Tuesday Toolbox: Angel Atwell

After almost sitting out the 2009 season, Angel Atwell was signed to FRE KTM just weeks before the season started. And boy, it's a good thing Tim Farr came along to sign her! Atwell just won up her first GNCC Championship by tying up the women's class with two races to go. Angel took time out to share about her most memorable races and how she keeps those nails perfectly manicured during race day.

Angel! How does it feel to have your first championship win? Yeah it's sinking in a little bit. I guess we'll have to wait to get to the banquet. I'm a little more relaxed now.

Are you going to take it easy the last two races? I'd like to get wins the last two. I don't have quite the drive anymore. I definitely don't have the push to run as much now that this is a sealed deal.

How long have you been working to win a championship? This is my ninth year working on it.

I'm sure you have a ton of memories over the years, what are some of your memories trying to win the championship? There was one year that would have been the first race I won, but I got it taken off of me because another girl said I cut the track. I took them to the line and it was a legit line. But I won by 5 minutes, and this line was inside the tree line. But they docked me. I was heartbroken. I didn't care the rest of the season. That was only three races in. And then I had more drive and got more sponsors, and last year I was really close and it fell apart in the second part of the season. I had a lot of things going on that I let affect me.

 

I know you said earlier, you weren't going to come back to race this season. Why weren't you going to come back? This year I was going to hang it up. But Tim Farr called me and asked if I would do it. And I wanted to win the championship for KTM. It's been a long hard road. I feel like I've been one of the fastest on the track but couldn't put it all together to win the races like I should have been. Competing against a factory rider is hard when doing it basically as a privateer. With a little bit of factory behind you, you can see the difference.

You said Tim Farr gave you a call and you were in because you couldn't say no to Tim?  Why did you decide to say yes? He's had championship after championship and he knows how to get them. It's much better to ride for someone who knows from personal experience. I know with him and the team I have that my chances were good.

When did everything fall together for you? January.  I just had a few weeks to get ready. I came down three weeks before the Florida race and won Florida. You can never be sure if it's going to be a good season. And then one race win after another started stacking up.

What was your most memorable race of this season? Probably Florida, because that was the first race on a new bike. I had worked so hard to get factory support. Having a new bike and coming out and winning the first race on it was probably the most emotional and eye opening race for me. I finally got what I had been working for.

Let's go through your race at Yadkinville. What was it like to get beat by your niece Kristen? You know what, I'd rather not have anyone else but her beat me. It runs in our family obviously. I would be second to her, not every day, but she is the person I would want to be second with. I wish we had gotten to ride together more. She got out front and got some utilities through us. I can only do so much. I caught her by the end of the race but it was a little too late.

Do you guys ride together and practice together? No, we don't actually. I wish that would change because I think that would be good for us to work together. I work so I can only ride certain times a day and I'm not su

re when she works.

So in the race, what were the battles like for you? My biggest battle was utilities. Obviously they are bigger than us and some of those guys don't want to move! Sometimes they'll move for one or two of us. The point at which Kristen got ahead of me the guy in front of me got out of the way for her and then just went back in front of me. He wouldn't let me pass and I hit him a few times at the finish line to get through. I think that's a guy thing or something, I'm not really sure! I had a good ride but I wanted to be conservative because I wanted to finish it that day. I just rode my race and hoped l got around lappers quick enough to stay in second or catch Kristen.

At what point during this season did you think, 'Wow, I may win this thing.' It was probably around the sixth win I started thinking, I can do this. It's in arms reach. I just have to stay focused. We went into Unadilla and I was sicker than a dog and I thought no way. But for some reason, I've wanted this so long, that it got me through. I was in tears when I came through that one too. I knew seven races basically locked it up.

This is kind of beside the point but Hannah, who helps announce the morning race, told me to take a look at your hands on the podium after the race. How in the world do you pull off perfectly manicured nails AFTER the race? What's the secret here? How do you not break them? My nails are real so they are very hard. They don't break easily at all. I don't like them looking funky since they are real! As long as I do them within four days with the polish they'll be okY without it rubbing off.

Let's talk about next year. You weren't going to race this year but now you have the championship and the number one plate. Have you thought about what you're going to do next? Yeah, I absolutely want to come back and I'd love to come back with KTM but things are up in the air right now. I'm not sure who I'm coming back with. The economy is bad and I think everyone knows that. But I'd like to come back and defend my championship. Hopefully I will know by the banquet.

What do you think the competition will be like next year. I know Cecco will be wanting to take the championship. I think it's going to be the same as always. The level of our class has changed tremendously. Everyone wants it. I think on any given day, anyone can win it. As much effort as they put in, anyone could win the championship.