Erika “Velocit-E” Allison at the Speed of Light

Plenty of racers are willing to drive several hours to their favorite drag strip, but it’s rare to find someone who moved 2,000 miles just to compete in drag racing. Erika Allison did just that, moving from San Diego, California, to Atlanta, Georgia, last year so she could compete in the MiRock Series.

Allison is also racing in local events from Florida all the way up to Maryland, riding her 2008 Suzuki GSX-R1000 at quarter-miles all over the East Coast. Her talent, determination and speed make her the perfect choice for November’s Galfer Girl of the Month.

For 2011, Allison competed in the Crazy 8s class of MiRock, as well as heads-up and bracket racing in local events. She is also the Female Race Wars champion this year, an honor she has won before.

The racing craze started at a young age for Allison, whose parents were both drag racers. “I’ve been attending NHRA races since I can remember. One day, when I was 12, my brother brought home a dirt bike. I learned the fundamentals and fell in love with motorcycles. Instead of racing cars like my mother and father, I took it to a different level and started racing motorcycles,” Allison says.

Allison started racing seven years ago, when she was 18. Since that time, she has earned a lot of wins and held onto the Queen of Cali title for five years. She is also the youngest African-American female to ride a Pro Stock motorcycle in NHRA.

Achieving her drag racing dreams wouldn’t be possible without the support of her family. Allison’s husband Darryl is also a racer, and she says, “He’s been my number one supporter. He believes in what I do. He’s the best husband ever!”

Even their son, five-year-old Jayden, is well on his way to a racing career. He’ll be on a 50cc dirt bike soon, and Allison notes, “I got back into racing five weeks after he was born. Since he was six or seven months old, he’s known the sound of my motorcycle.”

Allison considers the other members of her team, Velocit-E Racing, part of her extended family. Team members Mark Dickerson and Wes Pohlmann hold down the West Coast division of Velocit-E. Allison adds that her family members are part of the team, too, attending events to provide support, marketing and fan relations.

The team name comes from Allison’s nickname, Velocit-E. “I was given my name by the president of Hurricane Biker Girls in San Diego. They used to say, ‘That girl’s so fast, she’s like the speed of light.’”

Outside of racing, Allison says, “I love firearms! My husband is former military so he would always take me to the range and I wound up getting hooked on guns. Also, I’m a very family oriented person. I love going camping and jet-skiing, or even just sitting at home watching movies.”

Allison has made drag racing her career. It’s her passion, her living and her heritage. And it was totally worth moving across the country to pursue.