Last Update: 28 October 2021
Her name is Deena Mastracci. She’s a brand new motorcycle licensee who has literally walked out of the California Department of Motor Vehicles after obtaining her license. She got on her motorcycle and set out to set the record for the “Longest, Continuous Journey by a New Licensee,” totaling more than 9,000 miles.
Deena Mastracci never says no to a new challenge. Refusing to be outdone by her fiancé, professional endurance driver Carl Reese (who set the fastest time on a motorcycle from Los Angeles to New York), Mastracci has decided to set her own long distance motorcycle record; but first, she needs a motorcycle license, no easy feat in itself.
9000 Miles to Go
Her cross-country trip of 9,000-plus miles began on June 1 in Santa Clarita, California, where she escaped the gridlock of Los Angeles County freeways only to face the wilds of Alaska and the far reaches of the Arctic Circle. Facing some of the world’s most challenging terrain and extreme weather, Mastracci will then navigate the wilderness of Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta, Canada before crossing back into the lower 48 states through Montana and traversing Colorado and Michigan en route to a Pennsylvania finish. Followers can track her progress with live GPS vehicle tracking provided by GPS Insight, a technology leader in fleet tracking software. Mastracci’s live map is available on carlreese.net .
Mastracci’s very first motorcycle ride will not only be an attempt to set a record for “Longe st Distance Traveled by a New Motorcycle Licensee,” but is also a way to bring attention to the work of the Motorcycle Relief Project, a nonprofit charity that helps veterans with PTSD and other injuries. The group arranges multi-day motorcycle tours and other activities and also offers counseling for veterans in an effort to decrease suicides. Additionally, Mastracci hopes her ride will inspire other women who may feel intimidated by driving a motorcycle.
No stranger to setting records, Mastracci (together with Reese and Rodney Hawk) already holds a Guinness World Record for the “Shortest Charging Time Cross-Country Trip in an Electric Vehicle” and as part of Carl Reese’s driving team, has helped set records for the “Fastest Time for Crossing the USA in an Electric Vehicle (EV)” and for a “Double Transcontinental Trip (LA-NYC-LA).” She holds a total of five other independent EV records all set with a Tesla P85 D. For this record attempt, Mastracci will be riding a used F800GT BMW motorcycle purchased at West Valley Cycle Sales in Los Angeles, CA, the oldest BMW Motorrad Dealer in the United States.
Whether as a couple or individually, Mastracci says she and Reese are always seeking to accomplish new driving feats. That’s why when Mastracci rolls-out from the Department of Motor Vehicles, she will have no prior on-road experience other than that gained during a one day class at Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops—on a closed racetrack—as part of her preparation for her motorcycle test.
Mastracci will submit her accomplishment to Guinness Book of World Records for verification. As a safety precaution, paramedic Jeremy Fox and Reese will follow Mastracci on her journey on separate motorcycles.
Regarding her motivation for the ride, Mastracci says, “I am taking on this challenge to show women, veterans, or anyone intimidated by something new that the best way to overcome that fear is to drive through it. It is empowering and freeing to accomplish something that seems impossible, and with each new adventure and record attained, I am energized to take on another.”
