Ila Rainey, mother of three time world champion Wayne Rainey, passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband, longtime tuner Sandy Rainey, and her sons and daughters.

It's often said that Wayne Rainey was racing before he was even born. There is a famous story that Ila, his mom, was a competitive go-kart racer and raced for some time before she learned she was pregnant with the future three-time world and two-time AMA Superbike champion.