iMotorbike had the opportunity to meet one of the most influential female motorcycle racer, Melissa Paris. Here is what Melissa told us about her life and career.

Melissa Paris is a professional motorcycle road racer, avid bicyclist, motocross and flat track enthusiast from the United States. Melissa has achieved many firsts for women in motorsports and has an outstanding career record.

Speaking of Melissa Paris’s records, by testing the MotoGP M1 prototype in 2010, Melissa became the only female in history to have tested  Yamaha’s MotoGP M1 prototype. Besides this, she also became the first female to ever qualify for a World Supersport Race by taking part in the 2011 Word Supersport Race.

Melissa has taken part in numerous races. Going back to 2012, Melissa competed in the British BSB Series at Brands Hatch. A year later, she took part in Daytona 200 where she finished tenth. 2014 was a bold year for Melissa, she took part in the Spanish CEV Superstock Championship and also competed in Suzukua Endurance Race the same year, where she was titled as the first woman to ever compete in Suzukua Endurance Race.

Melissa’s racing career started growing even more in 2015. That year,  she achieved first place in 24 Hours of Barcelona and took part in Wera West Superbike Championship and MotoAmerica Supersport. In 2016, she became a member of the first all-girl team which qualified and competed in the Bol D’OR 24 hour and Lemans 21 hour.  A year later, in 2017 Melissa Paris founded MP13 Racing Team.  Melissa’s husband, Josh Hayes, who is also the four-time AMA Superbike Champion currently races for Melissa Paris’s MP13 Racing Team.

We got the opportunity to do a quick interview with Melissa Paris. We asked her a few questions regarding her racing career and personal life and here is what Melissa Paris told us.

iM: When was the first time you ever rode a motorcycle? How did it feel?

Melissa: When I was in college there was a guy in my dorm who rode a sportbike. I asked him to take me for a ride and it totally scared me. But I loved it anyway. We ended up dating and I decided to learn to ride. Learning was really scary for me… I felt really intimidated but at the same time, it was like, the best thing I’d ever done….

iM: What was your first motorcycle?

Melissa: My very first motorcycle was an old Kawasaki Ninja 250… after about two months on that I bought a really beat up old Yamaha FZR 600.

iM: When and how did you decide to begin your racing journey?

Melissa: When I first started riding I was hanging out with a group of friends who did a lot of canyon riding. The roads here in San Diego are so nice for riding… and we treated the local mountain like our personal race track. Naturally, they all started doing track days so I did too and I was immediately hooked. Riding on the street lost a lot of appeal for me at that point. The problem was that I didn’t have any money to pay to go the track. So I started working at Keith Code’s California Superbike School just helping to fix bikes that students crashed, or put gas in them, or whatever else they needed and in exchange they let me ride for free. When some of the people I met there started racing I thought, “if they can do it, so can I!” And then after the very first race, it was like my whole life changed. I never wanted to do anything else.

iM: What do you do when you are not racing? Do have any hobbies?

Melissa: Even when I’m not racing, I’m still usually doing something with motorcycles. My husband and I both really love riding motocross and flat track. We even have a small flat track at our house. I also do a lot of work on bikes… Whether as a crew chief at the race track or building bikes. I’ve got a 3-year-old and even he loves to ride… but in those moments where we aren’t on a motorbike…. We do a lot of cycling. haha… still two wheels.

iM: What is your most memorable race?

Melissa: This is such a hard question to answer. I think winning my first 24-hour endurance race with the Girls Racing Team at Catalunya was pretty special. It’s always nice to win… and after such a hard race it’s even better. But also getting to race in Suzuka with Moriwaki was pretty amazing….  But some of my proudest moments have happened on the go-kart track racing my own husband on a supermoto, or banging bars on little flat track bikes.

iM: What inspired you to start up the MP13 Racing Team?

Melissa: I wanted to start my race team for a few reasons. A big part is wanting to give an opportunity to upcoming racers… but the truth is, I just wanted to make sure that even when I get to the point that I can’t race any more that I can still be involved in this sport. I’m not ready to grow up.

iM: What inspires you to go forward?

Melissa: I’m still completely in love with racing… I can’t imagine doing something different.

iM: If you had to pick a different career outside of racing, what would it be?

Melissa: If I can’t race I don’t know what else could possibly make me happy… Maybe being a fighter pilot!

iM: How is it like being both a mother and a racer?

Melissa: Being a mom has made me appreciate racing a lot more. I have to work a lot harder to have the time to ride so I definitely don’t take the chances to ride for granted at all.

iM: Would you be okay with your son getting into racing in the future?

Melissa: If Hawk decides he wants to race that would be cool… But only if it’s because he loves it… not because he feels like it’s expected. And he will have to work hard for it.

iM: What’s your dream motorcycle?

Melissa: If I could add any motorcycle to my collection? Hmmmm… Maybe a TZ250…

iM: Who is your racing idol?

Melissa: I don’t know if I actually have an idol in racing…. I try hard to remember that racers are just men (or women)… But there are for sure a few that I really admire and love watching. I’ve always been a fan of the underdog… the guys who maybe aren’t quite as talented but that work so hard….

iM: Were your parents supportive of your passion?

Melissa: Yes. My parents are amazing. All they care is that I work hard. They never told me what I should be doing… just that I do my best.

iM: If you could go back in time, what would you say to your younger self?

Melissa: I think I’d tell myself to believe in myself a little bit more….