Weight: A Racing Disadvantage for Danica Patrick? March 29, 2008

One of our site’s favorite Indy Racing League drivers, the beautiful and talented Danica Patrick, may be at a racing disadvantage due to her petite and slender frame. Sources have it that there is a new rule that has been implemented at the IRL where the minimum weight for the car will also include the driver’s weight.

Good news for the bulkier males on the league, but what of the 5ft 2in, 100 lb, Patrick? This new rule penalizes Danica Patrick in a way, although the league begs to differ.

Before any violent reactions, no, the league won’t be force-feeding Patrick with tons of fries and burgers just to “bulk up” her natural frame. Instead, weight in the form of ballast will be added to the vehicle’s chassis. The “heavier” group on the other hand, will get a weight cut to even out the playing field a little more.

Stereotypes: Hazardous to Female Drivers March 27, 2008

For decades, women have been battling the stereotype that all women drivers are bad drivers. It doesn’t help that society seems to force this thinking into the
minds of kids and young women waiting to receive their driver’s license. Although yes, there are a considerable number of people out there who genuinely believe that gender has nothing to do with atrocious driving, and yes, yours truly included in this number,
the stereotype prevails.

F1 Women: Where Did They Go? March 26, 2008

Since its early beginnings in 1950, Formula One has been recognized as the Fédération International de l’Automobile or FIA’s premier or highest class open-wheeled automobile racing competition. Formula One has been a predominantly “male sport”, in the same way that you hardly see women behind boxing gloves hitting the ultra-mainstream dominated by their male counterparts.

 

In the last half century, we’ve only witnessed five female Formula One drivers zooming through the world’s most complicated race courses. The trend started in 1958 when Maria Teresa de Filippis, who originally didn’t “qualify” for the Monaco Grand Prix, made her great debut by starting in the Belgian Grand Prix and getting 10^th place