Celebrating, promoting and supporting women in motorsports and Moto Enthusiasts
What happens when you open the floor at the Women of NHRA Breakfast to questions? You get a rare moment on the mic when John Force asks Shirley Muldowney for advice on his daughter, Courtney Force’s love life.
Source: @TerryBlountNHRA | Twitter
GoDaddy posted this amazing video Goodbye and Thank-You to Danica Patrick, to celebrate their long run together in her career.
Danica has spent 10+ years as the face of GoDaddy. That partnership ends at the end of this season, ending an incredible era of her career.
Game changer, rule breaker & inspiration. @DanicaPatrick has taken us places we never imagined. #GoingtheDistance https://t.co/rOxxmyW3lU
— GoDaddy Racing (@GoDaddyRacing) November 6, 2015
Another Fast Women Friday! This week is the SEMA Special Edition, so I’m sure there’s tons of cool new things to share!
Last week was a slow week, but we heard from a few new women for Fast Women Friday #2.
Kelly Morris stopped by to share her Kelly Morris Racing page. Kelly is building her own drag racing ride, and helps her dad in his shop working on and building cars for drag racing competition. Kelly has big dreams to pursue in racing, and she’s just getting started on her journey. Stop by and check her out on her Facebook page, and stick around to stay tuned into her career progression.
Gina Woods returned to share her Feel the Horsepower Chocolate Bar project. Tired of the same terrible food choices that typically represent the average track/bike rally events, Gina wanted to create something she could take with her on the go for a healthier, tastier option. These new healthy chocolate bars are not only delicious, but a great nourishing option for the horsepower-fueled lives of those constantly on-the-go and living life in the fast lane.
11 year-old Flyin’ Faith, a racer from Washington, stopped in to share her website with us. Faith has already been racing for 6 years, and is doing a great job! She was named rookie of the year this season in the bandit division of the Bandolero’s at Spartan Speedway, finishing 3rd in points and attending every race.
This Fast Women Friday Link Party is hosted to feature more amazing content and resources that help and highlight female racers, women working in motorsports, and any of the ladies in the automotive/gearhead spaces.
This week, the SEMA show is dominating headlines in auto and motorsports worlds, we can’t wait to see what everyone is raving about! Got something interesting to share? This is a great way to mingle and discover others around the net who are just as passionate about Women in Motorsports! Join up below!
NASCAR star Danica Patrick was assessed a behavioral penalty by NASCAR officials for deliberately wrecking David Gilliland during Sunday’s Martinsville race. The move was apparently retaliation for contact made earlier in the event, when Gilliland pushed the No. 10 car of Danica up into the wall.
Danica later responded by trying to return the gesture, instead spinning and creating a caution, where she waited for Gilliland to come back around before tagging him from behind again, causing extensive damage to both vehicles and ending her race.
The bad blood between the two racers dates back several years, as they have feuded on-track since her debut in 2010. Patrick feels that Gilliland intentionally targets her in the middle of the pack.
NASCAR levied a $50,000 behavioral fine for her actions, also deducting 25 driver points for the violation and placing her on probation until the end of the year. Patrick’s Stewart-Haas team have not filed any appeal on the incident.
In the motorsports world, drag racing often is regarded as that weird cousin of the motorsport family – the less polished, not as well known, and often forgotten form of the sport that so many just dismiss with a pat on the head to some of the more “regal” motorsport varieties in F1, Indycar, NASCAR, etc. I mean, to them, we just point the car and hit the pedal… what could we possibly contribute to the motorsport fold that our flashier and larger counterparts don’t?
Not only is that stereotype largely untrue, and definitively insulting, but it also prevents the other forms of motorsports from learning a much needed lesson that only NHRA and Drag Racing currently is apt to teach – Gender Equality in Motorsports.
In a day where Indycar has seen only one female winner in Danica, where NASCAR still awaits a winner with very few even able to compete on their prize stage, and in Formula 1 where women still can’t even get past the fight to compete in a race, NHRA and drag racing has proven the most successful in creating a Gender Equal landscape in the sport.
