MEET MISS ARENACROSS: ASHLEY

Name: Ashley Belle Phillips

Birth date: February 6, 1983

Height: 5'8 1/2

Place of Birth: Reno, NV

Place of Residence: Zephyr Cove, NV

Favorite Color: Blue and Pink
Favorite Type of Music: I love all music! Depending on my mood
Favorite Song:
Favorite Movie: Old School, Joe Dirt, The Sweetest Thing
Favorite Actor/Actress: Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz
Favorite Food: ice cream
Favorite Book: The Notebook
Hobbies: Traveling, dancing, running, school, riding horses I enjoy pretty much everything

Why did you want to become Miss Arenacross?

I enjoy the thrill and excitement of the competition of Motocross. To become Miss Arenacross is a dream come true for me. The thought of being able to be up close at all the races and interact in such an intense sport is exactly where I fit in. I am a people person, I really enjoy interacting with and talking to people. I wanted to become Miss Arenacross because I will love everything about the job! To be able to travel around and interact with the fans is going to be such an amazing experience! I am looking forward to this upcoming season because I will hopefully be able to help inspire people to live out their dreams; I think becoming Miss Arenacross will enable me to show people what this sport is all about!

Your past MX/AX Involvement?

I have always been a huge fan of MX sports. They keep me interested more than any other sport does. I was raised in a world that revolved around Arenacross and dirt bikes. When I was younger I always wanted to become Miss Arenacross, I followed around Michelle Falls and acted like I was Miss Arenacross. She would always let me come out on the track with her and cheer on the crowd.

Also, Northern Nevada, and Reno has a very large amount of extremely talented riders. It was easy for me to get involved in the sport because there were so many riders surrounding me growing up. I would always go to all the local races and hang around with all the boys. Since the first time I went to a race I was hooked! Now I am stuck with an addiction to the intense sport of motocross, and I love it!

What else do you do? Are you a student? Do you work?

I have a very crazy schedule! I am a full time student at the University of Nevada, Reno, in my final semester of college. I will be receiving my BA in Communications with a Criminal Justice minor. I love school and I love to learn. I will most likely go on to receive either a Law Degree or my Masters. I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, but I know that I will always finish what I set my mind to and accomplish all that I want in life.

I am also currently working up in Lake Tahoe, one of the most beautiful places in the world, as a bartender at Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina. I love my job and I enjoy being there. All of my co-workers are so much fun and they always make me smile!

But, my passion in life is dance; I grew up dancing and have been performing professionally for the last couple of years. I really love to be on stage. I am an animal lover, I have a dog named Roxy and a horse named Sky. I love horses. I grew up riding horses. Travel is a huge part of my life. I love to travel, the world has so much to offer and I think that it is really important to see it all, or as much as you can, or want to.

Why should fans embrace you as Miss AX?

I hope that the fans embrace me as Miss AX because I am a real person; I love life and enjoy everyday that I live. I am a down to earth girl who has a true love and devotion for the motocross world. I am looking forward to this season so much because I cannot wait to spread my enthusiasm and excitement to everyone possible. I cannot wait to get out their and promote the sport and spread the love of the sport all over the country. I truly enjoy smiling and think that it is contagious, I smile all the time. Hopefully all the fans will catch on to the contagious smile and enjoy the race as much as I know that I am going to.

Favorite Rider:

I don’t know that I could pick just one rider. I think that they all are so talented and they all work very hard. I admire every single person who has ever ridden a dirt bike; it is a lot harder than it looks. But if I was forced to choose in a life or death situation I would have to go with Travis Pastrana. He has always been such a strong rider in every aspect of the sport. I admire him very much because not only is he a super strong racer he is so amazing in the freestyle world as well. His talent is never ending, and he is such a nice person to be around also.

100 plus girls tried out to become Miss Arenacross, how did you feel when you got the top 25?

I don’t really know how to explain my reaction. I felt so honored to be up there with all of those beautiful girls. I was shocked and so grateful. It actually came as a surprise, one of the best surprises of my life. The excitement of just making it that far was such an awesome feeling.

What was your reaction when you got the call that you were Miss Arenacross?

My emotions were running crazy! The excitement of finding out about it was overwhelming! I had to go take a test at the University for one of my classes right after, luckily I had studied and I knew the information, because I was so distracted and happy. Class was definitely the last place I wanted to be at that time!! I feel sorry for my sister and my mom who were the first people I talked to right after I found out. I think I screamed in both of their ears. They are probably still recovering. This is such an honor for me and I cannot wait to start!

You’re from Reno, and Reno is known for its Casino shows, I hear that you are a professional dancer and have been performing in these shows, what was that like for you?

Like I said earlier dance is my passion in life. There was not a single day that I dreaded going to work. I was so grateful to be doing what I love daily and the best part is that I was getting paid for it. I loved being on stage and performing for people on a daily basis. Show business is a tough world and it has opened my eyes in so many ways. The best part was all the amazing opportunities it opened up for me. It has provided me with the confidence to actually take more risks, such as trying out for Miss AX!! And look at me now!

More Pics of Ashley: