HERNDON, Va. (May 15, 2013) - It’s not every day that a female wants to become a professional athlete in a male dominated sport, or that one organization would become dedicated to helping female athletes succeed. Beth Chryst is getting that help from Glass Hammer Racing (found on the web at http://BeatByAGirl.org), on her SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup season, starting with her race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, June 14-16.
Chryst, a Washington, D.C. area native, has been chasing her dream for 13 years. The connection with Glass Hammer Racing, through social media, is now in its second year. With race weekend sponsorship, the BeatByAGirl.org support has allowed Chryst to work with an engineer and driver coach – a necessity to enhance any driver’s development.
As part of the partnership, Chryst will serve as a driving instructor for young female racers through the introductory racing experiences developed and conducted by Glass Hammer Racing, to expose young women to motorsports and provide positive female role models as they begin their careers.
“It is an honor to be a part of Glass Hammer Racing for a second season in a row,” Chryst said. “We have put together a really strong plan for the 2013 season to get to the podium. Hard work pays off, and has already started to prove itself in my first pair of races at Sebring in March.”
Chryst has already met with one set of young drivers participating in the Glass Hammer Racing Experience.
“The time I spent instructing young female race car drivers at the Glass Hammer Racing Experience over the winter was an experience I will never forget,” Chryst said. “These girls wanted every ounce of my knowledge and I loved interacting with them.”
Glass Hammer Racing founder and owner, Greg Gaich, commented on Chryst’s career the last few seasons. “We were able to provide a little support for Beth last year, helping her get some of the development opportunities a lot of the other drivers had,” noted Gaich. “For 2013, we laid down the gauntlet and challenged Beth to identify what she needed to make some big leaps in her performance. She laid out a clear plan and we are delighted to be able to help fund some of her top priorities, many of which occur in the long lonely stretches between race weekends. We can’t wait to see the advances she can make with extra testing, coaching, and engineering support the rest of the season.”
As additional support for Glass Hammer Racing drivers, IndyCar driver Pippa Mann joined the organization in June 2012, to serve as a mentor for Glass Hammer Racing drivers. “It was great to meet and talk with Pippa over the winter. My conversations with her during my first races were incredibly helpful,” remarked Chryst. “The opportunity to network with Pippa and the other Glass Hammer Racing drivers has been a wonderful and totally unexpected benefit of my involvement with their organization.”
Chryst will drive the No. 2 BeatByAGirl.org Mazda MX-5 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June, sharing the weekend with the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, for Rounds Five and Six of the 12-race season. Chryst’s tentative plans include the Shell Grand Prix of Houston, in support of the IZOD IndyCar Series, and the season finale at Road Atlanta with the American Le Mans Series. The Grand Prix of Houston is a night race, with the course running through the (temporarily closed) streets of Houston.
The SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup made its debut in 2006, and features identical Mazda MX-5’s. The Mazda MX-5 Cup gives drivers the opportunity to run on high-profile weekends in an economical, entry-level racing series. As part of the MAZDASPEED Driver Development Ladder, the MX-5 Cup Champion annually receives a ride higher up the motorsports rung, courtesy of Mazda. For more information, visit www.mx-5cup.com.
Contact Information:
Contact Information for Glass Hammer Racing:
facebook.com/glasshammerracing
[Photo Credit to Blake Reagan]
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