Angelle Sampey knows how to win.

Sampey is a three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion – 2000-2002 and she found her way back to the winner’s circle Sunday.

Sampey, on her Vance & Hines Suzuki, clocked a 6.861-second elapsed time at 197.13 mph in the finals to defeat Joey Gladstone who came in with a 6.928-second lap at 194.60 mph at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Sunday in Norwalk, Ohio.

This was Sampey’s 46th career victory adding to her legacy as the winningest female in the sport. Sampey defeated Ron Tornow, Matt Smith, Jerry Savoie, who beat her in the finals in Bristol, Tenn., June 26, and then Gladstone in the finals.

“The internal battle I was going through since last week was huge,” Sampey said. “I threw it away. I gave it to Jerry. I knew I had and I let it slip through my fingers. So, starting Monday I started thinking how to prepare for this race (in Norwalk). Starting on Friday, I started to dig deep. I’m going to be honest with you and tell you that 20 years ago I would have never to do what I had to do mentally this weekend. Twenty years ago, no one could beat me. In my head, I just couldn’t be beat. It seems like my biggest competitor these days is myself.

“I’m going to cry. I thought I had figured this out. I had to figure out how to stop beating myself. Friday morning, I started working on a few things and it was a lot of work. I had to pull out everybody of faith in my team and myself and the Lord and I did it one round at a time. I made a couple of little mistakes along the way and I came out on top. I give God all the glory. I prayed really hard all weekend. I really did have to put a lot of trust in my Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team, Andrew (Hines) and myself.”

Sampey acknowledged capturing a Wally these days in NHRA is not like it used to be.

“It is so hard to do that these days,” Sampey said. “Erica (Enders) is like making it look so easy. I’m following her these days. Follow her coolness and her calmness. That fire breathing dragon she is now. I’m trying to find that in myself like I had it 20 years ago.”

With her 46th Pro Stock Motorcycle career win, Sampey passed the late great Dave Schultz. Shultz won six Pro Stock Motorcycle world titles and won 45 national events.

“That was the only goal I had not achieved in my whole career, and I did that today,” Sampey said fighting back tears. “Of course I wanted to the winningest Pro Stock Motorcycle racer and I’m still trying to reach that, but Andrew (Hines) I have said a million times, that goal is kind of far out of my reach. I don’t know how much time I have left in my career to beat what Andrew has done, but Dave Schultz was the G.O.A.T. and to pass him up after 25 years of trying is pretty special for me.”

Hines leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle victory list at 56.

“It is very hard,” Sampey said. “There is a lot going on with a Pro Stock Motorcycle from the starting line to the finish line. We are shifting six gears in under five seconds. It very rarely takes off the way you want it and when you have a crosswind like that and coming off what happened in first round, I crossed over into Ron’s lane after the finish line and he flew by me so close it really, really scared me.

“My life flashed before my eyes right there and I just knew I had to do something better. I had to figure out how to get down that track and fortunately Andrew was so awesome at reading my body language on the motorcycle. We watched the videos, and he can do it without me even talking to him. That was where the mental part came in and I had to trust him and trust the bike and trust my ability to get it down there.”

Sampey is second in the points standings, 52 points behind leader Steve Johnson.