Team Switzerland To give Chance To First Women Racers September 25, 2007

Here’s another victory for women racers out there. It has been reported that Rahel Frey and Natacha Gachnang will be the first women to test an A1GP series open-wheel racing machine. They were selected by Team Switzerland for the opportunity.

The final test of the pre-season will host the 2007/08 teams. The inaugural 2005/06 season of competition was dominated by the French team with the Swiss team taking second.

“This shootout event at Silverstone will decide which of the two lady drivers will have the chance to represent their national team starting with the Brno Grand Prix, 2nd leg of the A1 GP Championship. It is very stressful for our two candidates. I anticipate that they will know how to calculate the level of risk involved and be fast,” commented Welti.

Aiding the two drivers will be the team’s lead driver Neel Jani, now racing in the Champ Car World Series. The Swiss driver looks forward to working with both ladies — one he has seen on many occasions when the USA-based Star Mazda series was at the same venue. Gachnang raced for the Canadian AIM Autosport team this year, one of three drivers on the team.

Her early racing career came challenging her own cousin, Sebastien Buemi. Coming from a racing family, Gachnang went from karting to the Formula BMW German series before coming over to North America.

Frey stayed in Europe after her karting days, moving to the Formula Renault series. Last year, she was active in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 before trying her hand in the new International Formula Master Series.

“I already talked to Rahel Frey last season and am glad to have convinced her to join us. As for Natacha Gachnang she is Sebastien Buemi’s cousin. She came to our attention this year after her podium racing in Formula Mazda in Portland (USA),” Welti said.

The offer on the table is the chance to race at the season opener on September 30th at the famous Circuit Park Zandvoort (Netherlands). With the new rule changes, the two races per weekend will be determined by two separate qualifying rounds. first round of two qualifying segments will set the Sprint race grid and the second qualifying will set the Feature race grid.

The A1GP officials have adopted several changes to heighten the competition as they enter the third season. Team Switzerland has heighten the level of competition in the male-dominated world of racing by opening doors further for women racing drivers, proving that a racer is a racer no matter their gender.

“It is becoming more normal for young women to race cars,” Welti said. “Like Italian Maria Teresa de Filippis (the first ever woman F1 driver in 1958), the Italian Lella Lombardi (the first ever woman to score a point in F1 in the 1975 Spanish GP), Divina Galica (the only F1 British racing driver), or Italian Giovanna Amati (who drove on the Brabham F1), USA Danica Patrick or Britain Katherine Legge.

“These two exceptional Swiss young lady drivers through their results have already raised the profile of women in motorracing as a whole. As A1 Team Switzerland, we would like to give them a chance to compete at such a young age and may be to race as a rookie driver for their countries in the upcoming A1 GP season”.

(Source: www.motorsport.com)

 

 

Move Over Tom Brady and Danica Patrick. Here comes Ashley Force! September 22, 2007

 

NHRA driver Ashley Force surprisingly gets approval from fans and critics as the hottest athlete, beating over the most popular ones like Tom Brady and Danica Patrick.

Ashley Force has been officially proclaimed as the the winner of the first ever “Hottest Athlete” poll on AOL Sports.

AOL Sports’ users participated by voting for who they think is the the best-looking men and women in sports today.  After a few weeks of casting the votes, results finally came in with the National Hot Rod Association star Ashley emerging as the winner.

Ashley happens to be the daughter of longtime NHRA star John Force. Under her belt are two seasons in the entry-level Super Comp class and three seasons in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. She evntually became the 10th woman in NHRA history to earn a license to compete in the Funny Car division.

Ashley also garnered five NHRA national events including the biggest event in the sport, the 2004 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis while competing in Top Alcohol at the same time. Ashley and her father also made their mark in history as the first father and daughter to compote against each other in a race. Interestingly, she beat her father, llowing her to advance to the semifinals.  She then tied for

the highest ever Funny Car event finish for a female.

 

 

Maria Teresa de Filippis September 19, 2007

Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first of five female Formula One racing drivers in the sport’s history.

Born in Naples in 1926, Maria Teresa de Filippis started racing Fiat 500s at the age of 22. After she finished second in the 1954 Italian sports car championship, Maserati employed her as a works driver, racing their cars. In 1958 she became the first woman to compete in a Formula One world championship race, when she finished tenth in the Belgian Grand Prix. In all she entered seven grands prix, qualifying for three of the five of those that counted towards the title. She quit the sport in 1959 and started a family. In 1979, she joined the International Club of Former F1 Grand Prix Drivers. She has been the club’s vice-president since 1997 and is president of the Maserati Club.

Simona de Silvestro: first woman to ever get on the podium in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history September 12, 2007

 

Simona de Silvestro is currently one of Switzreland’s top young racers.

After Completing her first season in the Formula BMW USA championship, Simona has now entered The Champ Car Atlantic Series with Team Walker Racing. Team Walker Racing are the defending Champions of The Champ Car Atlantic Series and Simona intends on committing herself completely, in attempting to defend the crown.