They have created a racing environment not only where it is comfortable and accepted for women to compete, but where they win, and win BIG. Where the topic of being a female is an afterthought and not a question for pre-qualification. Where diversity programs and special development efforts aren’t needed or necessary because they all fit in without preconceived bias and judgement. Drag Racing could stand to teach the entire Motorsports world a thing or two about diversity.
I have been very fortunately, not only to have had a front-row seat to watch more and more women and girls getting involved in the sport in all aspects- from drivers, crew members, owners and industry professionals, but to have also had the opportunity and access to throw my own hat in the ring and compete myself. To some, that could label me biased, but instead I think it makes me qualified to voice my opinion: I truly believe that the open and welcoming access NHRA and Drag Racing provides to the sport is the key to why it has achieved the most success in gender equality.
It wasn’t always this way. Shirley Muldowney led the battle in the trenches in the 1970’s for all women in racing. She fought for and secured not only acceptance, but went on to change the face of Drag Racing by winning races and championships at the pinnacle of the sport.
Countless others followed in all of the classes…. Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle. They continued to break the molds and earn the victories and stood beside men on the stage of success. The more who came and conquered, the easier the road became to travel. Although you still hear people stuck in the old-rooted sexist mentality that try and discredit the success of the women by labeling them a by-product of who their family is or who they were romantically involved with, the key has been an organization that chose to embrace women and give them the equal billing they deserved, eliminating many of the roadblocks placed in other forms of motorsports. And with an organization embracing this culture from the top down, it wasn’t long for teams, sponsors and fans to all follow suit.
Last year, the NHRA celebrated the 100th national event professional win by a woman. One-Hundred. Not first, not qualified, not made the starting grid. Courtney Force earned the 100th WIN on the national stage in a professional class comprised of both men AND women. This weekend, Erica Enders secured her second World Championship in Pro Stock – in dominant fashion, becoming one of many who have also earned this distinction at the top of the sport. Look down the ladder and you see hundreds of girls and women competing and WINNING in everything from Pro Mod, Alcohol, Comp and down to the the Junior ranks.
And although there will always be roadblocks challenging age-old gender bias for women, drag racing has shown to be the most progressive and evolved of all the forms of motorsports.
Bob Frey put it best at the Women of NHRA Breakfast presentation during the SEMA Show:
From Leah Pritchett – who had won a Nostalgia Funny Car championship in the NHRA Heritage Series, with wins in everything from Jr. Dragster to Pro Mod, and competes in Top Fuel; Courtney Force – Rookie of the Year recipient, multiple Funny Car winner, and tireless ambassador to the sport; Alexis DeJoria – Mom, multi-class champion, and all-around badass; Erica Enders- lethal weapon on the tree, two-time class championship, and prolific Pro Stock winner; To the one who arguably paved the way for them all, Shirley Muldowney… the list of accomplishment that these and all the other women in drag racing have achieved is pretty darn remarkable.
but as he best summarized it in closing… “and then you have Danica, who has won ONE race.”
Touchee, Bob. Not to disrespect or discredit the hard work that all of women who pioneer the motorsports world put in, but maybe it is time that these other organizations stop and listen to Drag Racing and effect change at the organizational level to make ALL genres more gender-equal.
Williams F1 test driver and lone female to compete in a F1 Grand Prix event in 20 years, Susie Wolff, announced her retirement from driving at the end of the 2015 season.
Since being appointed as Development Driver for the Williams F1 team in April 2012, Susie has worked hard over the years, moving up the ranks and ultimately leading to her promotion to Official Test Driver in 2015. Her duties as Official Test Driver has played an instrumental role in the development of the FW35, FW36 and FW37. Susie worked through extensive simulator sessions for the team, getting behind the wheel for straight line aerodynamic tests and during numerous on-track test sessions.
This culminated in her driving the FW36 during FP1 at the 2014 British and German Grands Prix, becoming the first female driver to drive in a Grand Prix weekend for two decades.
