Hello all! I’m Ruth Daniels and I want to give introductions and a little backstory on how I’m here (I promise you’ll find this humorous here and there). I’m a semi-professional motorcycle drag racer, motorcycle enthusiast, rider, occasional model, and performance parts sales manager.
Since I was a little girl, I have always had those sparkles in my eyes about all kinds of motorcycles. It never mattered the make or model; I appreciate the flowing body lines and tasteful modifications. It didn’t matter how mild or wild — even the totally absurd, eye-catching details that make you have to look to figure it out. I’ve always loved going to bike week and different shows to see all of the different styles and builds.
I began riding at 15 and been having a blast since then, meeting new people and enjoying dodging potholes with the best of them lol.
I started motorcycle drag racing at 18 and boy has it been a ride! I Raced for several years as a bracket racer just trying to develop my skill. I did really well. I won some and lost some but gained lots of knowledge and lots of racing family and got to see so many places and new faces.
Bracket racing is all about skill and running the exact same number every pass. It really takes a lot of focus and having a great machine to be competitive in bracket racing. The racers in this category are mostly veteran riders that know their stuff.
I remember racing in my first Ironman event. I had a blast and was doing great. I went to the finals and ended up hitting my kickstand trying to shift which cut the bike off and ultimately cost me the race and the winners circle. Those rookie errors always seem to get you.
I spent lots of time at the track on the weekends making lap after lap trying to develop my skill. Several of the veteran racers took me under their wing and helped mold me into a better racer. I am forever grateful for them taking their time to help me. One of the best parts of being a racer is the majority of everyone around treat their fellow racers/competitors like family.
I entered into the grudge racing side of the spectrum about six years ago. The idea with grudge racing is to be the absolute fastest you can be. This is so much fun for an absolute speed-addict, but it gets expensive quickly. I accomplished some times and speeds on a street-ridden bike that are completely insane. At one point, I was able to touch into the seven-second area in the 1/4 mile. I almost reached the 200mph mark, which has been a long-time goal of mine.
I went on to compete in several women-only shootouts, and let me tell you these events bring a huge crowd. I never thought being a female racer got as much attention as it does. It was empowering yet humbling to sit side by side with some of the quickest and fastest women in the southeast and go toe-to-toe in a Battle Royale.
In July of 2017, I got married at my favorite racetrack. I was on cloud nine and a half, you couldn’t tell me anything. I was fast; I was successful. I was having the time of my life!
Then when all seemed to be going great, I had a catastrophic structural failure in August of 2017. I totaled the bike and beat myself up pretty bad. The crash put me out of commission for the rest of the season. Had to rebuild the bike and give myself time to heal, something no rider ever wants to have to do. We all seem to be rather impatient.
Fast forward to today, I’m back at it, having more fun than ever. My husband and I have rebuilt my crashed bike better than before. I’ve worked my way up to a separate more purpose-built race bike. I am now competing in several different series, The ManufacturersCup series, Kings of Grudge, Major League Grudge series, as well as participating in local events.
I landed a position on one of the most successful race teams in the sport. I scored a few other major sponsors in the game including Rob Bush Motorsports, 190hookup.com, Hickman Customs, and Vanson Leathers. Having support on equipment and parts is huge in racing, especially if you are an owner/rider. I also managed to land a job with one of the best sport-bike performance shops in the southeast, which is super cool. I get to work on bikes and sell parts to all my fellow racers and do a job I truly love. Bonus points, my boss is awesome.
I’m looking forward to a great season with fun and sun.
Ruth was featured in one of the McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates Law Firm motorcycle ads. Click the photo below to watch the ad!
