ARCA: " Girls join the good old boys "

[Don]

" ARCA test shows that more girls want to join the good old boys "

AutoWeekRacing.com

" If the ARCA series is a preview of the NASCAR field in five years, the December test at Daytona International Speedway suggests that there could be more female drivers in big-league stock car racing. Nine female drivers participated in the test and two more were on the entry list. "

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...SCAR/912289998

[Wayne Maybury]

I cannot see why females cannot be competitive in this male dominated sport. Driving a stock car isn't like playing football where size is all-important. Several women have done very well in drag racing, no reason why they can't do the same in stock cars or F1. I think the draw back has been getting them involved at a very young age where they have a chance to learn at the same time as the boys.

Wayne

[Excaliber]

Upper body strength could be an issue for them. Drag racing is far less physically demanding than driving 500 miles in a cockpit at well over a 100 degrees. These drivers are "atheletes" in every sense of the word.

[tcrist]

Ernie, I agree. Especially if their power steering go's out. Could you imagine that happening at Bristol or Martinsville to these young ladies.

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Upper body strength could be an issue for them. Drag racing is far less physically demanding than driving 500 miles in a cockpit at well over a 100 degrees. These drivers are "atheletes" in every sense of the word.

I never thought of AJ Foyt as an "athelete", and that was back in the days before power steering.

[Excaliber]

Point taken John and there is some truth to that. I suspect "back in the day" the good old boys just sweated it out and all of them were beat up by the end.

I recall Richard Petty commenting on how he had dismissed "driving shoes" for years, he always wore cowboy boots. It's what real men did. Eventually he was talked into trying a pair of racing shoes. He was like SO excited at this point in his interview. Going on and on about how he couldn't believe the difference it made, those driving shoes are great!

Today the racing is so competitive the drivers need every edge they can get. That means being alert and fresh as much as possible at the end as at the beginning. Hence, regular gym "work out's" are just the way it is now.

[Ron61]

Tiny Lund was by no means any athlete and he did well in 1964. But when the power steering goes out now, just look at how it affects the drivers performance, especially if it goes out early in a long race. Also they have to get used to the difference in brakes. The open wheel cars have great brakes while you can't stop one of these cars immediately. I remember a few years ago, forget which race it was, that Ricky Rudd won and they had to lift him out of the car and carry him to the medical room as he was out from heat exhaustion. The cool suites are great but if they fail they are worse than not having one.

Ron

[Wayne Maybury]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Upper body strength could be an issue for them. Drag racing is far less physically demanding than driving 500 miles in a cockpit at well over a 100 degrees. These drivers are "atheletes" in every sense of the word.

Ernie, I do agree. However we are talking about stock cars with power steering going around oval tracks, not road courses where they must shift gears constantly. Also, don't forget that this is NASCAR where the drivers get a rest break every 15 or 20 minutes while they follow the pace car around for 10 laps as they look for a mysterious piece of "debris" to pick up.

I am not saying that just anyone can do this but Mark Martin is 50 and still going strong. These cars are difficult to drive but pure strength isn't as important as in many other sports.

Wayne

[rustyBob]

nobody wants to see some big buff chick that looks like a Russian weight lifter race....
they want to see someone that actually looks like a female race.....like Danica....

[Ron61]

I believe that the hardest thing is going to be for her or any other woman to get used to racing the way they do, fender to fender. Plus on hot, humid days when the cool suit fails, that is going to be another matter. Even a couple of the men who have driven for a long time have had to get out of the car during a race under those conditions. Remember, these cars generate a lot of heat and it gets very hot in those drivers areas. But I do hope that she is successful and I would like to see more women in NASCAR.

Ron

[Excaliber]

big buff chick that looks like a Russian weight lifter race...

Whew, that is one ugly word picture right there!

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Upper body strength could be an issue for them. Drag racing is far less physically demanding than driving 500 miles in a cockpit at well over a 100 degrees. These drivers are "atheletes" in every sense of the word.

Yes they are and they had better be in very good physical shape to be halfway competitive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did 3 laps as a passenger a few years ago at Daytona at about 160mph and can't imagine doing that for 3 hours straight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know it's not NASCAR, but if anyone thinks racin is easy, they are welcome to get behind the wheel of my 65 Mustang Coupe road racer for 15 laps on our 1.8 mile/14 turn road course.....Afterwards tell me how easy it is!!!!!!!!!!!!! Much less with 25 other cars wheel to wheel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even on 50 degree days, after a 15 lap race, I come out of the car soaking wet with sweat and for me anyway, the concentration level you must maintain is more demanding than the physical aspect of driving the car..........


David

[rustyBob]

there you go .........after 500 laps at Daytona Danica emerges from her Stay Free Maxi Pad ,Monistat Chevy with all that sweat glistening off her firm little..............whew
I'll watch that.......

