Greer resident and motorcycle drag racer Debbie Knebel signs a lot of autographs.

But she suspects many of her admiring fans think she's someone else. That's because her last name is nearly indistinguishable from that of another motorcycle celebrity, Evel Kneivel.

Knebel said a neighbor spent several years under the impression she was the daredevil's daughter. She only realized their mistake when the group was at a race together and "they said something about 'your brother, Robbie,' jumping a building."

"It's really been funny. It's been an eye-opener for some people, because they just thought I was related," Knebel said.

She said although friends joked about her name when she was young, she didn't try the motorcycle thing until much later. She started riding in 1992, after spending several years riding with her husband, Pat Jones, on his bike.

Then, two years later, the two attended a drag race at the Greer Dragway as spectators. However, when they arrived, the volunteer at the gate asked Knebel if she was racing. She resisted at first, especially upon learning there was no separate class for women. But the volunteer and her husband convinced her to give it a shot, anyway.

"Basically, you go from 0 to 150 miles per hour in about 8.9 seconds," Knebel said. "It's a lot of acceleration and a lot of speed."

Knebel made it to the semifinals on that first night, and said she's been hooked ever since.

Now Knebel is in her 11th year of racing with the AMA Dragbike Championship Series, which takes her around the East for the eight races during the season.

She has amassed plenty of wins in a variety of classes and at several tracks. Scott Valetti, president of the racing series, said Knebel commands respect from her opponents, both men and women.

"Whether they be male or female competitors, she is a very feared opponent by whoever lines up next to her," Valetti said.

But Knebel does more than just compete. She often arrives a day early at series events to help volunteer at the gate, welcoming spectators and directing participants toward the pit areas.

Knebel and Jones keep their own pit area festive, and often attract other racers once the competition is over. Valetti said he's heard it referred to as "The Pink Flamingo Hotel" because of the string of flamingo lights they use to decorate the pit.

"They normally set up a barbecue area, and luau lights and things of that nature," Valetti said. "It's a very fun place to hang out in the evenings after the activities are over on the racetrack. A lot of racers like to go over and hang out with Debbie and Pat."

Knebel also writes for StraightLiner, a magazine that covers AMA Dragbike events.

But as much as her life revolves around motorcycles these days, she said she doesn't ride on the streets very much anymore.

"It's gotten so dangerous, with so many cars, and now that I'm so involved in racing, I really don't want to take a chance on getting hurt riding on the street when I can go to the track," Knebel said.

Although that might sound counterintuitive, Knebel said accelerating to 150 mph on a quarter-mile strip is actually pretty safe.

"You've always got an ambulance within a quarter-mile of you," she said.

Although she doesn't get the opportunity to race at the Greer Dragway much these days, she does help with and participate in the annual Red Cross Bike Race and Rally fundraiser that takes place there. Often, if she wins the cash prize, she donates the bulk of it back to the track where she got her start 14 years ago.

Lark Reynolds can be reached at 864.298.4246 or at lreynolds@greenvillenews.com.