A Galfer Girl is a girl who isn’t afraid to get a little grease under her nails, tuck her hair into a helmet and throw bows with the boys.
Emily Saieva is a 2-time WORCS National Champion — and the first female to win these titles –among a slew of other championships under her belt. She took the plunge into racing as a kid, and never looked back.
Emily, could you tell us how you got involved with ATVs and racing?
My family has always been involved with racing. My father was a professional road racer before I was born. After I came along, he and my sister raced dirt bikes and rode recreationally.
When I was eleven I decided that I wanted to ride with them so my father bought me a quad! Shortly after my first time riding it, I decided that I wanted something more and wanted to race. My dad took me to a race at a local track and I have been hooked ever since.
What made you choose ATV racing over other kinds of racing?
One weekend I was at the track with my family and I saw a little boy on a 50cc quad. I decided that day that I wanted a quad too.
Could you tell us a little about your machine?
I currently race a Honda TRX450 and a 250 hybrid. My 250 hybrid is a CRF250 motor inside of a TRX450 chassis and I use Galfer Brake Pads and Rotors!
Why are Galfer products working for you?
Galfer products work great for me because they allow me to stop quickly so I can get back on the gas harder and hit my marks.
What is it like being a female in a predominantly male sport?
Being a female in a male dominated sport isn’t something that I think about often. We are all out there competing for the same thing regardless of our gender. Guys aren’t always thrilled to be beaten by a girl, but that is not something I have ever let discourage me.
I have noticed lately since moving up to larger quads it is taking longer to adjust to heavier machines than it has taken my male competitors. I feel like I need to work ten times as hard to be on the same playing field that I was before when we were on smaller quads.
What advice do you have to other girls who may be interested in racing?
To any girl who is interested in any form of racing I fully encourage you to take the plunge! Through racing you will discover that you can do so many things that you never thought you were capable of doing. You will realize how strong and capable you are and that will leak into other aspects of your life.
What plans and goals do you have for 2018?
This year for me is really just a trial run. I recently moved up from racing a 90cc ATV and a small hybrid 250cc ATV to a full-size hybrid 250cc ATV and a 450cc ATV. I am also experimenting with different series and even different disciplines of ATV racing.
How has your season been so far?
So far this season I have raced six different series on three different quads within two different disciplines of racing. I am mainly racing AMA District 13 motocross, but between races you can find me almost anywhere. I raced the Women’s Pro class at both Motocross Nationals and Flat Track Nationals. I have also been to a handful of local flat track races. I have consistently placed first or second this season at District 13 and I even managed a few podium positions in Flat Track.
What have been your career highlights or accomplishments?
I have been very blessed to have lived and raced on both coasts of the United States. This has provided me with very unique opportunities in racing such as racing The World Off Road Cup Championship Series (WORCS) which is the national series that covers the western half of the United States. I consider my biggest racing accomplishment to be winning two national WORCS championships my first and only season racing it. The two classes that I won were both male dominated and I was the first female to win a championship in either class. Other accomplishments that rank high on my list are a Quad-X championship, a Dirt Series championship, the Maryland State championship, a District 13 championship, and a handful of AMA ATVA national wins.
What is your favorite part about racing or riding?
My favorite part about racing is the satisfaction that comes from doing your best and succeeding. I am very competitive and also very hard on myself. If I know that I’m not riding to my potential then it isn’t fun for me. My favorite thing is when an entire day just clicks; the track, the quad, the mental aspect of it all. When all of that is 100% it’s the perfect day.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
Nothing in my racing career would be possible without the help of my parents and these amazing companies: Galfer USA, Media Allstars, Precision Powder Coating, Spy Optics, Fox Shox, Fasst Co, Fourwerx, Lonestar, Allsport Dynamics, BTO Sports, Rath Racing, JSR Designs, SSI Decals, Walsh Race Craft, DWT, Amsoil, Matrix Concepts, Atlas, Ryno Power, Gaerne, CP Pistons, Maxima, Hinson, Pit Posse, Yoshimura, Works Connection, Sunstar, Wicked Audio, and Ogio.