Angelle Sampey - Doing it on two wheels

Date of Birth: 1970

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Angelle Sampey

Angelle became interested in racing at a young age, mostly interested in racing motorcycles. This was largely due to her father and uncles were racers themselves. It soon became a large hobby of hers. By the time she was six years old, she had her own dirtbike and was racing.  In 1989 Angelle went to the Charity School of Nursing in New Orleans to become an intensive care nurse.  By the time she had graduated in 1995, her passion for motorcycle racing had grown substantially and she wanted to pursue it and become a professional.  To begin her racing career she attended Frank Hawley's Drag Racing school in the winter of 1995.  She was coached by the four time National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) champion George Bryce, her skills as a race developed substantially. 

NHRA Logo

In July 1996, she debuted in the NHRA Stock Motorcycle races at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colorado.  By September of that year, she had won her first race in Reading, Pennsylvania  in only four career starts.  At the end of 1996, Angelle finished 7th overall even though she missed the first six events of the season  In 1997, her first full season of racing, she won the All-Star Invitational. To continue her success, Angelle placed 2nd in the final standings, falling 8 points short of the leader (Matt Hines). In 2000, she won the NHRA World Championship crown in 2000 by leading Pro Stock Motorcycles in wins, final rounds, and being the number one qualifier.  Angelle was the first woman to do this since Shirley Muldowney in 1977 (top fuel dragster).

Angelle's winning style did not stop in 2000, she continued to win the NHRA World Championship crown in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, she achieved this by winning an astounding 22 victories.  This broke an NHRA record and put her in the record books as the woman with the most wins in drag racing history.  Her title win in 2002 made her the second rider to win three consecutive championships and tied Muldowney for the most titles won by a female competitor.

Angelle Sampey Racing for U.S. Army

In 2003, Sampey partnered with U.S. Army and Don Schumacher Racing.  During this year she finished second in points standing by winning three races and having three number one qualifying positions.  In 2004, she achieved her 35th career victory and again finished second overall with four victories during the season.  Though in 2005 it was a tough season, only finishing third and with only two victories.  In 2006, her 10th season as a professional NHRA racer, she finished third in standings again, but she achieved two records.  During the season she achieved her 40th win, the most wins by any female driver and she broke the national elapsed time record with a 6.939 second run at Maple Grove Raceway.

The 2007 season was no better for Angelle, only finishing 5th in standings with one win.  Though she did break the national elapsed time record again, twice.  First it was with a run of 6.911 seconds and the second was with a run of 6.871 seconds.   After 2007, Angelle was no longer sponsored by U.S. Army and found a new home with George Bryce and Rush Racing Products.   2008 was not a great season for Sampey.  Prior to this year she only raced on a Suzuki, but this season she was racing on an S&S VTwin bike.  Many mechanical issues arose and not being overall used to the bike she finished 5th overall with no wins.  For 2009, Angelle was unable to find sponsorship and was forced to watch the races from the crowd after 13 years of professional racing.  

In 2010, Angelle retired from NHRA to start her new life as a mother.  Angelle left racing with 41 wins and being only 5 wins away from being the most winning Pro Stock Motorcylce racer ever.  She made a name for herself in the NHRA and in racing history.  She showed women can be a dominant force in racing and do more than just race.  She achieved many records and standings throughout her 13 years racing professionally.

Angelle Sampey is just another fine example of how women should be treated as equals in racing, they are not just something to look at but rather they are  people who are capable of anything just as much as men are.