk to, and I didn’t know what I needed.” Never one to back down from a challenge, SJ dug her heels in, and began the work of making her mark on Road Racing. She is the founder of Threader Racing, a team funded almost entirely by her day job as a medical professional. After her first season, SJ has successfully secured sponsors, including Comet Racing Leathers, Markbilt Race Bikes, Nexx-USA Helmets, Moto D Racing, Vortex Racing, ArmourBodies Race Plastics and Absolute Cycle Experience. Her ultimate goal is to bring Road Racing to more women and African Americans. She says, “Sisters on the track are few and far in between. I want to show them that there’s more for them to be exposed to. I want to get the kids interested through experience.” Sounds like SJ is leading the pack in more ways than one.
BLACKGIRLSRIDE.COM
21