Aluminum Racing
Women in Racing
“In all likelihood, a woman driver will never get the opportunity to race in Formula One because no one will ever take them seriously….therefore they’re never going to get into a competitive race car. So where will they come from? No women drivers will be able to make their way up in the sport. Even if a woman could raise the money to buy a drive, she would be unlikely to find a team willing to take her on.”
The quote above is from Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One CEO. With that attitude, and many others like it, it is doubly amazing that women have made such a mark in the world of auto racing, dating back to the early 1930’s when Kay Petre became a legend at the Booklands track.
It’s no surprise that the “first lady of racing” in the U.S. was a pilot, a flight instructor, and an aerospace engineer. As soon as the Indianapolis 500 opened it’s doors to women Janet Guthrie walked through them. In 1977 she became the first woman to race the 500, finishing 29th.
Even with her solid background in auto racing and her obvious skill, Janet commented, “There has been a big change in reaction to me. The hostility has cooled down quite a bit. I think the worst is over. The initial reaction to me was one of a lack of respect. What you really need is endurance. And some tests show women have move endurance than men. But that is not the point. I’m not trying to establish the superiority of one sex over another. I’m good driver but no superwoman. What I’m trying to emphasize is that a driver is primarily a person, not a man or a woman, and a great deal or driving is mental. You can not afford to get angry behind the wheel. A good driver needs emotional detachment, concentration , good judgment, and desire.”
Another woman to feel the disapproval of taking part in what was seen as a man’s world was Shirley Muldowney, NHRA Top Fuel Champion in 1977, 1980 and 1982. In 1983, Shirley finished fourth in the NHRA points with wins at the Winter Nationals and the World Finals, while at Columbus, Ohio, one of her favorite tracks, she went to the finals for a record six times in eight years. As late as 2000, Shirley matched up with Don Garlits in a special race at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach, Florida, and won.
It’s hard to imagine what Janet, Shirley and other female drivers have had to endure over the decades that they have shared the track with their male counterparts. In the early days it was unseemly for women to pursue a career, let alone one that include dirt, grime and danger. There was also the physical aspect of the sport. Early race cars weren’t light and aerodynamic. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1930s that the race cars were fitted with aluminum in order to cut down on the weight of the car.
Because the early cars were just slightly modified cars, the wear on the tires was extreme. In 1908 the winner of the French Grand Prix shredded 10 tires during the course of the race. This extra weight, lack of power steering or breaking and other physical factors made it even harder for women to break into the world of racing and succeed.
Today cars are lighter, science has aided in safety by teaching builders the use of aerodynamics in design, which helps the cars hug the road, and technology has made the race car and track an open field for all men and women. However, it is still hard for women to break into any motorsport, whether it be open wheel, drag or stock car.
To try and help with this, NASCAR began a Drive for Diversity program in 2004 to attract minorities and women to the sport, whether as drivers, owners or crew members. The program announced a partnership with the World Karting Association for 2008 as it enters its fifth year and continues to expand it’s reach in motorsport.
While it may appear that women are breaking into the racing scene more easily because of the fact that names like Danica Patrick are showing up more and more, on the track itself it is obvious that there is still a bias against women in racing. When interviewed after race in 2006, one of Danica fellow racers comment, “I think Danica’s pretty aggressive in our cars. I mean, you know especially if you catch her at the right time of the month, she might be trading plenty of paint out there.”
About the Author
Christiane Potts is the founder and CEO of HobCommunity.com, a social network community for hobbyists to showcase all their hobbies under one roof as well as co-founder of Beacon Systems, Inc., an Internet technology company. Christiane was a literature major in college and enjoys using her writing gifts to share her expertise with others.
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