A Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Indiana University–Bloomington and a competitive motorcycle road racer, Tiffanie Vo is the rare person who shows up in both academic journals and MotoAmerica race results — and takes both seriously.

EARLY YEARS

Vo grew up with a strong connection to her Vietnamese heritage. In a first-person essay for World Literature Today, she wrote about the centrality of Lunar New Year — Tết — to her family’s identity: “In my family, Lunar New Year — or Tết, as it is called in Vietnamese — is a big deal. This was my favorite holiday growing up because I would receive lucky red envelopes or li xi filled with crisp new money from my elders wishing me a prosperous year.” [27] She described the holiday as “a time for me and my family to come together and embrace our Vietnamese culture,” a sentiment that runs through much of her public-facing work. [27]

She pursued her undergraduate education at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, completing dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Human Relations between 2016 and 2020. [28] She stayed at Oklahoma for her master’s, earning an M.A. in Sociology in 2022, before moving to Indiana University–Bloomington to pursue her doctorate. [2] Her research there focuses on race, ethnicity, Asian and Asian American experiences, family, intersectionality, and social stratification — with a particular interest in how race and gender interact to shape economic outcomes for Asian Americans in the U.S. labor market. [6]

OTHER INTERESTS

Vo has written cultural commentary and personal essays for World Literature Today, where she worked as an intern during her time at the University of Oklahoma. Her piece on Lunar New Year — grounded in her family’s Vietnamese traditions — reflects a consistent commitment to cultural advocacy and to making Asian American experiences visible in public discourse. [26] [27]

She is also registered as an amateur pickleball player in the United States, though she does not appear to be actively competing in tournaments at this time. [4] The academic record shows her presenting at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting as early as 2020, with a paper titled “The Income Differences Among Asian Americans: Intersectionality of Race and Gender” — so the competitive instinct apparently extends to conference rooms as well as racetracks. [2]

EARLY SUCCESS

Vo was selected as one of ten racers for the 2026 Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. road-racing series — a MotoAmerica-affiliated program entering its sixth year — joining four returning racers and five other newcomers in the field. [1] The BTR program is structured around three phases: participants build their own Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 race bikes under professional guidance, receive coaching on technique and physical preparation, and then compete across a full race calendar. [1] [10] It is a comprehensive developmental platform, not a token series, and selection is competitive.

The 2026 road-racing season opened at Road Atlanta, April 17–19, and Vo was in the mix from the start. At Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (May 29–31), she posted a fifth-place finish in Race 1, crossing the line just 0.270 seconds behind race winner Bryanna Everitt in a tight contest. [14] In Race 2 at Road America, she again finished inside the top five. [22] Race results from Road Atlanta earlier in the season confirmed her consistent presence among the lead group, with her name appearing alongside Karina Simões, Juliana Bernardes, and Emily Dickson in the upper tier of the finishers. [23] She competes as number 910, representing Irvine, California. [8]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2020: Earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. [28]
• 2020: Presented “The Income Differences Among Asian Americans: Intersectionality of Race and Gender” at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. [2]
• 2022: Completed Master of Arts in Sociology at the University of Oklahoma. [6]
• 2026: Selected as one of ten racers for the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. road-racing series, competing under MotoAmerica. [1]
• 2026: Finished fifth in Royal Enfield BTR Race 1 at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, 0.270 seconds off the race lead. [14]
• 2026: Recorded multiple top-five finishes across the Road Atlanta and Road America rounds of the BTR series. [22] [23]

INSPIRATIONS

The research does not document specific racing figures Vo has cited as inspirations. What is clear from her writing and academic work is that her Vietnamese heritage and her family’s traditions have been formative — she has described cultural connection and community as deeply motivating forces in her life. [27] Her sociology research, which centers the experiences of Asian Americans in a field that has historically underrepresented them, reflects the same orientation: a drive to make space where space has not always been offered.

REPUTATION

Within the Build.Train.Race. program, Vo has established herself as a consistent front-runner. Finishing inside the top five at Road America — a full-length, technically demanding 4.048-mile circuit — across both race days is not an accident; it reflects genuine development and focus. [14] [22] Her participation in the Monki Moto Pod podcast alongside other CVMA racers, where competitors discuss race weekends, bike builds, and mental challenges of the sport, suggests she is engaged with the broader community of women in motorcycle racing and willing to share her experience publicly. [15] [16]

In academic circles, her work has accumulated at least twelve citations despite her status as a doctoral candidate, indicating that her contributions have begun to register in scholarly conversation. [5] She has also served as a manuscript referee for professional journals — a role typically extended to more established researchers — which speaks to the regard in which her peers hold her judgment. [2] Taken together, the profile that emerges is of someone who earns her standing in both arenas through sustained, serious effort rather than novelty.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

The 2026 Build.Train.Race. calendar still includes rounds at Ridge Motorsports Park (June 26–28) and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (July 31–August 2), giving Vo further opportunity to build on her results from Road Atlanta and Road America. [1] On the academic side, she is working toward the completion of her Ph.D. in Sociology at Indiana University–Bloomington, with research that examines how race, gender, and family structure intersect to shape economic disparities among Asian Americans in the U.S. labor market. [6] Both tracks are live, and there is no indication she intends to put either one down.

References:

2026 Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. Road Racing Schedule Kicks Off April 17 — Woman Rider
Tiffanie Vo Curriculum Vitae — Indiana University Department of Sociology
MotoAmerica: Everitt Takes Provisional Build.Train.Race. Pole at Road America — Road Racing World
Tiffanie Vo — Pickleball Player Profile
Tiffanie Vo — Google Scholar Profile
Tiffanie Vo — Graduate Student Profile, Indiana University Department of Sociology
MotoAmerica Road America BTR Race 1 Results — Road Racing World
2026 MotoAmerica Season Entry List
Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. — Road Racing Program
MotoAmerica Road Atlanta Results: Superbike, Supersport, BTR — MCNews
Monki Moto Pod — CVMA Racer Recap Episode (Spotify)
MotoAmerica Royal Enfield BTR Race Results from Road America — Road Racing World
CVMA Racer Recap R5 S2 E46 — Monki Moto Pod (Apple Podcasts)
Monki Moto Pod — Apple Podcasts
MotoAmerica Royal Enfield BTR Race 2 Results at Road America — Road Racing World
MotoAmerica Results from Saturday’s Royal Enfield BTR Race at Road Atlanta — Road Racing World
Dynojet Proudly Supports Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. Program — Dynojet
Tiffanie Vo — Author Profile, World Literature Today
Celebrating Lunar New Year with the Vo Family — World Literature Today
Tiffanie Vo — ORCID Profile