In “10 Minutes + 2 Laps with…”, we take the same amount of time required to complete a Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event (give or take a red flag) and use it to catch up with, and hopefully learn a little about, some of the more prominent figures on the Progressive American Flat Track scene. This week, we caught up with 1st Impressions Racing’s newly promoted Crew Chief/Team Manager, Ashley Kruppenbacker.

AmericanFlatTrack.com: It seems like this has inadvertently become a team manager-centric series. When I first reached out to you about doing this, I didn't know you were getting the new job title with 1st Impressions after previously serving as Lead Mechanic. How does that change things for you?

Ashley Kruppenbacker: It’s not like a huge change because since I've been with the team, almost the entire time, I've done a lot of the “team manager” job to begin with. We've had a few other people helping here and there that had the official title, but now it's just a few more extra things that I'm doing that I wasn't already on the back side of things.

The biggest change this year is that we pretty much spent the last two years developing our motors and our bikes. And this year, I'm the one building them now based off of what Paul (Ott) developed. I'm kind of on my own with him consulting. But everything else is very, very similar.

AFT: Well, as you said, it adds a bit more to your plate, and your plate was already pretty full, right? Because you race yourself, you’re a mechanic, and you’re a mom to kids of elementary and middle school age. How does it all fit together?

AK: It's definitely full time. I do everything out of my shop in my house, which makes it possible. So I'll go out, drop the kids off at school, come home, work as long as I can in the garage, go pick them up, come home, and do it again. It gets pretty busy at times, but I've been managing it pretty well.

AFT: We're a little bit time constrained because of the format, so I'm looking for the abbreviated version here. But what's your background in racing? What was the initial spark that got you into motorcycles and what was the path that got you from there to here?

AK: I've always liked bikes. I've been riding since I was about seven or eight. And I always loved racing even though I never had many opportunities to do it. I went to school for mechanics and got certified.

I raced here and there where I could but nothing to do with flat track. I'd never even watched a race before. Working with the team was the first time I’d ever actually watched it.

I met (1st Impressions owner) Eric (Hoyt) through a trade for a bike for my son, and he asked me if I wanted to join the team.

I'd always wanted to be part of the race team on the pro side of it. I never was good enough as a rider, but I enjoy working on the bike so much that my goal was always to be where I am right now. It’s been a lifelong dream.

They were looking for a mechanic, and I’ve been here ever since.

AFT: So 1st Impressions was your first job in racing?

AK: When I was finishing up school (American Motorcycle Institute in Daytona Beach) back in 2007, I did one season with a road race team. But then I ended up getting hired on at a big shop in Sanford, Florida, and I did that for a few years.

But I always wanted to get back into racing. Eric called me a couple days before the Winter Throwdown in ‘21 and asked me if I wanted to come try working with the team and see how it fit. Before that, I’d heard of flat track, but I’d never watched it, never even seen one of the bikes.

But now, you know, I love it. It's the most fun I've seen or had on a bike. I definitely fell in love with the sport.

AFT: What's your personal history as a racer?

AK: I just kind of did a motocross race here and there, a hare scramble here and there. Back in ‘21, I was able to do a whole season of hare scrambles and won the state championship in my class for that.

After that, I felt I really needed to get on flat track bikes so I could fully understand them and fully help my riders by understanding exactly what they're doing out there. It was a whole learning curve, but it's definitely become my favorite form of racing as far as me doing it.

AFT: In a sport where the vast majority of riders, mechanics, and managers are men, did you ever feel like you had to do a little extra to prove that you belonged?

AK: Sometimes… In certain scenarios, yes. But for the most part, I've never let myself feel like, because I’m a woman, I might be either at a disadvantage or looked at differently

I know I am sometimes, there’s no getting around it, but I've never really let it get to me or really thought about it that much. My goal is to be one of the best – one of the greatest – regardless of man or woman.

AFT: And ultimately, that’s proven by results, right? In the first year you ran the Husqvarnas, you were generally quite competitive, but you struggled at the Miles, and that wasn’t a huge secret. However, last year, you were on the podium in every Mile race. Is that a point of pride for what you accomplished going from ‘23 to ‘24?

AK: Oh, absolutely. That was probably the best movement that we've all had combined as a team since I've been with them. We did have a win with Chad (Cose) at Cedar Lake a few years ago and everything like that, but for us to be able to run up front at a Mile was a whole other level.

And it was a lot of work put in to get us there. Paul Ott, for months and months and months went crazy stressing trying to find every little bit that he could. We ended up with a killer package, and we’ve made a few tweaks already this year, so we're coming out swinging next year.

AFT: Speaking of that, you just unveiled your AFT Singles lineup for next season. 1st Impressions is bringing Chad back and adding a big-time up-and-coming talent in Evan Renshaw. What are your thoughts on the lineup and what are you expecting from them in 2025?

AK: The team kind of helped Evan a little bit during his last year as an amateur, and he's one heck of a rider. We've always been really, really impressed with him.

Unfortunately, last season it wasn't in the cards for a second rider, and we ended up fielding just James (Ott). We're happy that this year that we're able to run two riders again, and (Evan) has proven himself. He learned a lot last year, and he’s been looking really good. He's been putting in the work. He definitely wants it. He's just an all-around really good kid too.

Chad, I've worked with him for a couple of years now, and I'm definitely excited to be working with him again. We’ve always worked really well together. It was kind of a bummer that we didn't get to work together to start with last year. But after James unfortunately got hurt, Chad got his second shot with the team and came out really, really strong. He took it extremely seriously, and, honestly, we haven't stopped working since the Lake Ozark finale.

We went straight back on the bike. Me and him go to all the local races, testing. He's been putting in a lot of work trying to get to that top level. So we're definitely excited about that.

I think between that and having Evan as a teammate, that's going to be very, very beneficial. And I think we have a really, really good shot this year.

AFT: Okay, time for the bonus questions: First, can you name an interest or hobby of yours that is completely removed from racing, engines, or wheels?

AK: Honestly, I'd have to say I really enjoy cooking and baking. That’s kind of a little far out there in left field, but yeah, I really like that. That's probably my top one if I had to pick.

AFT: And then this might be related to that, because the second question is what would be your death-row style last meal? 

AK: Oh man. Really, really, really good chicken and steak tacos.