Shelina Moreda Scores Two Top-Five Finishes In Qatar

Women roadracers enjoy enthusiastic on-track support in Middle East.

For professional female racers ready to make the leap to international competition, the best advice may be simple: Go east, young woman.

The Losail International Circuit hosted round three of the FIM Qatar SuperBike Championship this past Saturday in Doha, where 29 riders from around the globe qualified to compete, including AMA Pro Shelina Moreda, the only US rider and one of five women on track.

Moreda, from Petaluma, California, qualified sixth and finished fifth for the QMMF Racing Team in her first race at the world-famous venue and fifth in the second race, competing in the Losail Asia Road Racing Series on a Yamaha YZF-R6.

Moreda, a regular in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series, TTXGP electric-bike racing, and AFM competition with Team Parker Brammo, was excited about her first trip to the sovereign Arab emirate nation.

“I love racing in Qatar!” she said via Skype on Sunday. “It was an amazing experience. QMMF assembled a world-class crew of mechanics and coaches. They are very supportive of women racers and recognize what we bring to the sport.”

In addition to sponsoring premier-class series-leader Alex Cudlin from Australia and his German teammate, Nina Prinz, who is currently third overall in points, QMMF supported Manca Katrasnik of Slovenia, Victoria Kis of Hungary, and Annie Bader of Lebanon, the first Arabic woman to enter international motorcycle-racing competition.

Moreda doesn’t know if she will be able to participate in future QSBK events. Round four of the series is scheduled for March 20, one week after the 2014 AMA Pro Road Racing season opener at Daytona.

Shelina Moreda on the starting grid at Losail.

Shelina Moreda finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in her QSBK debut.

Shelina Moreda was supported in Qatar by the QMMF Racing Team.

Shelina Moreda raced a Yamaha YZF-R6.

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