Women in Racing Archives – Page 37 of 37

I’ve been seeing a lot of commentary on the subject of upper body strength and driving the nitro cars…. funny car especially. Seems that many question whether women, at a natural disadvantage in the upper body strength department with their male counterparts, are physically able to handle the demands of driving one of these “beasts”.

In fact, earlier last year, when I had my dream interview with Don Schumacher about the possibility of piloting the Oakley Funny Car, one of the questions he asked was did I think I’d be able to “man-handle” the “beast” down the track, and that it was something he found concerning about women driving in funny car. It threw me off, and it was a question that never driving one, I couldn’t guarantee the answer for, and coming from one of the most knowledgeable people in the industry, it rattled me. Sure, if desire could move mountains, I’d be able to steer one with my pinkie and my eyes closed, but would it be a real problem??

Being that I want to best prepare for any possible opportunities, I’ve beefed up my training regimine in the upper body section, just in case. But as an aspiring driver, its a question that I’d like to know the REAL answer to. There has been more than one woman to pilot a funny car, and none I would consider to be overly-built in that area of strength (re: none of them were amazons or anything like that). Yes, women do have less upper body strength than males by nature, but is it really a cause for concern as many imply, on their ability to control the cars at speed?

It was a question that was largely repeated last year for Ashley Force entering the Funny Car Gentleman’s club. She had risen from the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks, and stories circulated about her inability to get the car down the track. That talk increased after her incident in Seattle. But was this more a case of a learning rookie driver or a direct result of lacking upper body strength?

Though I have never spoken to Ashley, nor do I know anyone with inside answers to any of these questions as it pertains to her, I do think we saw some truth to the struggles she had on episode #5 of Driving Force as she was getting her license. But, as I mentioned in my comparison then, I took it more to be the differences between men and women in how we approach learning something different. Women are more cautious, and use our “feel” a little more. Men, just strap in, hold on, and go about it with a more wild abandon. Melanie further backed up my feelings on it in her recent interview. Get us used to it a little more gradually, let us learn what it is we are feeling, and we’re on even footing.

Perhaps Melanie Troxel will be the better indicator as the latest female to enter the funny car world. Melanie was already a respected driver in Top Fuel, and although she seems much smaller in person than her website lists her 5’9″ 129lbs. frame, she definitely would be comparable in size to your average woman. Its too early to judge her driving at once race into the season, but her initial comments seems to disprove the myth of upper body strength being a major hurdle.

“I’d say when you’re actually driving and going down the track it’s not something that enters my mind, I can’t actually sit there and think, ‘Wow I can’t. This is hard to do.” Troxel said.
It’s definitely harder but I don’t think it’s so much harder that somebody couldn’t overcome it if they wanted to do that you could pretty easily.”

Either way, I’m not taking any chances. I’ll continue to go through the extra motions of beefing-up-the-up-top and make it a non-issue.

Source: Competition Plus

I root for the ladies in our sport, and in all motorsports. I think that there is a bond of sorts that being the minority in motorsports creates as a female driver. No matter what level, many women are the subconscious victim of prejudice of gender… despite the fact that the racecar knows nothing of what sex pilots it down the track surface. We have all faced these prejudices as women trying to advance, trying to gain the same respect for our driving abilities as our male counterparts seem to earn more readily. I’m elated that Melanie Troxel took the first win of the season in Top Fuel. There have been others before her, but it reinforces Melanie’s talent and ability again to the public. She has a top-notch win-capable team, and she executed as a driver. That combination is what it takes to get the win. But it wasn’t always that way.

I was a bit saddened to read a recent interview with Troxel, where she completely downplayed her gender to the press, adding that fellow female racers “…they’re just competitors.” Now, I understand her argument. Female drivers want to be noticed for their driving talent, and not for their gender alone. I can appreciate her goals when she says: “I think we’ve all worked so hard at being accepted as racers and not (have it) based on the fact that we’re female, that we want to be taken seriously just as the other competitors out there, it kind of goes against that to then turn and make (their gender) such a big issue. It’s not a huge rivalry where we’re all out to get each other, but I don’t think we go out of our way to make any special bond.” But in reality, it simply doesn’t work that way.

Troxel, herself, has felt this. The writer points out for us that she sat on the backburner with Prudhomme for the most 2005 season, and was unsure of her career progression. She had proven her talent with a driving stint for Schumacher in 2000, yet still had not secured a full time ride, until Schumacher picked her up again at the end of 2005. “Melanie is a unique personality, a beautiful lady that’s a talented driver, and she needs to be out here racing. She’s always been a good driver and does a good job,” Schumacher said of his decision to hire Troxel. Her win this weekend, as a relatively new member of the Schumacher team, emphasizes her talent. The respect she has earned as a driver (gender aside) is undeniable. But I feel she has too quickly forgotten the struggles that she, and all other women in the sport have faced (and sometimes continue to face) in their careers. Why not support and mentor the very cause that you took part in for so many years instead of refuting it? Don’t get me wrong, I do not agree with exploiting your sex to further your career, but I also have pride in the very thing that makes us unique, and the struggles we each overcome to get there.

I hope that when I realize my dream of driving in Top Fuel, I will be able to actively champion the cause of women in motorsports. I would like nothing more than to help other women achieve their goals, as I have fought and been blessed enough to pursue over the years myself.

Upper Body Strength: Fact or Fiction?

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