Heres my 2 ps worth,

I have been on trackdays and seen some very impressive female riders and some who were completely spooked by the whole track thing. Nothing much different to the men there! The only problem is the amount of testosterone that can cause severe red mists when the girls get up to speed!!

As for racing the female psyche and perhaps physical strength do come into it at the very highest level, e.g world championship.

At club racing level the above two factors are less important, if you want to have go then why not, male or female. if you want to do something badly enough you will find a way.

If you only want to try before you buy as it were then Lougi hires race bikes out. No huge financial committment, turn up and ride. I'm sure he could sort something out.
This in my opinion is the way to go. If you like it you can then put in the time, effort and money to take it further, if not your road bike has stayed safe in the garage and your wallet/purse is a bit lighter but no serious financial harm done!

I'm not trying to pimp Louigi's business here, just putting forward a way of getting on track.

As for not being good enough, male of female, everyone starts somewhere. As long as you are willing to take the risks involved just what is the problem, who wants to look back and say I wish I had.....

If women want to use particular "attributes" or angle to gain support then so what. Don't listen to the whingers with their so and so deserves that support, somebody somewhere has put a lot of effort in to gaining that support working hard on whatever angle they have.

Its far easier to come up with an excuse as to why not than to put the effort in to make it happen.

Get the boys and Girls on he same grid and may the best team win.

As for women on bikes generally it can only be good thing and from whats reported in the press more and more are getting on the road. Anything that can help the bikers image move on from the greasy male speed obsessed psychopath steroetype has to be a good thing. The more the merrier.

Ray

[Edited on 21-10-2004 by Ray]

ok... devil's advocate mode on.....

If you/your son were racing and desperately trying to secure sponsorship. You had some good results, but unless you got some help were not going to be able to race next year.

You have been approaching lots of companies for help with sponsorship and you are making good progress with a particular supporter.

Suddenly the sponsor backs off and you discover that they are putting their money into a female rider who has only had some fairly average results but is fairly attractive and so gets some attention.

Would you see that as fair??

You could argue that as a sponsor they want to get the best return on their investment and a female rider is likely to get more publicity (if she tries) so would give better returns. But would the fact that she is female and using the girly angle make it fair in your eyes?


Just for refrence, i think its fine, in the sponsorship world its a fight to the death and any way of getting it is fair game as long as its honest. It may well be unfair to the better male rider, but things usually even themselves out.

L,
Securing sponsorship isn't just about the results sheet. Its all about the sponsor "buying" good publicity.

IMHO if a team is always winning but getting no publicity in the local paper, National press, TV or whatever but another rival team is getting less good result but always in the local paper etc then a a rational business minded sponsor is going to go for the team that gives them the most back for their money.

There was a situation years ago where there was a local needle match between two car dealers who sponsored cars in a series, the sponsor I had mad it clear that there was nothing they liked better that to see articles in the paper about the pasting the others had got at the weekend!! Or if we got beat they wanted a story about a valiant battle that ended in deafeat!! Luckily that didn't happen too often.
There were drivers with a far better record than me chasing the same deals but with very poor records of giving the sponsors value for money. As much work went into the publicity side as the competing, if not more so.

In the situation you describe I would pick myself up and look for another sponsor, there out there if you keep working at it. If that other sponsor was a competitor of the original I would be doing my best to make sure I out did them in the publicity stakes even if I was getting my **** kicked on the track by the all girlie team!!

Ray

[Edited on 21-10-2004 by Ray]

The whole fiesty racing thing to me is a REAL play on the girly front, and a big PR exercise on Suzie's part, all you have to do is look at her, pink hair, stands out like a sore thumb, has attention seeking plastered all over the place!

I can see that what she/they are trying to achieve is a damn good idea, but what probably isn't being advertised is the amount of MALE input also, husbands/partners, sponsors, I don't know enough about the whole thing, but are there any solely women based sponsors involved? making a truly female experience?

I've read the handouts and giudes to racing that have been produced, and it's all very girly to be honest, what size generator you need for tyre warmers, and a microwave ;) doesn't seem too serious in all honesty.

When you look back through the anals of motorsport history there aren't many women who have made it at a high level in this area. I don't recall any female F1 drivers, WSB, MotoGP riders (The big class, not 250's/125's), OK we've had a few WRC drivers, our own Louise Aitken-Walker who was very successful in her day.

So what is the fiesty racing plan? to raise the male awareness of potential female racers? Will these women compete in their own race series.... which I personally think would fail, and would widen the gap further, or basically catapult the odd person to stardom, either racing, or TV/Media personalilty, which I can see as a real reason.

I love to see women, and especially Lily on trackdays, when she goes round and can see her kicking some R1 riding straight line sid testosteroned (sp?) geezer who thinks he's the next Rossi (in a straight line at least), so mixed racing would be great, as long as it's on equal playing field on both parts, at whatever level.

Ray

I can understand this totally.

I was lucky enough (or rather i worked my butt off for it) to receive a car in a sponsorship deal some years back. I got abrand new car, all fuel/servicing/ins etc as well as some other benefits.

At the time I was doing pretty well, although there were others that were possibly doing better. The difference was how much I was willing to give back to the sponsors and the effort i put into that side of things.

A few other girls picked up on this and did similar. I know of one girl that has never quite been the best (although she is very good), but her constant media work to get herself noticed means she has had one of the best sponsorship deals in the sport.

I can't think of many sports where women are allowed to compete against the men (or are they allowed in all sports and just not up to the job??) - there's showjumping or other equine stuff where they do - but is this because they are riding a living beast, and the riders input is less physical?

Are women allowed to play in the football leagues, even if they were good enough?
There are women's football leagues, but these don't attract the interest that man's football does - this must be true of most sports?

In order for women to get really noticed in sport, they need to compete against the men, look at - the world's top woman golfer - Annika Sorenstam; in order to raise her commercial awareness (and marketability) she has been invited to enter male golf tournaments - and not making the cut.

In truth it was a bit of a PR exercise and the more this happens, the less impact it has, and there was a lot of anti-feeling amounst the male golfers.

Are there any sports where women create a better spectator sport than men - oh yeh - Beach Volleyballl!!!!! :eureka:

Tim:frog:

That womens beach volleyball certainly raises my awareness:o:o:pig:

what about the sex change ones? Golf has just ruled that a woman that was born a man can play as a woman, - and then there was Flo-jo and the rumour of her "man" drugs. All gets a bit confusing really :) Could not tell you what the answer is, as I have not got a scooby.

Topless darts???

Never seen it myself but I know a few f(r)iends who can't stop talking about it!!

Leilla? Lombardi and Desire Wilson had a go at F1?, Michele Mouton won a round of the WRC in an Audi Quattro years ago. Back in the 50 and 60's? Pat Moss used to be very handy behind the wheel. There are exceptions but few and far between.

It seems to be a weight of numbers thing in Motorsport, Hundreds of males compete and only a few get to the top of the tree, far fewer women compete so statistically far fewer get to the top of the tree if any.

The only exception to this seems to be drag racing, the quarter mile sort not the sort for people in drag as it were!!

I could go on to give one "theory" as to why women do well but I suspect it may well get me into hot water big style!!

Ray

I would be interested in your theories Ray....