Women Drivers

[Broke Hoss]

Earlier today, I'd watched the NASCAR race & it was followed by NHRA Southern Nationals. Anyways, it got me thinking & I asked my wife why she thought so many females had found success in NHRA, where as NASCAR has not had near as many successful women in the upper classes.

Her take is the endurance level needed to complete the extremely long duration of NASCAR.

I know Danica Patrick made a run in the cup series of NASCAR. But I think she was really just a PR stunt. She was fairly successful in Indy Car, but not so much in stock cars.

NHRA has several women, some pretty good looking ones too, in the various classes.

Anyone wanna chime in?

 

[CCantu357]

Jokes aside, it does puzzle me as to why women drivers do very well in drag racing such as NHRA, yet have not seemed to compete as well in the other major motorsports disciplines such as endurance racing, F1, Indy, rally, or Winston Cup.

Danica Patrick is a great example of a driver who should have stayed in Indy car. She was far better in Indy than in NASCAR. Not all drivers can switch disciplines easily. Michael Andretti going to F1 and Juan Pablo Montoya going to NASCAR come to mind. Granted, some people can do it - but Mario Andretti, Foyt, Mansell, and Tony Stewart are cut from a different cloth than most drivers.

 

[vonn]

A lot of NASCAR drivers are also endurance athletes as part of their training regimen. Drivers take a physical beating during a race and also it is very hot in those cars and takes a toll on the drivers. The long season may be one of the reasons women find problematic as most have family responsibilities that many men drivers pass to the women in their lives.

 

[wbraswell]

NHRA is a very family friendly organization. Most of the women that are successful in the pro categories have been brought up in the sport. Dad, and maybe Mom too have been racers. Racers like Erica Enders, the Force girls, and Leah Pritchett, have grown up at drag strips, and participated in the Jr. Dragster program from grade school age. I think a big part of this discussion is that, for one thing, building a car that goes in circles or road racing is more expensive to get into than drag racing. Also remember that in circle track and road racing, crashing is part of learning, at every level. You have to find the fastest way around the track, and you have to find the limit to do that, and that means sometimes you go over the limit. A whole lot of parents don't want to put their children, male or female in situations like that. Most kids who come up in drag racing may never crash, unless they go into the pro classes.

 

[Salty RI]

The reason they do good in drag racing, they tell them shoe's are on sale at Macy's [emoji1]

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

 

[Filo McShoe]

while not on drag racing but on the subject of women drivers there's the wife Countess Slow. because of a med I was taking had her drive me on a 100 mile round trip journey I had to do the other day. I love the woman dearly but spent more time in the car in fear of death than I did in 20 years in the military. it was like Gilligan's Island what should have been a 3 hour tour became a life time wondering if it would ever end.
all I know is I wasted money buying her a car capable of doing over 40 mph even when the speed limits are 65. plus parking, takes her longer to put the car in a spot than it does to dock the QE II.

 

[Rule3]

You guys are stereotyping Women. Haven't you all learned by now that is not PC these days.
Men and Women are equal in every way

Just ask your Wife, Wives, Wifes.

 

[BigBoy99]

Maybe they just get tried of the same routine: speed-up, brake, and turn-left over and over?

 

[pawngal]

NASCAR's roots are in the "good ole boys" southern stereotype.

NHRA started in California.

One welcomed women earlier on, the other didn't.

 

[Texas Star]

I don't know how it compares to car racing, but there are successful women fighter pilots, some with combat experience in hitting ground targets.

I don't think any have engaged in air-to-air combat, though.

Is it harder to drive a NASCAR vehicle than to pilot an F-16? An A-10?

 

[italiansport]

The "driver" in a drag race is for the most part a passenger once the acceleration off the line is made. After that it's basically "Hang on"! Track racing requires a great deal of skill along with physical conditioning and to me this is the big difference. Patrick remained in NASCAR well past the point where she would have been cut if a male driver. This was done IMO primarily to try and increase the fan base. She was essentially an "adequate" driver where being exceptional is necessary in order to win.
Jim

 

[cybermgk]

NHRA is a very family friendly organization. Most of the women that are successful in the pro categories have been brought up in the sport. Dad, and maybe Mom too have been racers. Racers like Erica Enders, the Force girls, and Leah Pritchett, have grown up at drag strips, and participated in the Jr. Dragster program from grade school age. I think a big part of this discussion is that, for one thing, building a car that goes in circles or road racing is more expensive to get into than drag racing. Also remember that in circle track and road racing, crashing is part of learning, at every level. You have to find the fastest way around the track, and you have to find the limit to do that, and that means sometimes you go over the limit. A whole lot of parents don't want to put their children, male or female in situations like that. Most kids who come up in drag racing may never crash, unless they go into the pro classes.

Although I would change the term from 'family friendly' to family participation oriented, I think this hits it.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I believe that I have a fifth amendment right in this regard. I have recently been informed that I am an anachronism in 2018.

 

[Rule3]

I sure do not follow NASCAR but I bet Dana could kick pretty boy Jeff Gordons butt in a fight.

And look better while she is at it.

 

[ExcitableBoy]

Drag racing is a sport that basically requires only two major attributes of the driver: (1) quick reflexes, (2) full concentration on keeping the vehicle moving in a straight line. Women, in general, have quick reflexes and the ability to concentrate like they are staring down a cobra. Thus, success at the drags.

NASCAR, and all iterations of road racing, require huge amounts of aggressive behavior, which, in male drivers, is fueled by testosterone (Men and women are different!) and adrenaline. There is also a matter of body strength and endurance. Even so, men are quite burnt out after 4-500 miles; all of those natural chemicals whizzing through their bodies take a toll. Men are also more strategic drivers, much like chess players, watching cars far ahead and what they are doing, to set up their moves in their mind way ahead of time.

Women tend to be timid drivers, and some are just total airheads. (Not that there aren't a bucketload of men whom I would also categorize in this way.) Observe female drivers on the road (or while riding with your wife ); they are reactionary in their driving, driving only according to just the first few cars in front of them, not observing patterns far in front or behind. Most women drivers make me nervous because of this trait.

It does not make for smooth travel on the roads... or success on the racetrack.

 

[cybermgk]

I sure do not follow NASCAR but I bet Dana could kick pretty boy Jeff Gordons butt in a fight.

And look better while she is at it.

I'd take that bet. Women don't have the benefit of testosterone. It makes a difference in muscle development when trained, and strength relevant to fiber.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbBIK8CzCYo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbBIK8CzCYo[/ame]

 

[pawngal]

Back to racing, I always wanted to race. Didn't matter to me what kind. Did plenty of midnight country blacktop racing. The legal opportunity wasn't available.

Several years ago I found out about AutoCross and have done that several times. Wish there were more local events. My times are competitive. Last year one guy offered to let me run his C-6 Corvette in
the women's class but he blew a tire so I didn't get to.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I'm guessing you're not much of a NASCAR fan. I know Sam Hornish would tell you he had all of Danica that he wanted at Talladega one year . . .

Women tend to be timid drivers, and some are just total airheads. (Not that there aren't a bucketload of men whom I would also categorize in this way.) Observe female drivers on the road (or while riding with your wife ); they are reactionary in their driving, driving only according to just the first few cars in front of them, not observing patterns far in front or behind. Most women drivers make me nervous because of this trait.

It does not make for smooth travel on the roads... or success on the racetrack.

 

[wbraswell]

If you think driving a Dragster or Funny Car, is just hang on after the launch, you have no idea of the reality of violent acceleration.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

A little off topic...an Air Force woman driver: