Simona!!

[neti1]

Rahal’s sister-in-law won the Top Fuel championship in 2017. Erica Enders has won the Pro Stock championship 2-3 times, including this year.

the overriding point is that unlike about every other motorsport, there are enough women competing in drag racing - and winning - that is isn’t the novelty it is elsewhere.

My point is, I was talking about track racing, not drag racing.

[fenderless]

<snip>

There are all manner of autocross type events around the country that allow you to take part with no more than what you've described above other than requiring a helmet. The same is true for a good many "track day" type events. As such, you contention that drag racing has the lowest barrier to entry into the sport doesn't really hold water.

Let's parse this down to the absolute cheapest, easiest, quickest entry into motorsports. Please include links any pertinent charts, graphs, pictures (paragraph on back) and I don't know what all...

This topic definitely needs a poll.

[Sweaty Teddy]

I don't really follow drag racing, but as I recall, there was a female motorcycle drag racer champion, too?

Given the success women have had in drag racing, I wonder if any studies have ever been done to see if women have faster reflexes?

Angelle Sampey has 42 career wins in Pro Stock Motorcycle, another NHRA class with a good number of female competitors.

[Sweaty Teddy]

My point is, I was talking about track racing, not drag racing.

Fullchat added the drag racing element. Then the conversation got Spiked.

[flatlander_48]

Agreed. 'Don't understand the exaggerated fandom of women just because they are women. I've never had anything against anybody making it to the big time but to celebrate their mere existence just doesn't cut it for me.
The only woman, so far, I give serious credit to was Lynn St. James..... I respected her from her early IMSA thru (tho' she didn't do too well in) Indy car days. 'Not only could she walk the walk, she could also talk the talk (I meant it that way, she could speak, knowledgeably, racing lingo as well; unlike, let's say, the not missed, Danica).

And not Janet Guthrie?

[flatlander_48]

Legge at least tested with the W Series earlier this fall, which I thought was odd given her prior experience. At least she's open to future open-wheel opportunities.

I’m guessing that was a reference point and publicity. I don’t think it was for joining the series...

[Sweaty Teddy]

I’m guessing that was a reference point and publicity. I don’t think it was for joining the series...

Not according to Autoweek, which reported last month that they expected her to participate next year but that she pulled out. That this was a possibility reinforces to me all I've understood about W Series, and what a fool's errand they are on doing it this way.

[frodo13]

YES PLEASE!!!!!

I imagine Porkchop is probably scrap by now.

Even if not, there might be a little trouble with homologation .

Ya Think!! I am thinking more like Pork Chop Jr. or perhaps Calhoun.

[flatlander_48]

Not according to Autoweek, which reported last month that they expected her to participate next year but that she pulled out. That this was a possibility reinforces to me all I've understood about W Series, and what a fool's errand they are on doing it this way.

It would make no sense for her. She’s way beyond an F3 car, so what would be the point? Similarly for Tatiana Calderone. She turned the first season down because she was going into F2. Something really odd here...

[rrrr]

Rahal’s sister-in-law won the Top Fuel championship in 2017. Erica Enders has won the Pro Stock championship 2-3 times, including this year.

Erica is a fierce competitor, and consistently throws down great reaction times. She cut an .019 light in the second round at the Finals, which clinched the championship with a .027 holeshot win.

[Sweaty Teddy]

It would make no sense for her. She’s way beyond an F3 car, so what would be the point? Similarly for Tatiana Calderone. She turned the first season down because she was going into F2. Something really odd here...

Only as odd as the CAT sponsorship not returning, and with that the MSR Acura ride going away. A girl’s got to have her Plan B .

[flatlander_48]

Only as odd as the CAT sponsorship not returning, and with that the MSR Acura ride going away. A girl’s got to have her Plan B .

Yes, but there are several hardtop series out there that she could have fit into. This whole thing seems a bit weird...

[Sweaty Teddy]

Yes, but there are several hardtop series out there that she could have fit into. This whole thing seems a bit weird...

Maybe they thought she was going to sign on but she had no intention? She's years removed from open-wheel, and probably not looking to get on the European ladder at 39.

That W Series was hoping that a 39-year-old was a good idea for their field says how weak the whole concept is to begin with. And then you have the champion returning to defend her title, presumably because she couldn't find the rest of the funding needed for a halfway decent ride at the next level.

[flatlander_48]

Thee W Series winner gets $500,000. A year in F2 is on the order of $2,000,000 I think. What that says to me is that it is still hard for women to find proper funding. That isn’t the fault of the series. It’s a function of how marketing folks think.

What the series does is put 20 young women in the spotlight and helps them with understandIng how to give good feedback to the technical staff, media coaching, physical training coaching and nutrition coaching (I think). Even if you have funding to do an F2 season, I don’t think you would get a lot of this peripheral help, which is also important to advance your career. Personally, I think so far the series is doing what it set out to do. We’ll see what happens in another couple of years. As I remember, they were trying to work out something with COTA. Hopefully that will come to pass...

[Spike]

Thee W Series winner gets $500,000. A year in F2 is on the order of $2,000,000 I think. What that says to me is that it is still hard for women to find proper funding.

No, what that says is that the prize money available is but a fraction of the budget required to compete. The same is true in the ICS.

What the series does is put 20 young women in the spotlight and helps them with understandIng how to give good feedback to the technical staff, media coaching, physical training coaching and nutrition coaching (I think).

Are you saying a female driver can only get those things by taking part in a series where all the other drivers are female?