Melissa Paris

Melissa Paris is one of the most influential trailblazers in professional motorcycle road racing, racking up more “firsts” for women than nearly anyone in the sport while building a reputation as a rider who belongs on any track in the world.

EARLY YEARS

Unlike many racers who grew up around engines and track days, Melissa Paris came to motorcycles relatively late. She didn’t swing a leg over her first bike until she was 20 years old, and that bike—a 1990 Yamaha FZR 600 she acquired in 2003—was hardly the stuff of racing dreams. With a salvage title and parts literally held together with duct tape, the 13-year-old machine wasn’t much to look at. But it changed everything. “That’s when I fell in love with riding,” she’s said, and the understatement is almost charming given what came next.[2]

Before motorcycles, Paris felt lost. She’s described the moment she discovered racing as finding her life’s calling, and she didn’t waste time once she figured it out. By 2005—just two years after that duct-taped FZR—she was racing. Not just casually, either: she started club racing on 125cc and 250cc bikes nearly every weekend while juggling a full-time job and a full-time student schedule to fund it all. The details of her childhood, family background, and what led her to that first bike remain largely unknown, but what’s clear is that once she found racing, nothing else mattered.[3]

OTHER INTERESTS

Paris is an avid bicyclist and has mentioned bicycle training rides as part of her routine. She’s also a motocross and flat track enthusiast, which makes sense for someone who seems to genuinely love anything with two wheels and a throttle. She’s described herself as a “bad ass,” and if you’ve ever tried to fund a racing career while working full-time and staying in school, you’d probably agree.[1][2]

Her personal life includes her husband, Josh Hayes, a four-time AMA Superbike Champion who now races for her MP13 Racing Team. It’s a partnership that works on and off the track, and it’s hard not to appreciate the symmetry of two champions building something together.[1]

EARLY SUCCESS

Paris knew from her first flag drop that racing was what she was supposed to be doing, and she proved it quickly. By 2008, just three years after she started racing, she became the Lightweight National Champion. In 2009, she made her professional debut at Daytona on a Yamaha R6, finishing 21st—and became the first woman to qualify for and race in a World Supersport Race. That wasn’t a fluke or a publicity stunt; it was the beginning of a career defined by breaking barriers that other women hadn’t even gotten close to.[2][3][4]

In 2010, Paris competed in the AMA Daytona Sportbike series with a personal best finish of 15th. That same year, she became the only female ever to test the Yamaha MotoGP M1 prototype—a moment so surreal she later compared it to the backstage pass scene in *Wayne’s World*, half-expecting someone to tell her she didn’t belong there. Instead, Yamaha handed her a full tank and told her to go. No limits, just the track. Valentino Rossi was on the circuit at the same time. She called the M1 “the coolest motorcycle you could possibly ride” and “terrifying but amazing,” which pretty much sums it up.[3][4]

By 2011, she’d qualified for the World Supersport Race at Brands Hatch—again, the first female to do so—and continued testing that MotoGP prototype, cementing her place as not just a capable racer but a legitimate force in a world that wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for women.[1][2][3]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2005: Started racing[2].
• 2008: Lightweight National Champion[4].
• 2009: First woman to qualify for and race in World Supersport Race; professional debut at Daytona on Yamaha R6, finished 21st[2][3][4].
• 2010: Competed in AMA Daytona Sportbike series with personal best 15th place finish; only female to test Yamaha MotoGP M1 prototype[1][3][4].
• 2011: Qualified for World Supersport Race at Brands Hatch (first female); tested MotoGP M1 prototype (first and only female in history); raced British Supersport at Brands Hatch[1][2][3].
• 2012: Competed in British BSB Series at Brands Hatch[1][2].
• 2013: Finished 10th at Daytona 200; recipient of Women’s Sports Foundation’s Women in the Winners Circle Project Podium Grant[1][5].
• 2014: Finished 5th overall in Spanish CEV Superstock Championship; first woman to compete in Suzuka Endurance Race; planned part-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike schedule with Team Hammer[1][2][3][5].
• 2015: 1st place at 24 Hours of Barcelona; won WERA West Superbike Championship; competed in MotoAmerica Supersport[1].
• 2016: Member of first all-girl team to qualify and compete in Bol d’Or 24 Hour World Endurance Championship[1][2][3].
• 2017: Founded MP13 Racing Team to promote young talent; member of first all-girl team to qualify and compete in Le Mans 24 Hour World Endurance Championship[1][2][3].

INSPIRATIONS

No specific influences, mentors, or inspirations have been documented. What drove Paris to racing—and what keeps her connected to the sport as a team owner and mentor—remains her own story to tell.

REPUTATION

Paris is regarded as one of the most influential and trailblazing female motorcycle road racers in history. She’s a familiar face in powersports, known not just for her “outstanding career record” but for the sheer number of barriers she’s broken. First woman to qualify for World Supersport. First to test a MotoGP bike. First to compete at Suzuka. First on an all-girl team at both Bol d’Or and Le Mans. The list goes on, and it’s not just about being first—it’s about proving she belonged there in the first place.[1][2][3][4]

Media coverage has consistently portrayed her as a barrier-breaker and a serious competitor, and her post-racing work as owner, crew chief, and chief mechanic of MP13 Racing has only added to her standing. She’s dedicated to mentoring young athletes, and while she’s admitted she misses racing, she clearly loves what she’s building now. Her husband Josh Hayes races for MP13, and the team supports riders in MotoAmerica Twins Cup and Junior Cup, making her influence on the next generation tangible and ongoing.[3][4]

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2023, Melissa Paris is focused on MP13 Racing as team owner, crew chief, and chief mechanic. While she’s acknowledged missing the racing itself, her current role mentoring young riders and running the team seems to be fulfilling in its own right. No specific future racing plans or business ventures beyond MP13 have been publicly documented.[4]

References:

iMotorbike: Female Motorcycle Racer Melissa Paris
CarsYeah: Melissa Paris
YourEverydayHeroes: Melissa Paris
Jalopnik: Meet Melissa Paris, One of the Best Motorcycle Racers You’ve Never Heard Of
Roadracingworld: Melissa Paris Wins Women’s Sports Foundation Grant