According to a national press release put out on July 16 by the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum and Nationwide Insurance to salute female riders and support all women who enjoy the open road on two wheels…

"There are more than 4.3 million women motorcyclists on the road today, and more are joining our ranks every day," said Beth Hazen, a motorcyclist and Nationwide Insurance agent.

"Women’s Motorcycle Month celebrates the pioneers who broke down gender and racial barriers in the early days of motorcycling, and we hope their stories inspire even more women to consider getting out on bikes or scooters this summer," Hazen’s statement read.

Wait a minute. That’s just for the ladies on the road? What are the lady dirt bikers up to?

I’ve seen quite a bit of pioneering that occurred this past July in the field of women’s motocross.

After the introduction of three divisions of all-women motos last June at Perris Raceway, 18 MX tracks in Arizona, California, Indiana, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin have adopted Heather Majcherek’s continued model of improvements for the women of the sport.

Within the next week, nine more tracks in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan should bring the tally up to 27 MX facilities offering women’s motocross classes in our country, and will continue to keep growing.

That’s pretty good results for Women’s Motorcycle Month.

Terry Thomason and his wife Sharel of the Rough Valley Medford Motocross Park (a.k.a. Central Point MX) in Oregon had this to say about women’s classes: "We’re sitting really good by offering new classes. We love the ladies. Wish we could get more of them, and we’re open for the first-timer class. It’s been good for business."

Mark Miller of Springfield, OR, has a nonprofit informational Web site with five links to each of the tracks offering women’s classes. "I’m telling you, the ladies here in Oregon and Washington are top-notch sportsmen," she said. "They are so easy to work with and really appreciate anything anyone can do to advance their sport."

My favorite link was this one: www.nwmoto.com/medfordmx.htm.

Kyle Killebrew runs West Coast MX School at Speedworld Raceway Park in Wittmann, AZ. "I take six or seven of my students, along with my 8-year-old daughter, Carrie Anne, to Perris Raceway’s Hot Summer Nights series so she can run in the women’s classes.

"I’m thoroughly convinced it’s a good idea and have decided to run Majcherek’s program here at Speedworld. As an instructor it makes perfect sense to cater to the women too at the races."

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[ Berry-Bell and Hall Mortuary ] telephone Carrie Anne whispered this about what Perris Raceway is offering: "It’s fun to ride with other people my speed. I can’t wait to do ‘show and tell’ when I get back in school. The kids and my teachers think it’s really cool what I do.

"My favorite thing about racing, no matter how I do, is my dad always says, ‘Good job’ when I get off the track. I’ve been to every single one of his classes over the past two-and-a-half-years and he says, ‘Good job’ to all of his students. He keeps it fun."

A message from Heather Majcherek’s press release: "For all you girls and moms out there who have been sitting in the pits thinking about giving it a try… come out and run the first-timer class! It’s an opportunity to race against other true beginners and have a great time. Let’s show them we mean business and let’s all have a great time doing it!"

According to the Motorcycle Industry Council’s most recent research, the number of women motorcycle riders increased 34 percent between 1998 and 2003. Today, major manufacturers report annual increases in sales to women and actively court female riders.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation says women make up nearly 30 percent of students in its learn-to-ride Basic Rider Courses across the United States.

"These women are inspiring to all riders," said Mark Mederski, executive director of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, "and the Hall of Fame encourages motorcyclists to nominate more remarkable women for inclusion."

"I think it’s great to know that women’s MX classes are being actively supported by the tracks. Positive leadership and organization is always welcome to improve any sport," he added.

Women who have been considering two wheels and are inspired by Women’s Motorcycle Month have many resources available to help them learn to ride. Nationwide’s Hazen offers three tips for getting started.

1. Web sites such as www.motorcycles.org, www.msf-usa.org and www.americanmotorcyclist.com provide information on everything from locating a safety course in your area to buying proper riding gear.

2. Find a local dealership where you feel welcome and learn about different motorcycles before purchasing. Sit in the saddle and check out the practical aspects, such as making sure both of your feet can easily rest on the ground and determining if handgrips, controls and mirrors (for street bikes) are easy to reach and operate.

3. Join a women’s motorcycle club in your area. Not only do these clubs allow women to enjoy the community of riding, many also focus on charity work.