Heroes Honor

I asked Valerie what inspires her to take these risks. She smiled and said, “The challenge.” When asked how she got into racing, what inspired her, she says, “Nobody inspired me to race. It was the challenge. I was always told I couldn’t do it. Mainly, I wanted to avoid getting tickets on my street bike. I was in my late 30’s when I started racing. I was told that I was out of control and that I should take it to the racetrack. I took my bike to a drag strip to see how fast it could go. Once I started, I never left. My local H-D dealership sponsored me and in my second year of racing, I placed third in the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA).” Jesse Jurrens of Legend Air was a big inspiration to Valerie, sponsoring her racing efforts. “He invited me to the Bonneville Salt Flats to race my motorcycle. I thought I’d slip and fall on the salt. Even though I was worried, I bucked up and went out there. I went 153 mph on my V-Rod, doing everything I could to hold on, rookie-style. The wind became a solid force and my helmet started choking me out. Luckily, I had a lot of great teachers who took me under their wings. I learned a lot from famous racer Wink Eller.”

Valerie’s racing career led her into the biker lifestyle, not the other way around. In 2018 she was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Now she’s on a mission to rewrite motorsports history in 2021 with the Target 550 streamliner team in Australia this coming March at the Dry Lakes Racing Association (DLRA) Speed Week competition by breaking the current FIA conventional wheel-driven, piston-powered automobile class speed record of 415.867 mph. But that’s not all. Valerie and Team 7 Racing plan a minimum of two events for 2021 for the famed BUB 7 motorcycle

Most of us who ride motorcycles have “gone fast” on a bike. But we’re talking topping out at like 110 or 120mph. The fastest I ever went was 160mph on a 1000R Ninja. Even at that speed, the wind becomes a solid wall of force. So I had to ask Valerie, what does it feel like to pilot a Streamliner to over 300 miles per hour?

streamliner, including a private testing session and competing at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials August 28 – September 2nd. If successful with both the Target 550 and Team 7 Racing teams, Valerie will become the first woman to ever go over 500 mph in a car and over 400 in a streamliner motorcycle. Her success story and relentless quest to become the world’s fastest motorcycle racer is a key plot line in “Rockets and Titans” an upcoming film documentary about the competitive world of land speed racing. You may have also seen Valerie featured in the award-winning documentary films, including “Why We Ride” and “Mega Speed” (Discovery Channel). This year, Valerie could actually become the first woman to go over 400 mph both in a car and a motorcycle. Already ranked #7 on the world’s fastest motorcycle racers of alltime list, Valerie has become the first woman in the seat of the incredible Treit and Davenport Target 550 Streamliner. While other women have reached fabulous speeds in a car and others in a motorcycle streamliner, no woman has done both. The net result might be the first driver over 500 mph in a piston engine car, and over 400 mph in a motorcycle. Something that NOBODY, man or woman, has ever accomplished. You can become a part of this history making quest by sponsoring Valerie and her independent team to shatter barriers and set new speed records! Visit ValerieThompsonRacing.com for more information or follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. — Dave Nichols

Heroes Honor Festival, a Grand Display of Honor and Appreciation for Vietnam Veterans

Engage Your Destiny | March, 2022

"When I came home from serving in Iraq, 100 Vietnam veterans were lined up, shoulderto-shoulder, holding the American flag, to welcome us home. These men became guardians of honor to make sure no other veterans would be shamed the way they had been when they returned from the Vietnam War,” recalls Ben Peterson, founder of Heroes Honor Festival.

As an eight-year U.S. Army veteran serving two years in Iraq, Ben experienced the traumas of war. Remembering how Vietnam vets were “welcomed” home by angry protestors yelling “baby killer,” their show of honor left a permanent impression on Ben and paved the way for a smooth transition home.

For Ben, younger veterans, and Americans, the Heroes Honor Festival is the opportunity to give Vietnam veterans the honor and appreciation they deserve.

Join us as we give our Vietnam veterans the biggest, baddest, most patriotic celebration ever assembled at the Daytona International Speedway, May 27-28, 2022. Featuring Toby Keith, Justin Moore, Craig Morgan, military flyovers, interactive exhibits and more. Free for Vietnam veterans and open to all.

To learn more and reserve your tickets, visit HeroesHonorFestival.com today.

Kalie’s Killer Sporty Kalie’s Killer Sporty ii

Kalie Maden is a biker to the core. She’s a wrench, building cool scooters and the bike seen here is her personal ride. Born To Ride asked her how long she’s been riding motorcycles. “It all started when I was just 10 years old,” Kalie tells us. “Santa Claus brought me a Yamaha TTR-90. I was immediately in LOVE as soon as I hopped on and rode around the backyard. Needless to say, 17 years later, I am still just as in love, if not more, with motorcycles. With such as cool Christmas gift, we had to ask if Kalie’s dad rides. “My Dad rides. I actually have his old 1980 Ironhead Roadster 1000 from back in the day that he bought brand new off the showroom floor!” Kalie confides. “I’m working on rebuilding it, making it into a (somewhat) reliable bike, with some upgraded parts. My Mom has yet to ride her own, but used to ride along with my Dad all the time when they were younger. I’ve tried to convince her to hop on the back of my chopper but no luck yet. Who can blame her? Haha!” We asked how she got into wrenchin’ and customizing motorcycles. “Ever since I was a young kid, I’ve always been good with my hands and curious about how things worked, mechanically. When I’d get a new toy, I’d be more concerned with the mechanics inside.

“Once I had a motorcycle, I would tinker with it constantly. I think the first time I serviced a carburetor, I was around 11 or 12 years old. The satisfaction of taking a bike that would not start or run properly, pinpointing the problem, fixing it, starting it back up and have it run better than before, was just something that drove me to do more.” Motorcycles are just such a huge part of my life. Riding, servicing, and customizing motorcycles, is my therapy. Sure, it can be so frustrating at times and you might throw a few wrenches across the garage, but you take a breath, come back, and think, ‘This thing isn’t going to fix itself, it needs me to stay calm and think straight, and this will all pay off in the end when I’m riding down the road.’” Kalie went to the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute to become a certified motorcycle technician. She says, “The years spent at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute really opened my eyes to see that my true passion in life is putting my artwork into motorcycles. I may not have all the skills that I’d like to have in this moment, but I’d love to keep growing and learning