From 2000-2002, Angelle Sampey had no peers in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Sampey, who is from Louisiana, won three world titles in that time span.

On Saturday, Sampey, who raced on the NHRA circuit from 1996-2008, officially retired from the sport.

The NHRA had a presentation for Sampey Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis at the starting line to wish her goodbye.

“Everybody keeps saying are you really not coming back and I’m really not coming back,” the 40-year-old Sampey said. “One of the main reasons is because I’m three months pregnant. I’m finally going to be a mom and that’s what I wanted. When I decided not to come back it was to pursue motherhood and I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would be blessed enough to have a child because I waited so long. Now, I’m having one and that’s definitely more important to me than anything else.”

From 2000-2002, Angelle Sampey had no peers in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Sampey, who is from Louisiana, won three world titles in that time span.

On Saturday, Sampey, who raced on the NHRA circuit from 1996-2008, officially retired from the sport.

The NHRA had a presentation for Sampey Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis at the starting line to wish her goodbye.

“Everybody keeps saying are you really not coming back and I’m really not coming back,” the 40-year-old Sampey said. “One of the main reasons is because I’m three months pregnant. I’m finally going to be a mom and that’s what I wanted. When I decided not to come back it was to pursue motherhood and I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would be blessed enough to have a child because I waited so long. Now, I’m having one and that’s definitely more important to me than anything else.”

Sampey said she is due March 19.

A year ago, Sampey was going through a different set of emotions at the U.S. Nationals.

“Last year, I came to this race when we were still pursuing sponsorship and I cried my eyes out the second I drove through the gates because it was so hard to be here and not be racing,” said Sampey, who won 41 national events. “This year, I’m just excited and happy because I have what I want. I wanted to be a mom for the past 10 years of my life, but racing was more important at the time. Now, my priorities have shifted. The itch to race is not there. I do miss riding the motorcycle, the motorcycle was fun. The seven seconds down the race track was two percent of what we did.
 
"The travel was the worst, especially being a female traveling alone most of the time, that was horrible. Guys can deal with that so much easier, for some reason they do not care about being alone. Women, we can’t be alone, we have to have someone to talk to.”

Sampey is married to Seth Drago. Her husband, a combat medic, is in the Louisiana National Guard.

Sampey says she is a registered nurse and she has gone back to nursing. Sampey and Drago also own an aquarium business together called Coral Fever. “It has anything and everything to do with saltwater aquariums,” Sampey said.

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