Jianna Evaristo

Jianna Evaristo is the fastest woman in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle history, having shattered the 200 mph barrier and posted a career-best 6.674 seconds at 204.54 mph—the second-fastest pass in class history. Racing for Scrappers Racing with Matt Smith Racing power, she’s proven herself a fierce competitor in drag racing’s most demanding two-wheeled category.

EARLY YEARS

Born in August 2000, Jianna grew up as one of four daughters in California’s Salinas family—a household where drag racing wasn’t just a weekend hobby, it was the family business. Her father, Mike Salinas, campaigned a Top Fuel dragster, and her mother Monica managed the organized chaos of raising four girls who all caught the racing bug. Jianna and her sisters—Jasmine, Jacquelin, and Janae—started competing in NHRA Junior Drag Racing at age 10, turning family track days into full-blown sibling rivalries.

While other kids spent weekends at soccer practice, the Salinas sisters were at the drag strip, learning throttle control and reaction times. Jianna attended her father’s races religiously, absorbing the culture of nitromethane and thousand-horsepower engines. She never planned on turning pro—racing was just what her family did. But somewhere between childhood bracket races and watching her dad launch a 10,000-horsepower machine down the quarter-mile, the idea of a professional career started to take shape. Street riding in 2015 sparked a more serious interest, and by 2018, she’d earned her Pro Stock Motorcycle license, officially entering the pipeline to NHRA’s professional ranks.

OTHER INTERESTS

Before the 2020 season, Jianna got married and had a child, prompting her to take that year off from competition. Beyond that brief mention, the public record on her life outside the racetrack is virtually nonexistent. No hobbies, no side hustles, no carefully curated social media presence revealing what she does when she’s not on a motorcycle doing 200 mph. Either she’s extremely private, or racing and family genuinely consume all her time and energy.

EARLY SUCCESS

Jianna made her professional debut at the 2019 NHRA Gatornationals—the 50th anniversary edition of the iconic Gainesville event. It was a baptism by fire into Pro Stock Motorcycle, a class known for eating rookies alive. But she didn’t just survive her first season; she thrived. At the season finale in Pomona, she stormed through eliminations, defeating a murderer’s row of established stars: Andrew Hines, Steve Johnson, her own crew chief Matt Smith, and finally Jerry Savoie in the final round. Cameras caught her crying at the top end—not the polite, dab-your-eyes kind of tears, but the full emotional release of someone who’d just proven she belonged. That win also earned her recognition as a finalist for the Auto Club Road to the Future award.

The following years brought the inevitable ups and downs. She took 2020 off for family reasons, then returned to find her footing again. In 2023, riding a Scrappers Racing Suzuki powered by Matt Smith Racing, she posted two semi-final finishes including one at Gainesville Raceway, and qualified for eight races. More significantly, she broke the 200 mph barrier at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway—a milestone that announced she wasn’t just competitive, she was fast.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2018: Earned NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle license[1].
• 2019: Professional debut at NHRA Gatornationals (50th Anniversary)[1].
• 2019: First career win at NHRA Finals, Pomona (In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip), defeating Andrew Hines, Steve Johnson, Matt Smith, and Jerry Savoie[1][2].
• 2019: Finalist for Auto Club Road to the Future award[1].
• 2023: Broke 200 mph barrier at Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway[1].
• 2023: Two semi-final finishes including Gainesville Raceway[1].
• 2024: Switched from Suzuki to V-Twin Buell chassis/engine platform[1][5][6].
• 2024: Runner-up at GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, Sonoma Raceway; posted career-best 6.674 seconds at 204.54 mph—fastest woman in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle history and second-fastest pass in class history[1][2][3].
• 2024: No. 2 qualifier at Sonoma eliminations, earning four bonus points[3].
• 2024: Final round appearance at Bristol[1][5].
• 2024: Round win at Indianapolis[1].
• 2024: Named to Drag Illustrated DI 30 Under 30[2][8].
• 2025: Named to Drag Illustrated Women of Power[2][9].

INSPIRATIONS

Mike Salinas didn’t just give Jianna her last name—he gave her a front-row seat to professional drag racing. Watching her father pilot a Top Fuel car provided early, visceral exposure to what it takes to compete at the highest level. Her crew chief and mentor, Matt Smith, has guided her development in Pro Stock Motorcycle, helping her navigate everything from routine setup changes to the massive transition from Suzuki to Buell power in 2024. Beyond those two figures, the record is silent on who else might have shaped her path or sparked her competitive fire.

REPUTATION

In the insular world of Pro Stock Motorcycle, Jianna Evaristo has earned respect as a legitimate threat, not a novelty act. Media coverage consistently emphasizes her talent, resilience, and determination—words that sound like platitudes until you consider she’s competing in a class where thousandths of a second separate glory from obscurity, and where crashing at 200 mph is an occupational hazard. She’s known as “fast and focused,” someone who’s proven she can adapt when faced with new challenges like switching to an entirely different bike platform mid-career.

Broadcast commentary during races praises her racecraft: “She continues to do an amazing job riding that bike.” At Sonoma Raceway—considered her hometown track—she wowed fans with her All-Star Callout performance and record-setting speed. The “Scrappers Sisters” label ties her to family legacy while underscoring that she and her siblings represent a new generation. She’s not just breaking barriers for women; she’s setting records that stand regardless of gender. Peers and fans alike view her as a rising icon, someone who embodies the next era of speed and precision in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of early 2025, Jianna continues with Scrappers Racing, campaigning the Matt Smith Racing-powered V-Twin Buell that she transitioned to in 2024. Sponsorship from DENSO Auto Parts, Buell Motorcycle, and Valley Services remains visible on her machine. Beyond that, her future plans are largely unspoken. No public statements outline championship ambitions, retirement timelines, or business ventures. The trajectory seems clear enough, though: keep pushing the bike faster, keep stacking up round wins, and eventually turn that speed into a championship. She’s already the fastest woman in class history. The logical next step is proving she’s simply the fastest, period.

References:

Scrappers Racing – Jianna Evaristo Official Bio
RacingJunk – Jianna Evaristo Speed Record
CycleDrag – How Jianna Evaristo Dominated Sonoma 2024
YouTube – Jianna Evaristo Promotional Video
NHRA – Jianna Evaristo Official Driver Profile
NHRA – Jianna Evaristo Buell Transition Article
EverybodyWiki – Jianna Evaristo
Drag Illustrated – DI 30 Under 30 2024
Drag Illustrated – Women of Power 2025