“I’d like to thank Williams for the opportunity they have given me over the last few years which has allowed me to achieve my dream of driving a Formula 1 car,” Susie said. “It has been great to work with everyone at the team, both at Grove and trackside, and I’d like to thank everyone who has been part of my journey at Williams. I am now closing this chapter but looking forward to new challenges in the future.”
The upcoming Race of Champions, held in London’s Olympic Stadium on November 20-21, will mark her last competitive race in a career that she has pursued since she was 8 years old getting her start in karting. Her decision to retire comes from her realization that the pursuit of her dream to become an Formula 1 driver would fall short, and that there wasn’t much room left to continue. Susie spoke to many news organizations that although she believed that women did have a place in Formula 1 and that they were indeed capable of competing at that level – a fact she proved in test practices; there simply wasn’t enough momentum for her to continue the fight. Susie Wolff retires as the lone figurehead for women in F1.
Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal commented: “It has been a pleasure to work with Susie over the years and see her develop as a driver within the team. Her feedback and knowledge of the car has been an important part our recent development and we will be sorry to see her go. We want to thank her for all her efforts and wish her the very best for her future endeavours. We will of course be supporting both Susie and Felipe at the Race of Champions, and hope Susie has a great weekend to mark the last time we see her race.”
This announcement certainly feels like a setback for women vying for the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of the sport. With Susie being the strongest contender to date with ties to the elusive F1 series, her retirement as a result of the ironclad ceiling that is preventing a female from being on the starting grid is definitely a set-back for the many women hoping for that first break-through role model. Susie said in an interview with the BBC, the problem is two-fold:
“We have two issues – not enough young girls starting in karting at a young age and no clear role model. Sometimes you just have to see it to believe it.”
Although she plans to remove herself completely from the Formula 1 paddock, she does hope that her future endeavors will enable her to give back to women in the sport and help another continue the path to success in F1.
“I dared to be different, I want to inspire others to do the same.”
What do you think about her retirement from racing? What does this do for women in the fight to gain entry into Formula 1?
The NHRA Top Fuel Dragster team Dote Racing, just announced that they will not be returning to NHRA competition in 2016. The Ohio-based operation, active in the class since 2009, takes a hiatus from the sport on the heels of a decision by primary sponsor, Gumout, not to renew their sponsorship of the Dote Racing team.
This leaves current driver Leah Pritchett in search of a new ride for 2016. Pritchett joined Dote Racing in 2013, competing the majority of 2014 and 2015 in the NHRA Mello Yello Series with Gumout as primary sponsor.
Pritchett and the Dote Racing team recorded their career best performances this season, hitting a competitive stride with a runner-up finish at the NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, and qualifying second at the NHRA Keystone Nationals in Pennsylvania. Pritchett clocked her career-best elapsed time in the Dote Racing dragster (3.73 seconds) during the NHRA Summernationals at Englishtown, N.J.
Dote Racing has been a family racing legacy for three-generations. Beginning in the mid-80s with Lynn & Sue Dote purchasing a 1951 “Henry J” drag car, the family tradition was continued by their son, Mike Dote, and his wife, Connie.
Mike, Connie and their daughters, Camie and Joanna, began competing weekly. After fulfilling their bracket racing goals and building great family memories, the team decided to take their passion to the ultimate level, Top Fuel.
“Our decision to take a hiatus from the sport comes on the heels of Gumout’s decision to pursue their major marketing efforts in a different direction, outside of the NHRA,” said Mike Dote. “It is very difficult to walk away at this point, but ultimately we do not have the funds in place for a competitive 2016 season. We have made incredible progress on the track, and have Leah, one of the most talented and marketable drivers in the series at our wheel. It has been a tremendous experience for our whole family and the racing team to work with Gumout and the other ITW brands. We are proud to have raced at such a competitive level against some of the biggest and most accomplished names in drag racing. We want to thank everyone with our team, our sponsors, NHRA, Mello Yello and the outstanding NHRA fans.”
Pritchett, a 27-year-old California native, will begin exploring new opportunities for the 2016 Mello Yello Season after impressive performances the past three years in Top Fuel.