Last year, Simona Earned one win, 6 podiums and 11 top-ten finishes out of 14 races.. She finished 4th in the overall point standings. She claimed podium in Indianapolis becoming the first woman to ever get on the podium in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history.

De Silvestro continues to prove her talent on track and hopes to someday realize her dream of competing in Champ Car, and eventually, Formula One. In her rookie Atlantic season in ‘07 she’ll be paired with second-year British racer Ryan Lewis at Walker Racing.

(Source: www.champcaratlantic.com)

Gabi DiCarlo: First female in SKUSA Pro Moto history to finish a national season in the top twelve September 11, 2007

Gabi was born on July 10, 1985 and is now residing in Phoenix Arizona.

At the tender age of 11,Gabi started racing karts and entered her first race  in 100cc karts by the time she was 12.  Aftersuccessfuly winning multiple state shifter kart championships, Gabi competed in the the Superkarts USA Pro Moto Tour with the KGB North America factory team for four years. One year in the 80cc Junior division, one year in the 80cc Senior division and two years in the 125cc division.  During that time she was the only female in SKUSA Pro Moto history to finish a national season in the top twelve.

Gabi decided that it was time to make her move into open wheel race cars. She competed in both the Formula Jim Russell Championship and the Barber Dodge Championship.  In the winter of 2002 Gabi was invited to the Jim Russell Graduate Run-Off’s and made it into the top-twenty Semi-Finals out of over one hundred drivers.

In 2004 Gabi progressed to the Star Mazda Red Line Oil Championship driving a Formula Mazda. She finished fifth in the series and is the “2004 Rookie of the Year”.  Gabi is now planning to move to the Star Mazda North American Pro Championships in 2005.

Her latest achivements include finishing 21st in the Chicagoland ARCA 200. She raced with her fellow women drivers Erin Crocker and Michele Theriault.

(Source: www.gabidicarlo.com)

How To Marry A NASCAR Driver September 6, 2007

Listen up ladies. There’s a new book in town which can help you get the NASCAR driver of your dreams.

There is no more need for ladies out there to act so hard and even try desperate measures in getting a NASCAR driver’s attention. The Girl’s Guide to Winning a NASCAR Driver,” a new book by NASCAR analyst, broadcaster and author Liz Allison, is ready to give the step-by-step rules to find the perfect NASCAR driver to marry.

Allison first wrote the topic in 2006 and now, she’s back with her second in a three-book series. The main question that this book answers is, “how does a woman go about marrying a racer?”

 Allison has enough information about the real world racing . In fact, it is in NASCAR wherein she met her husband, met Davey Allison in 1988. A year later, they got married stayed together Davey’s accident in 1993 caused him his life.

After her husband’s death, Liz Allison became more involved in the sport by he announcing at a twice-weekly radio show in Nashville while working for ESPN and TNT Sports. So far, she has also written a total of six books.

She is proud to say that her book offers her unique “tongue-in-cheek” take on the previously unwritten rules for the woman deeply attracted to NASCAR drivers.

As an extra treat, the book includes a list of the top five drivers most likely to settle down and also those who are no longer available. Among her most useful tips include letting the driver lead with the goodnight kiss and how to work connections for the all important pit passes to get close. Moreover, Allison also includes a list of drivers’ favorite hangouts in specific places.

Aside from going out at the right places, the author also teaches women on how to dress, basing again on her experience with her husband. Proper dressing needs no big jewelries high heels at a track.

Allison also praised the NASCAR drivers for their ability to see through women.” They have a radar for these things. They can pick up what girl is out there falling all over themselves because they drive a car for a living or a nice girl who happens to be here,” Allison said.

Aside from helping women get their dream NASCAR drivers, Allison also stated that she is also ready to give a helping hand to any woman interested in getting into the race.

 

Brittany Frosh Makes History In Florida September 4, 2007

 

On August 31, 2007, 18-year-old Brittany Frosh of Melbourne of Florida made history when she became the first female driver to win a Florida Mini Sprint Series feature race. She accomplished this feat at North Florida Speedway in Lake City, Fla., driving for CORE Lending Group team owner Harold Matthews.

Brittany started 7th in her 8 lap heat race at Lake City and worked her way up to a 3rd place finish. In the feature event Brittany started 5th in the 20 lap event. She did an awesome job of working her way thru traffic, making it into 2nd place by lap 5 behind Eddie Moss. About 3 laps later Brittany made the pass for first place going into turn 3. She lead the rest of the race making it her first FEATURE WIN.

 

 

This win also marked Frosh’s first career victory, after qualifying fifth out of 20 starters in the feature.  Frosh will continue to race the remainder of the 2007 season in the Florida Mini Sprint Series and hopes to add more victories to her resume.

(Source: www.thatsracin.com)