How Motorsports’ Winningest Woman Tamed an NHRA 'Knucklehead'

Steve Johnson mocked the Swarovsky crystals Angelle Sampey incorporated into her riding leathers, then went to a Walmart store, found plastic rhinestones, and dotted his racing suit with those.

She told him he made a fool of himself, said he “wants to be a girl like me,” and called him a crybaby.

It was all part of his campy campaign to stir up some drama, and therefore attention, for the NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class, which is part of this weekend’s Camping World Drag Racing Series Thunder Valley Nationals at Tennessee’s Bristol Dragway.

Sampey, who used to want to throttle Johnson, is playing along these days with Johnson’s shtick—and she’s throwing out pretend insults of her own. During Saturday’s early qualifying session, she and Johnson traded the top qualifying position. After her run, she taunted, “When I saw Steve Johnson and his little fake bling on his leathers, I knew I had to do it. Gotcha, Steve. Ha-ha.”

Points leader Johnson finally is a legitimate title contender after racing since 1987 with a scattered six victories before 2020 and none for the first 17 seasons. But pestering three-time champion Sampey and other racers—notably five-time champion Matt Smith, with whom he has a genuine rivalry—is as much a priority as winning races and staying in the top three in the standings (which he did all last year, too).

Johnson’s mission throughout his entire career has been to advertise and promote the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Some years ago, his peers even elected him to head their PRO2 drivers' organization, because of his unwavering support for the category. So he loves touting the class, all while undeniably enjoying stirring the pot with his competitors. And that’s the point: the latter facilitates the former.

Earlier this season, he made some remarks that drew a rebuke from bike racer Angie Smith for being sexist. But Oakley founder Jim Jannard inspired his antics, Johnson said. Jannard told Johnson years ago, “Your sport’s too vanilla.”

Johnson freely admitted he’s trying to change the flavor.