Background
Dorene Payne was best known as being the first woman to ever qualify for a main event in a men's AMA Pro Outdoor MX National.  In 1983 at the Castle Rock MX Park in Colorado, Dorene went up against the best of the best and qualified for the main event that day in front of thousand of spectators and the entire motorcycle industry, becoming the first woman to ever do so.

Her second amazing feet was that she became the first woman to race against men in a stadium race.  She rode her Cagiva well enough, but had technical difficulties and did not qualify.  Always a lady, Dorene kept her hopes up and finished the race.

With inspiration from her father, who got her into racing, Dorene's goals were always set high.  She started out at a young age racing BMX bicycles and quickly turned expert against the boys.  In those days, Dorene had to sign up as D. Payne so that no one would know she was a girl because she would be disqualified for being a girl.

In her day, Nancy Payne and Sue Fish were her heroes.  She had great respect for all the women riders she competed against throughout her career.  She feels that they all had to fight for their rights to be there and be recognized as racers, not just as girls.

Dorene's 1985 AMA Pro Men's License