Emely "LuLu" Hastie

Give us a little background on you "home girl"...

My name is Lulu and I am 18 years old and a senior in high school. I’m #851 on a RMZ250. I started out racing vintage when I was 7 and have only been doing modern races for about 3 years now. 

What about "LuLu"... Where did that come from?

A babysitter I used to go to when I was really little used to call me Lulu since my middle name is Louise. It definitely sounds more fun than Emely so i started introducing myself as Lulu and it just stuck. So many people call me Lulu that when I hear someone say Emely, I automatically think I’m in trouble because that’s what my parents call me when I’ve done something wrong. Even my teachers call me Lulu and I write it on all of my assignments. 

Where do you go to school? What is your plan for college?

​I go to school at a tiny school called Cass Midway in Cleveland, MO. Its K-12 in the same building and I only have 35 people in my grade. I am hoping that I get accepted to the University of Arkansas, so I can major in biomedical engineering. 

What made you want to be a Razorback?

My sister graduated from the University of Arkansas and loved it. I recently went on a tour and I absolutely fell in love with the campus, Greek life, and overall environment. 

What is your favorite thing to do when you're not at the track?

My favorite thing to do when I am not at the track or doing anything moto-related is to go to Taco Bell. Whether it’s with my friend Tavia during our lunch period or at 11:00 at night when I get a craving, I love going to Taco Bell. Anywhere we go, I am always googling Taco Bells near us when we get hungry and all my friends get me gift cards to there for holidays. 

How did you get into riding and racing? How did you get involved in the sport?

My dad used to race vintage races and one day at a track in Greenwood, MO, I saw a little girl on a pink PW50. I was amazed and asked my dad if girls could race or if motocross was just for boys. As soon as he said girls can do it, I told him that I “needed” a bike. The next week I was cruising around our backyard on a 65 and it was all downhill from there. 

Did you know that my first dirt bike was a pink PW50?

NO WAY! That's awesome! 

What's your favorite part about motocross and dirt bikes?

My favorite part of motocross is the tight bonds between people it creates. We all love the same thing and that love for motocross brings us all together. Racers spend so much time carpooling and cramming into cheap hotel rooms that becoming a moto family is inevitable. We trust each other to pack up our things when we get hurt and have to leave or can’t do it ourselves. When we need parts, there is always someone who has our back with exactly what we need so that we can finish out the weekend. Some of my closest friendships started at the track and I am so blessed to be able to be a part of the motocross community.

​My favorite part about dirt bikes in general has to be either the sound they make (2 stroke AND 4 stroke). 

You tried to qualify for Loretta's this year... Tell us a little bit about that? 

​I did try for Loretta’s this year but just like I did last year, I completely choked at both my area and regional. My nerves for sure got the best of me and I honestly don’t think that I was quite ready for Loretta’s. 

What's your plan going forward?

This year if I decide to try again,which I probably will, I feel like I know what I need to do to keep my mind in the right state. I also think that after another few months of training with Innovative MX, I’ll be able to hang with most of the girls. 

What is your favorite track to race at?

My favorite track to race at would probably be Abbot because the start is HUGE. It is the longest start I have ever seen in my life and I love it.

My favorite track to just ride at would have to be Midwest Extreme Park because the track just seems to flow well and it’s just fun in general. I also love the dirt and the uphill rollers Tracy put in recently are awesome, too.

Who is your favorite professional rider to watch and learn from?

My favorite professional racer to watch would probably be Ryan Villopoto or Marvin Musquin. Villopoto is so smooth and is fluid when he rides. Every rhythm section is completely flawless and his turns are beautiful. It honestly mesmerizes me and if I ever met him I would for sure fangirl like crazy. I also love watching Marv skip triple through the rollers and he is currently my favorite rider who is still racing hands down. 

What are your goals and expectations for the rest of the year and on into 2018?

I am expecting a lot of out myself for the 2018 racing season. I have been working hard, working out more, and eating way better. I want to improve at least a little every time I ride and one goal I have is to keep impressing people with how much better I have gotten. My other goal is definitely to try and keep it on two wheels because I have done way too many cartwheels with my bike this season and I have ruined way too many pairs of gear from wrecking. 

What do you like most about training with Innovative MX?

I love how personal the training is with Innovative MX. Most of us have been watching Scott ride and looking up to him for a while now and it’s cool that he got into training all of us. He also isn’t biased when it comes to the riders and he doesn’t treat me any differently just because I’m a girl. I do all of the drills that all of the boys do and he doesn’t go easy on me because I’m a girl either. He makes every rider feel like they are the person of the hour and his wife is incredibly nice and helps out with the Innovative MX organization as well. The atmosphere is always so great at all of the training sessions and I always walk away from the training session happy and always learn something new. 

What do you like least about training with Innovative MX? What would you change?

I am a little biased, but I am being honest when I am saying that I would not change anything about the whole Innovative MX crew and atmosphere. 

What would you like to see in the future for Innovative MX?

I definitely see Innovative MX tank tops in the future as well as beanies with poms on the tops of them. I also think that eventually, there might be more trainers added to the program so there can be training on more nights, since Scott is a busy person. 

How does working with Innovative MX help you on race day?

Working with Scott on race days help me out a lot because since he races, he’s almost always at the same tracks I’m at, so it makes it easy for him to watch my motos. He always has encouraging things to say and tells me ways that I can improve in my second motos. He even sometimes makes an appearance at the gate to give me pep talks, which also helps a lot. It’s also nice to get to watch Scott ride and really focus on what lines he’s taking and how he is riding the track so I can try to apply it in my riding. It’s really fun to get to go crazy and scream and yell for Scott when he’s racing and be the one to give him little mini pep talks at the gate. 

Who would you like to thank?

I want to give my mom and dad a huge shoutout for pushing me and funding my racing. I also want to thank Rich for fixing my bike and changing my tires. Donnell’s also makes sure we have the parts we need to keep my bike up and running smoothly. Some of my sponsors are Dunlop Tires, 100%, EVS, and BTO.