RACHEL GIRARD
What’s your name?
Rachel Girard
Where are you from?
Waxahachie, TX.
Who is(are) your rider(s)?
Reid Girard, but he’s also known as Speedy Reidy
How long have you been a moto mom?
March of 2019 when Reid had his first race.
Were you into motorcycles before becoming a moto mom?
No, I only tagged along to Supercross with my husband for the margaritas and nachos that were promised to me.
Describe a typical race weekend for you.
Race weekends for us begin Thursday night when the travel trailer is brought home. I pack the travel trailer with everything our family of four needs (minus my husbands clothes because he’s picky). My husband spends the evening making sure the PW50 and Cobra P3 are 100% for the weekend. Friday, I load the bikes and all of the moto stuff. When we arrive at the races it’s a family effort to get everything set up...and then we wait for the events. We usually pass the time trying to hype Reid up and watch him play with his friends. When its time to race the mood changes a little and we get more serious about why we’re there. When your five-year-old is a motocross racer, it can be a constant battle to remind them why you’re there and what you’re supposed to do during a race (they forget between playing with their friends and all the waiting! (haha)
What’s your family’s favorite meal at the track?
Considering how I am the one that has to gather everything for a race, I chose the easy things! There’s a food truck there? GREAT. If not, you can catch us with sandwiches, chips, hot pockets or easy mac. I usually pack tons of fruit too so it’s a balanced meal though.
Do you have any pre-race rituals or superstitions while spectating?
No. Usually, we just feel nauseous and anxious. It’s totally fine though.
Most nerve-wracking moment watching your kid(s) race/ride?
The most nerve-wracking parts for me are the start and the final lap (when he’s in a good or winning position).
Favorite part about being at the track?
My favorite part about being at the track is how I get to spend time with my children, outside, watching them get dirty and play with friends. Moto people are our people. No one is stuffy about dirty, muddy, rowdy, crazy boys running around. Our toddler girl Parker gets to play with all of the other moto sisters (who are also muddy and dirty but much tamer, lol). It’s just a good fun time. It’s the way kids SHOULD live their lives!
Favorite and least favorite part about traveling to the races?
My favorite part about traveling is the road trip itself. My least favorite part is whining kids for hours on end.
Craziest travel story?
It was a cloudy day and we were headed out to Swan Raceway in Tyler, TX. I didn’t have a good feeling about going for some reason. A mother’s intuition is like none other. About thirty minutes into our drive our truck started to jerk like it was going to die.
We joked about how that was our sign to turn around. The truck was fine after a few minutes. We did not turn around, thirty more minutes pass and it turned into a scene from Final Destination.While on the highway traveling highway speed, one car ahead of us swerved, another car swerved, and then we saw why. A metal bar the size of a travel trailer sway bar was headed straight for our windshield.There was nowhere to go and nothing we could do so we all covered our faces and honestly thought it was going to fly through. Thank God it didn’t! It just cracked our windshield. It was super scary though and we were all quiet for the rest of the trip. It’s safe to say, we still did not turn around. We made it though!
The most important lesson motocross teaches at a young age.
It teaches young people of a spoiled generation that there are still things in this world you have to work for. Nothing is promised to you in motocross or life. You don’t get rewarded for just showing up. If you want it, you need to put in the work. If you don’t, there’s no one to be disappointed in except yourself.
What’s your secret to getting all the dirt stains out of riding gear?
I wish I had the answer to this secret...
Proudest moment of your career as a moto mom thus far?
My proudest moto mom moment was when Reid got his first podium at the AMA Texas State Championship last fall. He ended that race in 3rd in the 4-8 Air Cooled class. He worked harder than he’s ever worked in racing. He had some bad luck in the first moto but pushed his way through tons of riders to get his 5th place finish. Although that’s not where he should’ve been, there’s nothing more that could’ve been done and he had to fight with everything he had to get there. During the second moto, he was flawless and clenched 2nd place. His third overall was well earned and he gave it all he had (which is all I ask for).
What’s your favorite track?
Village Creek in Fort Worth, TX. is our go-to for an abundance of 50 riders and good times during the school week. The atmosphere, close proximity to the house and amount of friends there are what we look forward to every Tuesday and Thursday night. However, when Reid is out of school and wants to develop or work on skill and get some riding in on some top-notch dirt we head to none other than Quick’s Moto Ranch in Kemp, TX. The atmosphere and riding there is so great. I love watching Reid hit his goals on this tough track.
Who is your favorite pro racer?
Ken Roczen
What is your favorite genre of music?
Country and Alternative Rock
What is your favorite movie/tv show?
Any staple 80’s/90’s movies, anything with Adam Sandler, and most recently The Office. I also enjoy watching murder mystery/stalker shows when the kids are away!
What is in your red solo cup?
Probably just water! Lol!
Any advice for the moto moms of the future?
I know this is easier said than done, but try to remember these are just kids. He’s still your little dinosaur/snake loving/Power Ranger fighting little boy. He’s just doing big boy things when he’s on that bike. Teach them lessons but love them fiercely. At the end of the day, it’s just racing. You wouldn’t be doing all of this if they didn’t enjoy it. So keep it fun and it’s totally okay and normal if you need to brag them so they go that extra mile or feel like you want to throw their bikes in the trash after a terrible race, haha!
