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iTrader: (2)

Hi everyone. I was wondering how many lady racers there are in different parts of the world.

I'm from Australia and would be lucky to see girls having a go in a year's worth of racing. Yet it seems to me that RC racing would be a good sport for them. Lots of the races I attend have a family atmosphere. We have 7 year olds competing against 50 year olds. It is a sport where there is no advantage to be gained from being physically stronger so males and females can compete on an equal footing.

Girls are increasingly tech savy, and schools and universities do a great deal now days to encourage them to consider engineering and physical science subjects, so there is no reason why RC car racing with its strong engineering element wouldn't make a great hobby for girls.

Yet it seems that where I am there are very few lady racers. Is this a phenomenon specific to Australian culture or the culture of RC racing in general? Do pictures of trophy girls in our magazines send the wrong message? (How about the avatars on this site?)

I am interested in your thoughts (especially if you happen to be a female racer), how do we get more girls into racing?

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iTrader: (2)

I didn't expect a flood of comments when I started this thread but some feedback would be nice.

Surely someone must have seen some female racers at one point or can tell me how common they are in your area/at your local track.

I'll settle for a response of the type: "I'm from [place] there are [number] girls/women who race around here, we have about [number] racers total at our track."

Tickle

iTrader: (32)

I'm an older guy who races in the North East part of the USA and in the last year I've only seen one woman racing - once.

Papago_RC_Racew

The USA has Ronda Skelton. Only chick I've ever seen race.

RickBac

iTrader: (20)

Personally I think there are several reasons why you don't see that many ladies racing rc.

First, we are playing with toys. Plain and simple. The saying goes "the man who dies with the most toys wins". The difference (whether it be born or learned) between men and women, men never grow out of the need for toys.

Second, racing. Still (right or wrong) is male territory.

Third, not all tracks have a family atmosphere. Bad language, music, smoking etc can turn women off (along with children).

Fourth, rc takes time to get good. Women have less free time. In todays world they work outside the house, take care of the house, primary care giver for kids, cook, etc. Going away and relaxing probably sounds better and I don't blame them.

Fifth, the ads don't help. As it is a male hobby still the pin-ups are not going to leave. Sex sells, period.

Sixth, in a world of single parenting. Women usually have the kids. No time and certainly not enough money.

Hopefully as time goes by, the stereotypes that drive this stuff will go away and more and more women will come play with our toys.

AZTman

Comments on your comments:
1) Toys, my wife doesn't get it, biggest reason in my mind. Loud, dirty, smelly, no interest in that mess. Can you picture your wife in the pit area with the smoke, screaming motors, fumes? No chance.
2) Competition is the ONLY reason girls might get into it, I know tons of them are very competitive in other areas.
3) Bad language/atmosphere, but if they wanted to race, they would get us to clean it up
4) Disagree, they take time to learn to cr@p-book and sew and other stuff they care about.
5) Disagree, ads at races are mostly logos. Online ads maybe.
6) Disagree, tons of married guys race. If the women wanted to come out, things would adjust to fit. Team-care, playgrounds, etc. Money, I agree. A set of tires or a manicure? Tires lose every time! Time, I agree, but only because of #1.
Unnumbered) A few female racers will come out and kick our butts, or just have some fun. I saw Ronda race at The Nitro Pit a couple weeks ago in Pro, great racer! Really, these are stereotypes because we have heard these views from a woman's lips! I really think the biggest draw would be the social aspect with other wives, girlfriends, women at the track, not playing with the toys. Why do they go to Nascar? "Who won the race?" "Who cares? We had so much fun with (fillintheblank)."

On a different note, my 5-year old daughter LOVES to help take off tires and work on my toy car, but I think it's short-lived (re:1). First time she gets nitro fumes, she'll be done, or puberty, whichever comes first.
Travis

Nick Carroll

I'm in Arizona, the racing scene is not that great at the moment but as far as female racers i don't think I've seen one (personally) in like 5-6 + years. Like you said there are divisions/classes with young children competing against older more experienced guys. I agree the LHS here always says it's a "family show" but most of it is just fathers and sons.

F. Mendoza

iTrader: (79)

At SoCal Raceway before it closed. There was a gal that raced quite a bit. She raced Sportsman Stock and was a pretty good driver too. She always made the A Main and finish in the top 5. Her yellow car always had the IN&Out Logos on it. Her name is Tracy (last name Howard I think). She could drive that touring car and placed well. I don't know if she still races or not but thought I'd chime in on this one.

8ightScale/CJP

Indy>>>Danika
NHRA>>>Ashley
RC>>>Rhonda

chris moore

iTrader: (96)

At the local parking lot/bashing level I've seen lots of girls/women race but for many reasons thay quit after a few weekends or months. At the racing level the only gals I see are the trophy girls.

billjacobs

iTrader: (65)

1) the racing "atmosphere" is by and for males
2) going into a dim, dirty place that smells like a paint can is not their idea of "fun"
3) they will usually be the only woman there
4) if they have kids and the hubby is racing, they are home with the kids

The only time I have ever seen women race (not the occassional girl at the track who comes for 1 or 2 races) is when parking lot racing was big. The mini and spec classes were more "newbie" friendly and that is what the women raced.

If you want more families to come out, including women, go back to r/c being fun for everyone, not a blood sport for total domination and bragging rights.

panther420

We have a couple women that kick some serious a$$ in the states!!
Carissa Figelski and Vicky Carrubba

OTE_TheMissile

iTrader: (2)

It's noticeable at S&N's Trackside, and I think a lot of that is owed to Scotty Ernst's daughter Sarah (if you've never seen her, she can be downright bad fast when she wants). In the 7 years I've been racing at S&N's I've seen a handful of female/father-daughter/husband-wife/etc. racers

For the 2007 Midwest Offroad Championships my girlfriend (who currently resides in CA, we're doing the long-distance thing) flew here and ran my Old Man's T4 in the Sportsman class. She'd never raced before or even been on an actual R/C track, she'll be the first to tell you she was WAY off pace in qualifying, and broke early in the Main (I won't say how early though ), but she still had a blast.

stiffler297

Couple comments on your comments.

1.) My wife is a racer (Not a Rhonda) but a racer indeed. She love the loud noise and smoke coming out of the pits. Mess, I'm not allowed to touch her cars. She cleans, re-builds all on her own. She won't even let me touch her cars.lol.

3.) I've seen women with worse mouths then the men.

6.) My wife prefers a pair of tires or glow plugs over a manicure anyday.

I guess I'm one of the few out there that is lucky enough to have a wife who is into this sport as much if not more than I am. My wife won't let me spend money on anything BUT RC stuff. You will never find me at the track without my wife racing with me.

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iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the comments so far guys. It seems that no matter what reasons we can come up with for low numbers there will always be exceptions to the rule. But do you think we will see the day when they aren't exceptions but perhaps part of a (let's say) large minority?

Is there any thing we can do to encourage more girls? After all most clubs would like more racers, and they do make up 50% of the population.