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American Melissa Paris becomes the first woman rider to take part in a World Supersport championship event this weekend when she lines up on the grid on a Markbilt Racebikes Yamaha YZF alongside her male colleagues in the seventh round of the championship at Miller Motorsports Park.

Paris may have started racing only six years ago but she picked up the love of riding motorcycles fast from a boyfriend, her four brothers and her husband who taught her what it would take to be a successful racer.

"Sometimes I feel less pressure because I feel like no one expects anything out of me," declared Paris. "I put enough pressure on myself. The competition this weekend is going to be insane ... To crew it up with the fastest motorcycles in the world in this class, it's amazing. I think it's important to jump in head first and see what happens."

Her husband, Josh Hayes, is an AMA Superbike champion himself and he will be in the paddock to oversee Melissa, who will race with the number 29 in honor of the September 29th birthday of her brother Bret, killed in a car accident when she was 11-years-old.

Last year she took part in the tough USGPRU 250GP class aboard a Honda RS250, coming away with two pole positions, a win, and a third place finish that secured her fifth in the National Championship.