“Working with the Dote Racing team has been a great experience for me, and I am beyond thankful to the Dote family for believing in me,” said Leah. “Mike, Connie, Doug (Kuch, crew chief), Rob (Flynn, tuner) and the entire team have been outstanding with me as a newcomer to Top Fuel three years ago. Beyond driving, I believe my responsibilities within Dote Racing have equipped me with an expanded skill set that will enable me to continue success on and off the track. This experience has been invaluable, and I wish them the best in the future. I am pursuing more drag racing opportunities including my continued work with Gumout. I’m very excited to see what the future holds for me in NHRA Mello Yello drag racing competition.”
After a major switch for John Force Racing to Chevrolet in 2015, decorated drag racing standout Courtney Force was thrilled to unveil the first ever sixth-gen COPO concept inspired by her NHRA Funny Car.
The ultra-modern styled machine infuses legendary COPO performance with the new, modern design of the 2016 Camaro. The special SEMA edition concept was personalized by Courtney Force herself, and will be auctioned off at Barrett Jackson to benefit the United Way. Limited production of the COPO program returns in 2016, with only 69 available spots to purchase the COPO production units.
The fifth-generation COPO Camaro concept first debuted at SEMA in 2011, where an overwhelming demand spurned a limited, special-edition production run. Its success continued in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. 2016 will see 69 additional sixth-gen COPO Camaros headed to the drag strip to carry on the COPO tradition.
To generate excitement for a 2016 COPO Program return, Chevrolet enlisted its newest partner in NHRA driver Courtney Force (a fifth-gen Camaro owner).
“We’re taking the equity that Courtney has in drag racing and bringing that into our COPO series. It’s a very fun and exciting project,” said Todd Parker, Director of Design.
The exterior of this COPO Camaro Concept highlights a Red Hot exterior color, with the familiar John Force Racing Next Gen styling on the rear quarter panel. Red trim accents mirror her signature Traxxas Funny Car livery, a modified SS rear spoiler was redesigned with spill plates inspired by the Funny Car’s massive rear wing, and Goodyear tires were used likening to the slicks on Courtney’s racer.
“This car was a little bit challenging because we’re trying to show the first sixth-generation COPO, but at the same time flavor it with Courtney’s personal preferences,” said Parker. “There was a balance that we needed to achieve and we think that we found it.” It took Courtney several iterations and options before she finally landed on the exterior color. “Her Traxxas funny car has every color under the sun, so to get her flavor took some time,” said Parker. “Plus, the sixth-gen version of COPO looks so dramatic in just about every color.”
Sadly, the Courtney Force COPO Camaro concept is not available for any of the production COPO units.
Exterior:
Red Hot exterior with Switchblade Silver and Satin Black graphics
Courtney Force’s signature JFR Racing graphics
Red lower grille trim
High-rise carbon-fiber hood
Outside rear view mirror delete with painted closeout
Wheelie bars and drag parachute
Unique rear spoiler
Custom smoke-finished Weld drag wheels
GoodYear® Eagle drag tires
Interior:
NHRA-certified full chrome-moly roll cage
Lightweight bucket racing seats with custom embroidery
Floor-mounted shifter
Specific instrument panel-mounted analog racing gauges
Center stack mounted racing switch panel
Five-point safety harnesses (driver and front-passenger)
Performance:
LSX-based 350 cu. in. supercharged engine
Available engines: LS-based 427 cu. in. naturally aspirated; LT1-based 6.2L naturally aspirated
THM 400 3-speed automatic
Front suspension: lightweight adjustable front struts
Rear suspension: multilink
Adjustable coil-over shocks, panhard bar and anti-roll bar.
Rear axle with an aluminum center section, 35 spline spool and axles
Brakes: manual lightweight rotors and calipers
Integrated line lock
Manual rack-and-pinion steering
Fuel storage system with fuel cell and built-in high pressure fuel pump
Dedicated racing wire harness
Source: ChevySema.com
The annual ‘Free Mammograms for the Fans’ campaign hosted by Alexis DeJoria Racing offered NHRA Drag Racing fans the opportunity to receive a free mammogram at NHRA races, regardless of health insurance status, while attending the AAA NHRA FallNationals in suburban Dallas and the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas. 115 women opted to take advantage of the free screenings, held during Breast Cancer Awareness month.
