Valerie Thompson's in the Sturgis Hall of Fame

Valerie Thompson is headed to the Sturgis Hall of Fame!

During this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, one of the most decorated female motorcycle racers of all-time, Valerie Thompson, will be inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.

Thompson’s list of accomplishments is lengthy and impressive: She’s the first woman to travel over 300 mph on a motorcycle, holds numerous land-speed records, is part of a combined seven 200 mph and 300 mph clubs, has been featured in numerous documentary films, and is the only woman to ever compete for the world’s fastest motorcycle crown.

Thompson’s quest for speed in 2016 when she started drag racing with the All Harley Drag Racing Association, and continued on to the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle drag series.

One of Thompson’s most significant accomplishments happened back in 2016 on the Bonneville Salt Flats. She piloted the Team “7” Streamliner to an incredible top speed of 304.263 mph on just her fifth run in a streamlined motorcycle, and was her first time cracking the 300 mph barrier. 

Earlier this year, she upped the ante in a huge way by crushing her previous record with a new top speed of 328.467 mph at Lake Gairdner in Australia. That run cemented her as the world’s fastest female motorcycle racer and added yet another glittering achievement to her already sterling resume.

The 2018 Sturgis Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Thompson and numerous other famous riders including Jeff Deck, Jack Hoel, and Marilyn Stemp, takes place on Wednesday, August 8 at The Lodge in Deadwood, South Dakota