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by rustyBob

there you go .........after 500 laps at Daytona Danica emerges from her Stay Free Maxi Pad ,Monistat Chevy with all that sweat glistening off her firm little..............whew
I'll watch that.......

Actually I kind of like Cope's nieces.

[Ron61]

John,

I agree with you about Cope's nieces. And they can't be much worse as a driver than he is. Now if NASCAR would just make an exception and let the women change clothes after a race before the interviews.

Ron

[63mercury]

If anyone looked into the weight training that Mark Martin does daily you'd see why he can outdrive most of the younger drivers, also skill, experiance, and equipment help.

[Ron61]

Originally Posted by 63mercury

If anyone looked into the weight training that Mark Martin does daily you'd see why he can outdrive most of the younger drivers, also skill, experiance, and equipment help.

Mark Martin has always had one of the most rigorous training programs of any driver. Many of the younger ones couldn't do all he does now. Plus he has a lot of talent as a driver to go with it.

Ron

[Don]

After all the analysis/opinions on skill, physical/mental conditioning, IRL vs NASCAR racing, etc., etc., this first year for Danica will be a limited part time rookie season, yellow stripe on the bumper, with no testing on tracks where races are held. There needs to be reasonable expectations:

* Minimum, qualify for all the races entered, if no car/owner points
* No driver errors taking out another driver
* Finish the race, even if last
* Get a top 25/20 finish
* Maybe a top 15/10 finish

Will be an interesting topic to re-visit in Nov 2010. It took Montoya with multiple F1 wins 3 full time seasons to be a serious contender.

Consideration for the skill level in IRL vs NASCAR, running just a few feet apart, touching wheels at 220 + mph in IRL usually results in one or more vehicles exiting the race vs banging fenders in NASCAR , intentional or driver error, and probably just losing track position. Other than replacing the front wing and/or nose as a complete assembly, IRL cars do not return to the race.

Below was lifted from an internet inquiry.......i.e., must be 100% correct , since it was found on the internet ( smile ).

" For most women, summer approaching is the ultimate sign that something must be done to work on the body to look great in a swimsuit. As the days are getting longer, so are we women starting to focus more on what and when we eat, as well as on how hard we work out and which areas need more attention. For professional race driver Danica Patrick though, working out and eating healthy have a double purpose, as she reveals in the latest issue of Shape magazine. "

" For starters, Danica has to keep fit to look good on the beach, just like any other woman out there. She is aware that her occasional modeling gigs (including those for Sports Illustrated and Playboy) have brought her in the spotlight as far as gentlemen are concerned, but she also wants to look her best in her swimsuit. Then, there’s the issue of having enough strength to control her car during the four-hour races she takes part in – and this is where it gets tricky and Patrick has to work out really hard.

According to the star, her exercise routine is not something regular women could keep up with if not aiming for a similar goal as hers. She works out almost every day for several hours, focusing on increasing her strength and building muscle, essential to handle her 1,500-pound vehicle. For better results and to avoid routine, Danica Patrick has her personal trainer change her training every six months – this way, she knows for certain she will never become bored with working out.

“I have to work harder than those bigger guys to control my car.” Danica says for Shape. To illustrate, from April to September, meaning during race season, the star runs for an hour every day, then hits the gym to do upper body exercises meant to strengthen her shoulders, forearms, and back. However, she always keeps in mind that, no matter how hard she works, even she needs a break every now and then. “I skip days here and there and don’t beat myself up for it. My husband always reminds me to let my body rest.” Patrick explains.

As for her diet, the race driver is again focused on her health. She knows she needs foods to fuel her vigorous workouts, which is why she has adopted a high-protein diet with complex carbs. Keeping her weight constant while also having enough energy for exercise is essential to her, as she herself admits, but she has found a way to do so by cooking her own meals. “I worry about the scale like anyone else, but I have to make it through five-hour races. It’s a constant battle for me. […] I get hungry every three hours, so I also like to munch on an apple or whole-wheat toast with peanut butter. I like my food to be tasty.”

[Wayne Maybury]

Don

I personally thought that Montoya would do better in NASCAR than he did the first couple of years. After thinking about it, I have to wonder if he had a car that was equal to those of the top drivers like, Johnson, Gordon, Edwards (in 2008), etc. In other words, did Montoya have the best equipment in his first couple of years in NASCAR? He certainly has become much more aggresive lately and we have seen that he will not back down from anyone.

Wayne

[Don]

Wayne, other than competing against Johnson, Martin and Gordon: With Montoya driving for Chip Ganassi, I would have anticipated consistent finishes in at least the top 12 to 15 when compared to the other Teams. Seems other than the " racing incidents " with Tony Stewart and some others , he now has more patience when making his progress to the front, and then being aggressive with minimal risk.

Lost count, but might still be Montoya's only win was on a road course, with a possible correlation to his F1 skills.