Santapod Raceway, ENGLAND – July 2018: For most of the European Drag racers, a race weekend is a friend/family weekend out to free their mind, spend time together and get their adrenaline kick. As I was walking through the pits I stumbled into a huge inflatable flamingo at the stand of Dutch female racer Margot Schmidt.
The race announcers were calling her ‘one of the Dutch pioneers’ when it comes to Dutch racers visiting Santapod. As I was still figuring out the link with the flamingo, I thought it was the right time to ask her some questions. As previous ‘behind staging lane’ editions, we went looking for the story behind the story: This is the story behind Margot Schmidt.
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Margot’s story started in the early nineties when she and her cousin were having some drinks in the middle of the summer. As they were thinking about doing something out of the ordinary, something fun to do. Looking for that something, they ended up in a small Belgium town called Lommel for a bike festival. An event dedicated to bike fans, where sprints (heads-up races for motorcycle) were held.
This is where Margot first got a glimpse of the Drag Racing world and told herself; ‘this is what I want to do! They started the team with the three of them. For several years she enjoyed from the side-line; taking care of everything that was needed for the races and working on the bikes when either her cousin or her husband (Stefan Schmidt) was racing.
As her cousin left the team, Stefan continues racing in the funny bike class until recently when he took a break from Drag Racing. Starting 2011 she couldn’t resist the temptation anymore and after a friend offered to help her build a bike, she starts racing in the street bike class. They builded an ‘old skool’ Suzuki GS1150 and booked a 24 second on her first pass at Drachten Airfield during a DHRA event. After racing in the street bike class for almost two seasons it was time to move on.
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She got the opportunity to buy a 2001 Suzuki Hayabusa with a nitrous system and start racing in the 9.50 bike class at Santapod Raceway. As she wanted more power, speed, and a higher adrenaline kick, the Nitrous system got changed for a turbo system.
The first two years she raced the bike on a stock engine (Producing 240HP) with a standard ECU and without boost-controller. Her Personal Best (PB) was 8.24 seconds at 167 mph, but like al racers, she went out looking for more! Last winter the Suzuki got a major makeover and their first try-out was March this year during test & tune day at Santapod.
This didn’t go as expected as Margot was launched in the air during her first pass due to mechanical failure. She managed to stay on the bike but this resulted in a few broken ribs.
As she never gives up, she returns in May (Main Event) and made a stunning 7.942-second pass. She became the first Dutch female rider to make a 7-second run. During the Summer Nationals races, she improved her PB again to a stunning 7.90 seconds at 179 mph.
Margot started in the street bike class and jumped to 9.50 bike class and then 8.50. She also competed in Competition bike and Super Street bike class a couple of times in the Czech Republic and Hockenheim.
Competition Bike is the class that attracts her the most. Why? Hear her out; ‘ Competition bike is a great class, almost everything is allowed, so there is a huge variety of different bikes. You can go as fast as you can, and even with a smaller budget it’s possible to run a good time’.
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Margot experiences being on the track like being around one big family and that’s the story behind the flamingo. The flamingo was a gift from the young British Junior drag bike racer; Maggie Talbot. Maggie is a big fan of Margot and this led to a friendship between two racers.
Margot also has a lot of respect for this young rider; ‘the way she rides and her passion for the sport are some of Maggie’s many talents’. Last year Margot also became Maggie’s godmother. And this godchild knows her godmother very well, so she knew Margot is passionate about flamingos. As she wasn’t sure Margot could handle a bunch of living flamingo’s, Maggie got her an inflatable one!
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So what does Drag Racing means to Margot? Well, hear her out! ‘ I can’t imagine my life without Drag Racing, it is a lifestyle! ‘ My husband (Stefan Schmidt) and I work on these bikes off season, we come to the track and have the time of our lives.
‘Being on the track, meeting our big race family is like a vacation to us’(so much joy, fun, and adrenaline). It’s Absolutely Amazing!
# CB8 Bike info:
Build in: Holland by Margot and Stefan Schmidt
Make: Suzuki Hayabusa
Year: 2001
Engine: 1300 cc Suzuki
Turbo System: GT28
Boostcontroller: AMS2000
Clutch: MTC gen2
Story told by Margot Schmidt
Story edited by Benjamin Wefer
Picture By Margot & Benjamin Wefer
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