One in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Alexis DeJoria Racing goes beyond simply working to raise awareness of the disease, providing a proactive service that could result in lifesaving benefits to female race fans. The 2015 ‘Free Mammograms for the Fans’ program was made possible thanks to generous donations from the Patrón Spirits Company, Toyota, Kalitta Motorsports and fan contributions.
After the program experienced two successful years of partnering with Nevada Health Centers (NVHC) to offer free screenings at the NHRA Toyota Nationals, the decision was made to not only renew the Las Vegas program, but to add the AAA NHRA FallNationals as well. Alexis DeJoria Racing partnered with Baylor Health Care Systems to offer free screenings to women attending the Texas Motorplex event.
Baylor and NVHC’s mammovans (mobile mammography units) were parked in the race pits and were available to any female ticketholder over the age of 40 on Friday and Saturday of each race weekend. 56 women elected to undergo a screening in Dallas and another 59 women in Las Vegas received a screening, totaling 115 overall free mammograms at NHRA tracks.
“It was another successful year and I just want to thank everyone at Baylor and the Nevada Health Centers for sending their mammovans to the track, and the wonderful women that volunteered their time working in the mammovans, making everyone feel comfortable. Getting a mammogram can be a little scary at first; it’s just that fear of the unknown. Anytime we can give back like that, it’s a good day. We use our position in the racing community to bring more awareness to these causes and help people out, and thankfully we were able to do that again this year.”
According to Nevada Health Centers, a mammogram for an uninsured woman can cost anywhere between 250-300 dollars, and the high out-of-pocket cost is one of the main reasons many women go without this important test. For the affordable price of an NHRA race ticket, women were able to get checked, and enjoy the races.
“I’m really grateful to have been able to bring our free mammogram program back out again this year to Vegas and introduce it in Dallas. With the support of the Patrón Spirits Company, Toyota, Kalitta Motorsports and all of my great fans that pitched in, we were able to screen 115 women for breast cancer,” said Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Patrón XO Cafe Incendio Toyota Camry, which was ‘pinked out’ during the month of October.
She’s had storybook season in 2015, and it seems her fairy tale just continues to re-write itself to an even happier ending. “We came into the weekend and everyone was talking about the championship — what we have to do, crunching points and all that. My crew chiefs (Rick and Rickie Jones, Mark Ingersoll, and Brian Self) and I decided we weren’t going to talk about that and just take things one round at a time. Our goal was to make it 22 (in a row). It’s an incredible thing to accomplish. The streak we have here is incredible. I’m excited to be part of such a great group like Elite Motorsports.”
“After watching my teammate Vincent beat Greg second round, I got excited, of course, because I knew what could happen,” Enders said. “Then I thought, ‘We have to win this round.’ I fire the car, pull into the waterbox, and all my guys are jumping around, clapping, and I’m just trying to get my composure and get my heart rate down.”
With the championship sealed up, Enders knew her day was far from over, as she set out to defend her winning streak at the Vegas facility. She defeated Skillman in the semifinals when he left .004-second too soon, setting up a final-round match with Butner. To the disbelief of all who watched, she proceeded to cut a perfect 0.000 reaction enroute to her 6.595 second at 208.97 mph victory over Butner, with a 6.610 second at 209.33 mph effort.“I knew it was going to be a tough race against a drive like Bo, who I know is hungry for his first win,” Enders said. “To be able to cap the second championship off with another win in Vegas is just crazy. It’s just an incredible day, I’m kind of speechless. Vegas has always been really good to me, and it’s nice to keep our streak going with now 22 consecutive round-wins. It’s mind-boggling.”
“Finally I feel like I’m home with this group of guys,” Enders said. “I couldn’t have dreamed up a better crew. We truly get along, we have such great chemistry, and most importantly we have fun together. That’s why we’re so successful on the racetrack. Horsepower doesn’t hurt, but we don’t have the biggest budget. We get it done because of the people. It’s been a long road, but I’m glad to be where I’m at. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”