Hailey Makinson
Racer Bio
Hailey Makinson, #713, is a passionate motorcycle racer, ready to go fast! She started riding when she was 8 years old, and has been competing in racing championships with District 36 on her 2018 KTM150, and with Supermoto USA on her Kawasaki KX65 2-stroke mini-supermoto. In Hailey's first season of racing, she achieved a 1st place and a 3rd place championship, along with 14 podium finishes.
In 2022, Hailey began training for sportbike road racing on a Yamaha YZF-R3, and upgraded to a Kawasaki Ninja 400 by the end of the season. In only one year of practice, she has dramatically improved her riding skills, shaved 10's of seconds off her lap times, and has been bumped to more advanced Track Day groups.
In 2023, Hailey will be earing her novice racing license and will be competing in the California Roadrace Association (CRA) championships on the Remix Racing team. She is excited for what is next to come!
Personal Story
When I was 11 years old my mom was diagnosed with super aggressive breast cancer. The moment I found out it felt like the world was ending. On top of that I was growing up in circumstances full of intense trauma. Every day I was being buried by thoughts that I was not good enough and I was not capable of achieving things I wanted. I was in a place where I felt I did not matter and that nothing was ever going to get better.
At the time, my brother was racing at a pro level, so I would spend almost every weekend at the track watching how everything was happening. I always noticed the thrill of riding, the people in the community, and the spirit everyone had. Even though I wasn’t allowed to ride often, I found a sort of peace when I could.
Thankfully, in July of 2020, my mom was strong enough to change our situation and give us the opportunity to start over. From then on my mom and I had to learn to build our own lives and her one goal was to get me into racing.
I used to think the phrase "throttle therapy" was stupid, but now I can’t get enough of it. Through racing I have learned that I am strong, capable, confident, and most importantly I am enough, which I never thought was an achievable thought for me. I am beyond grateful not only for the ability to race, but for the people in the community who have been patient and supportive in helping me.