About Katie
My name is Katie Sullivan. I am 20 years old and currently a full-time student majoring in small business and entrepreneurship. In addition to being a full time student, I also own two of my own businesses, Kalifornia Katie’s Trailer Sales and my graphic design company, Tough Girl Designs. I am very driven to finish my degree and to make my businesses a success, but the thing that I have the most passion for in life is drag racing. Since I was a little girl, I have been around the drag strip. I had my first drag racing experience when I was 9 years old, sitting behind the wheel of a Jr. dragster. I quickly fell in love with the sport and drove my Jr. dragster to one track championship, one runner-up, and numerous wins. Growing up at the track, I always loved watching the motorcycles and when I turned 12 I knew I belonged on the seat of a drag bike.
My whole life the only place I have wanted to be is at the race track. I have put in so many hours of hard work, because drag racing isn’t just a sport to me, it’s my life. I have balanced my life around racing from the first time I sat in a Jr. dragster. I raced my Jr. dragster until I was 15 and the next year I turned my dream of riding a drag bike into reality. My first year riding I appeared in 5 finals and qualified number 1 at numerous events. At the age of 17 I was devastated with a knee injury while playing high school basketball. It took me out of half the race season. I spent hours in physical therapy setting my goal on being able to climb back aboard my drag bike. With lots of gym time I was able to overcome my injury, and I set my sites on being the youngest female to ever qualify on a pro stock motorcycle.
At the age of 18 I became the youngest female to ever qualify in NHRA pro stock motorcycle history. In addition to being the youngest female, I also became only the 7th female to ever qualify. This was only a week after I had graduated from high school. Making my dream of becoming the youngest female to qualify in pro stock motorcycle a reality was a great graduation present, but the best present came when I beat my childhood hero, Karen Stoffer, in my first professional start at a national event.
At the end of the race season in 2009, my dad and I purchased our own pro stock motorcycle. Today we are striving and building our team. I have high hopes for the team my dad and I have built. I am ready to stop at nothing until we have reached the top. In my life I have always had great influences and support in my drag racing dream. The experiences that I have received through racing have helped me to discover that I have another huge passion in life. That passion is being a good role model to other young people, and more specifically to young girls. I want to show them that with hard work, perseverance, and passion, any thing is possible.
Through my race team I have involved myself in a non-profit organization called Girls For A Change. This is an amazing group for young women that teach leadership skills and help girls discover that they can lead social change. Teams of girls all over the country have chosen social problems in their community that they would like to see change. Then they chose a way to help solve the social problem and put it into action. I think what these teams of girls have done is absolutely incredible. I hope to help promote Girls For A Change through my racing and also to help young girls see that life is an open door and anything is possible. Check out my Charities page for more information and some photos from recent events.
Racing is my passion in life. I have worked so hard to get to where I am in life and I plan to continue working as hard as I possibly can. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Kalifornia Katie Racing!
Career Highlight’s:
- Redding drag strip Jr. Dragster Track Champion
- Redding drag strip Jr. Dragster Runner-up
- Redding drag strip High School Track Champion
- June 2009- Youngest female to ever qualify for NHRA pro stock motorcycle and only the 7th female to ever qualify for NHRA pro stock motorcycle.
- June 2009- First round win at a national event.
- Personal Best: 6.98 ET at 191.97 MPH (Round two qualifying 2011 Gatornationals March 11th, 2011)
