Girl Power

[Sid The Manager]

Apparently CMS are running their Viper GTSR in British GT this year with an all girl driver line up, said to be Amanda Stretton, Vicki Butler Henderson and Annie Templeton.

More should be known after todays media day at Silverstone.

[Rob29]

Clearly a media exercise.2 reporters and Annie who frankly going by her BTCC results will not cut it. Please CMS hire Rachel Green & Amanda Whitaker.

[egor]

Vicki Butler Henderson is ****. Did you see when she competed on the Silverstone rally sprint course, she had to have Louise Aitken Walker sat next to her to change gear - in a car with a sequential gearbox.

I hope if she drives she will bring a lot of money to the team as she has not much else to offer!

[Tim Northcutt]

Speaking of the Fairer Sex and those who can drive:

There is a young woman now in Toyota Atlantic, Danica Patrick, who really seems to have her act together...not a novelty item when it come sto talent...

Anybody know anything about her?

[ss_collins]

media stunt - sure, but it will highlight to women that racing is a sport they can do, its the same reason theres an all black team in the uniroyal team challenge.

[Liz]

No, it will highlight to women that it's something "girls" can do if they are "celebrities" and/or Hot Babes -- no driving talent necessary.

Is the "all black team" a private business or was it put together by the organizers to prove their Liberal Credentials? If the former, then its composition makes no difference; if the latter, it's reprehensible.

[ss_collins]

a publicity stunt, to raise awareness of both the series and of diversity in motorsport, and to make a point to the motorsport community that there are black racers and to the black community an introduction to motorsport. The team is called "roots" and the catchline is "motorsport - whatever your are."

[FG1]

Originally posted by Liz
Is the "all black team" a private business or was it put together by the organizers to prove their Liberal Credentials? If the former, then its composition makes no difference; if the latter, it's reprehensible.

I wish you were right Liz, but I doubt you are.

FG

[gi_gav]

Although a media-driven 'all women' or 'all black' team might seem reprehensible at first, if it results in motorsport diversifying beyond its current white-male-middle class base, then its not necessarily a bad thing

[FG1]

Originally posted by gi_gav
Although a media-driven 'all women' or 'all black' team might seem reprehensible at first, if it results in motorsport diversifying beyond its current white-male-middle class base, then its not necessarily a bad thing

My point exactly. I wish it weren't so, but it probably is.

FG

[John Turner]

Egor, I cannot comment about Annie Templeton but have seen both Amanda and VB-H race. Have you? I recall Vicki driving off the back of the grid to midfield position in the wet at Thruxton about 3 years ago in the Ginetta series. Come on,
Give them a chance.

[blueflagger]

If the women are serious about racing, I can't blame them for using their sex to grab sponsors and media attention. Anything to afford a better car.

However, it does sound like a publicity stunt. I hope that doesn't mean they are incompetent or dangerous drivers. That's the scariest part about celebrity drivers in professional events. They aren't allowed to play pro sports just because they are celebs so why do we allow them in race cars?

[ss_collins]

well black drivers have been competing as everyday drivers for a few years and have been largely ignored by the black community and a black driver is still a novelty (as are women drivers) the odd stunt doesn't go amiss to increase participation and diversity in the sport.

[blueflagger]

Actually, in the US, we see more female drivers than black drivers in road racing (and very few black females). But the same still applies. If they are serious drivers and they can use their color to attract sponsors and publicity, more power to them.

But if they are just after publicity and not really interested in racing, they are probably dangerous. This applies to white males too.

[Liz]

One of the best teams (now 3 cars) in Speed World Challenge touring cars is Turner Motorsports and it is owned and operated by a Black man. But I haven't heard anybody comment at any time "Hey, Will Turner is Black!" or make any connection between his success and his colour. That's the way it ought to be, IMO.

The problem with putting teams together for publicity's sake is that it tends to tar all the members of that group with the same brush, i.e. "Look, if we give them their own team, they can race too!" Doesn't it raise false ideas such as that (1) because I belong to the Spotlighted Group, you ought to give ME my own team too, or (2) since there aren't any except on teams we create, ,the only way they can be successful is if we give them their own team?