Fiolek Fired Up for X Games 17

Just
a few years ago it was a big deal for the Women to get invited to the
Moto X event at X Games - and now you're the headliners! How does that
feel?
Well of course it feels great! I mean, I still
wish the guys were there, but this is huge for women racers and I am
glad that I am a part of it all.

This year's Moto X
Racing will take place in STAPLES Center rather than the Coliseum. Do
you feel that moving things indoors will improve the track conditions
(dust, sun glare), and by extension, the racing? 
I
think it will be a little of both. There will definitely be the
environment improvements that we will not have to worry about, but at
the STAPLES Center the track is also supposed to be tighter and shorter
and we will be doing qualifiers now, too - something we haven't done in
the past X Games races.

How much do you and the team
dedicate to racing X Games? It's only one event, but it's very different
from WMX. Do you have a dedicated bike? How much preparation?
Every
year it seems the dedication from my team and myself is improving. The
Honda race team and Red Bull have been very supportive of me racing X
Games. I have done some testing and I have a bike just for [X Games].
The team has come out to support me even in practice. It is hard to turn
SX on and off compared to my outdoor national racing but I have been
doing some practice since after the fourth of July.

Photo: Christian Pondella/Shazamm/ESPN Images

Photo: Christian Pondella/Shazamm/ESPN Images

You were invited to compete in the Enduro X Women's competition - are you going to do it?
I
just recently came to the decision, but I will not be participating in
Enduro X. I did want to do it - it's something new and everything about X
Games is always exciting. But when a few of my sponsors approached me
about not racing it, it was time for my family and me to re-evaluate.

There
just wasn't enough time to prepare for it and I don't really have
anywhere to practice. I would need a completely different bike and
setup. My sponsors want me to focus my energies on the SX race right
now.

Do you have any background in off-road? Have you ever attempted things like boulders and log crossings?
No, I have not done any of that. It doesn't really come up in moto racing!