Pro MotoAmerica Racer Ella Dreher Knows Exactly What She Wants: To Win
Ella Dreher, 15, is a typical teen in many ways. She goes to high school near Cocoa Beach, Florida, where she lives. She thinks about her future and her goals without fear. And she has her driving permit. However, there is one way that Dreher is much different from her peers: she's a rising young motorcycle rider working to break barriers as the only female competing in MotoAmerica's new Talent Cup.
This teen motorcycle racer is hurtling at speeds topping 150 miles per hour on the track, trying to make history in North America's premier road racing series. Dreher has her sights set on the bright lights of MotoGP in the future. For now, she's acutely focused on the Talent Cup, a groundbreaking championship for young racers in North America to get ready for the global stage.
Ella Dreher gets ready for her next race.
Chasing The Dream
In March, Dreher debuted at the Red Bull MotoGP of The Americas, at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. In this setting, the teen racer got to pit her skills against other elite competitors and show off her talent.
At the end of the season, five standout riders from the MotoAmerica Talent Cup will earn an invitation to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Largely considered a launchpad for the sport's next global stars, this Red Bull event would propel Dreher toward the champion status she seeks.
'It's always been a dream,' Dreher says. 'I've been dreaming about going pro since I was little.'
In fact, Dreher was only seven years old when she started riding. The only girl in a family with three brothers, Dreher learned how to be assertive not just on the bike but in life.
Melissa Paris and Ella Dreher discuss equipment and strategy at a recent race.
Working With Mentor Melissa Paris
In her quest to reach the global stage, she enlisted the help of former pro racer Melissa Paris, the owner of MP13 Racing. Paris is mentoring Dreher along the way, both setting an example as a woman in motorsports and teaching Dreher everything she needs to know about competing.
'I got into racing like later in life, and I don't have near the talent that Ella has,' Paris says. 'I'm aware enough to realize that I did get almost unfair level of support just because I was unique in the series, and I made a promise to myself that when it was time to stop racing and I would pay that forward and help create opportunity for others.'
Dreher was only 11 or 12 when Paris first spotted her and picked up on the then-preteen's skills immediately. Paris got to know Dreher's family and followed her trajectory as the teen made her way.
'To see a 15-year-old with that kind of race intelligence is impressive,' Paris says. 'You either have it or you don't. You can't teach someone that.'
The Commitment To Ride
Dreher has her eyes on the prize and is open to wherever the racing universe takes her, depending on how her next few wins go.
'My best advice is to keep your focus on your goal," Dreher says. "You have to know where you want to end up.'
Paris says one of her favorite things about Dreher is her enthusiasm and love for the sport. The teen is always ready to race and she is tenacious, flexible, and drama averse. All she wants to do is ride.
'The first time we tested [her current] bike, she sat on it and I said 'Hey, do you want me to move the handlebars? Do you want to move the levers or anything?'' Paris remembers. "And just said 'Nah, let's just go ride it."
Ella Dreher is destined for champion status.
Ella Dreher is a 15-year-old motorcycle racer.
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