The second season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR) kicked off at TT Circuit Assen on April 11, with Maria Herrera, the championship favorite winning race 1, and Beatriz Neila winning race 2. We continue with our WorldWCR Special Series of riders’ interviews. Today, we give you the the story of American rider Sonya Lloyd.
All photos © Sonya Lloyd
Growing up immersed in flat track racing, Sonya Lloyd, daughter of flat track rider David Lloyd, is no stranger to motorsport. “My dad is a professional flat track race at the national level. I kind of grew up in the flat track racing world. I have a lot of racing idols among the flat track racers. For example, I really look up to Sammy Halbert. My dad is also one of my idols. He loves to downplay how good he was, but I always think he’s very fast.”
Sonya’s roots in flat track racing eventually steered her toward her true passion among all the disciplines in motorcycling – road racing. She first experienced the thrill of speed as a passenger on a Ducati 2-seater. “I went to a MotoGP Grand Prix through my dads connection with Paolo Ciabatti and got to try the 2-seater experience. It was my first time ever on a road race bike, and first time ever on a road race track. I think it really hooked me. Feeling that speed for the first time was incredible. Trusting not only the person, but also the bike you’re on was just unbelievable.”
Then, in more recent years, Sonya fully discovered this different side of motorsport that she never imagined mastering. This turn of event now brings her to the World Championship. “About three years ago, I was approached by Dale Quarterley at a flat track race. He asked me to try road racing. I wasn’t really interested, but I applied for the ‘Build. Train. Race.’ Program anyways. I got in, and it was really my first exposure to road racing. I realized I was picking it up pretty quickly, and I absolutely loved the speed. You don’t really get to go that fast on dirt. So it was really the speed and the technicality of it that made me think I could thrive in it.”
When I first tried road racing, I just knew I wanted to go really far with it.
Sonya’s transition to road racing swiftly confirmed her natural aptitude. In her debut race, she clinched a podium finish. “I didn’t know where I would stack up with the group before the race. But I ended up fighting for second place and finishing third. When you believe in yourself, you can accomplish things that you never thought you would be able to. Being on the podium in a MotoAmerica race was just fantastic.”
In 2024, Sonya started competing in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup. It was an up-and-down season. While she secured multiple top-10 finishes, setbacks occasionally shook her confidence. “There were a few times when I got taken out pretty hard. It was also difficult to determine whose fault it was. It kind of hurt your confidence when it happened in repetition. You started to questions whether you should even be out there.”
I’m very happy that we kept going. In the long run, I don’t think I’d ever want to give this up.
Despite the difficulties, Sonya grit her teeth, continued with the season, and finally reached the peak of the season. With her strong results, Sonya believed that she could achieve even more on the world stage. Eventually, her team secured her a wild-card entrance in the WorldWCR season finale, and her performance didn’t disappoint. “I wanted to see if there could be an opportunity to try out the WorldWCR. My team was able to get me a wild-card entrance in the final round through their connection with Yamaha. I thought it could be similar to ‘Build. Train. Race.’ as it’s all female on equal machines. But it was actually on a whole different level. They had so many technicians helping you. They went over the data with you. The whole thing was very welcoming. It was fantastic. All the girls there were fantastic as well.”
This season, Sonya converted her wild-card entrance into a full-time ride in the WorldWCR. For her first full season at the world level, Sonya definitely anticipates challenges, but she’s also ready to stand her ground. “I have a feeling that it’s going to be tough at the beginning. I haven’t been to any of the tracks except for Jerez. But I also think I still have a lot of exponential growth to go. In the past season, I learned that I can do a lot of research and I’m pretty technical. I can go to a new track prepared so I don’t start too far behind. It’ll be a learning year for me but I have high expectations as well.”
I’ll keep learning until I start winning.
Like Sonya said, she can be quite technical. With a background in engineering, it helps not only in her preparation before going to a track, but also during a race weekend. “Being able to read all the data and graphs has been a huge help. When I don’t have my data technician with me, I can still dissect my own riding and identify where I could improve comparing to the faster girls. I also know a lot of fantastic data technicians and it’s been really nice being able to communicate with them at a high level.”
Beyond the six rounds on the calendar, WorldWCR also offers Sonya a chance to explore Europe’s racing culture, including its flat track scene. “I love seeing all the Spanish girls training on dirt bikes. I I wanna go to their flat tracks over there so badly. I know they all get together and flat track together. I also have my flat track bikes here in the US and get to some local places around me. It helps a lot, especially in the rain when you are sliding around a little bit.”
With a strong start to the season, Sonya’s determination and skill position her as a rising star. We wish her the best of luck in the season and beyond!
The 2025 WorldWCR Calendar
1. Dutch Round, TT Circuit Assen – 11-13 April
2. Acerbis Italian Round, Cremona Circuit – 2-4 May
3. Prosecco DOC UK Round, Donington Park – 11-13 July
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit* – 25-27 July
5. French Round, Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours – 5-7 September
6. Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – 17-19 October
* Subject to homologation
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