Why are females finally having success in racing?

[Luigi]

...or Indycars in particular?

What is the reason in your opinion?

[jeffracer]

Downforce

[crispy]

Getting rides is success?

Exactly ONE female has had any type of RESULTS in IndyCar. One.

[fleshwound_NPG]

Downforce

There's more here

[9rows]

one win in 100 yrs of racing is "success"?

[skypigeon]

[snark] Because the sport is SO much weaker, the REAL racers aren't showing up...[/snark]

(FULL DISCLOSURE: I think the above is sheer crap, but just wanted to put it out there for dissection and ridicule before someone who seriously thinks so tries to wreck this thread. )

[paper]

has there ever been a car that knew the gender of the driver? there a lot more women in politics now also,

[ttturner68]

Because it takes time to them to come up the ladder. Once it became exceptable for women to be race car drivers then Dads and Moms allowed them to go go-cart racing.

[skela]

...or Indycars in particular?

What is the reason in your opinion?

who are those females????

danica??? and her lucky one off win???

or maybe Milka???

Besides they are running around with considerable weight advantage. No sucess there whatsoever.

Only worth female driver out there is Sarah Fisher

[Danny Noonan]

one win in 100 yrs of racing is "success"?

I don't think it's fair to lump all women together and of course you know women haven't been racing for anywhere close to 100 years.

I would also say the term success is relative. Do you consider Vitor Meira or Ed Carpenter to be successful?

The reality is one woman has ever really had a top shelf ride to prove her talents. Of course that is Danica. She hasn't won as much as she probably should have, but she has consistently been one of the best drivers in INDYCAR for the past 6 years on ovals. If it weren't for the clear advantage Ganassi and Penske have on ovals at the moment, I'm sure she would have 4 or 5 additional wins on her resume.

[dwaldrep51]

Why are females finally having success in racing?

There is a bigger talent pool to choose from because for the last 10-15 years we have seen girls become a much bigger percentage of the participants in karting.

[RoadGrader]

...because many of the Cro-Magnon-like good ol' boys network members are dying off (or at least leaving motorsports)....

[ElMaestro]

Besides they are running around with considerable weight advantage. No sucess there whatsoever.

I thought the 2008 season marked the first season to have the minimum car and driver weight rule where extra weight was added to those cars driven by lighter drivers (i.e. Patrick, Briscoe, Helio) and no weight would be added to those cars driven by heavier drivers (i.e. Wilson)?

[skela]

I thought the 2008 season marked the first season to have the minimum car and driver weight rule where extra weight was added to those cars driven by lighter drivers (i.e. Patrick, Briscoe, Helio) and no weight would be added to those cars driven by heavier drivers (i.e. Wilson)?

it was in 09

the fact that she won in 08, and in 09 and beyond her results were weaker and weaker, means that she won only due to weight advantage (apart from helio's fuel misfortunes)

[Jaly]

Because it takes time to them to come up the ladder. Once it became exceptable for women to be race car drivers then Dads and Moms allowed them to go go-cart racing.

I would agree with this. Take a look at the NHRA history and how long ago Shirley Muldowney raced vs how many women have been competitive in the recent years.