Women of Competitive Off-Road Racing, Part 2

Monica Greenhill
For decades Monica has been involved with SCORE’s desert racing program, but she was one of the behind-the-scenes people in race-ops in timing and scoring. Occasionally you could find her registering entries and assisting media operations. In 2010 she jumped at the chance to get behind the wheel of the Class 1 for Greenhill Motorsports. 

In 2012 her name was drawn first to start the Class 1 vehicles at the Baja 1000. Monica explained her feelings at the time: “When they called my name as the first starter, I about fell over at the Off-Road Expo. I was ecstatic at first then quickly became worried. It is an unbelievable, surreal feeling to know that I am going to be the first woman to start first in Class 1 in the SCORE Baja 1000.” Since the 2012 Baja 1000, Monica has been focusing on the family, her son, and supporting her husband David in his racing efforts.

Key Accomplishments:
2012 SCORE Toyota Milestone Winner

Nicole Pitell-Vaughan
Director of Operations and Marketing at Total Chaos Fabrication, Nicole is one of the most adventurous racers on our list. Not only does she and race a 1450 truck in the Battle at Primm and Vegas to Reno, she dirt bikes as often as she can.

Nicole and Jessi Combs competed in the 2015 Ralley Aicha de Gazelles in Morrocco. The Ralley tests the mind, body and spirit while overcoming the challenges of making the shortest distance to finishing the race, but doing it without any GPS (including desert racing’s coveted Lowrance), and only using a compass and a map! They finished 10th overall out of 88 vehicles and took first place among First Participants of the event.

“This is the most life-changing event I’ve ever experienced, professionally, spiritually, and emotionally,” Nicole said. “There is nothing as monumental than this race was for me, and I’m an adventure junkie.” Speaking of adventures, the Tacoma that she raced in the Ralley Aicha de Gazelles was landing at port this week in New Jersey. Nicole flew in to pick up the truck, and drive it cross-country back to California, making a stop at the Overland Expo in Flagstaff, AZ, this past weekend Never a dull moment around this woman!

Key Accomplishments:
2015 First Participation 4x4 Champion Ralley Aicha de Gazelles

Laia Sanz
Laia learned to ride motorcycles at the age of 4, when she stole her brother’s bike and took it for a “test ride,” and the rest is history. She excels in enduro and spanks the boys at trails, and in rally she holds a distinct honor for being the only woman to win the Female Trophy for the Dakar Rally four times! Laia has 13 World Titles under her belt while competing against men and women. Athletically fit post Dakar 2015, her first enduro race this year was in Spain and she finished first overall 1 minute and 23 seconds ahead of second place! Moving to KTM this year from Honda HRC, she made the move for “sporty” reasons.

Laia is also a cross-over rider/driver. She has made a temporary switch to four-wheel racing in the form of GSeries on Ice in Spain. During her first race of 2015 she clinched the overall victory! This girl is on fire (and ice)!

Key Accomplishments:
13 Women's World Titles in Trials Bike
10 European Ttles in Women's Trials Bike
6 Titles in the Trial des Nations
4 Wins in Female Trophy Dakar Rally (for motorcycle)
3 World Titles in Female Enduro
3 Gold Metals in Female Enduro X Games
1 Silver Medal Female Enduro X Games

Paula Galvez
Paula is the first female from Chile to ride an ATV in Dakar, and she is a formidable force behind the handlebars. In fact, Paula is the first Chilean ATV driver to finish Dakar, ever. Her day job as a physical education teacher in Chile has helped Paula become physically prepared for Dakar. “The courses were as I expected, technical and some very long,” she said after this year’s Dakar. “My goal was to finish the stages.”

Only racing for three years prior to the 2015 Dakar, her main racing focus has been in Chile’s National Rally Championship. Paula and Laia are two of five women to compete in Dakar for 2015, and both finished all stages of the grueling 9,000-kilometer race across Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.

Key Accomplishments:
2014 Atacama Rally 1st ATV Class
2015 Dakar 18th overall in ATV Class

Paige Sohren
Paige is a rising star in desert racing, having grown up around it thanks to her father “Pistol” Pete Sohren. Her very first race was MORE Powder Puff in 2011 in a Bajalite. She admittedly ran out of talent at race mile 21, where she broke a tire rod, but she managed to weld it back together and finish the lap.

In 2014 her race career went into full swing and she’s been behind the wheel of a Class 3000 Bajalite gaining seat time and living her dream of racing.

“I love that I get to connect with little kids and encourage them to follow their dreams,” explains Paige, who loves Baja and the people that surround the sport. Paige has her eye on the big prize of a championship, and she came close in her rookie year 2014, but and incident with her truck at the Baja 1000 near Colonet at race mile 190 ended her points race lead, and she finished second overall in points for Class 3000 for the season.

In 2015 she is looking to gain more experience behind the wheel and also attend college at ASU.

Key Accomplishments:
2014 SCORE Imperial Valley 250 Class 3000 winner

All in all, this list is only a fraction of the women that are involved in off-road racing. We will continue to add to the list as it grows, which we expect it to continue to do!