The post Detota and Warren Climb to the Clouds appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>Chelsmford, MA: 2013 Atlantic Rally Cup winner and all-women team of Erika Detota and Mary Warren will attack the famous road to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire as part of a fifth round of Rally America National Championship series seen on NBC Sports Network.
The historic event, also known as the “Climb to the Clouds” is organized by the Sports Car Club of New Hampshire and will be a 3-day motorsports festival including a 75-car competition field filled with some of the best drivers from around the world. The race is one of America’s oldest motorsports events, first run in July, 1904, twelve years before the inaugural Famous Pikes Peak Hillclimb. The Climb to the Clouds was held sporadically through the years. Following a ten-year hiatus, the Hillclimb returned in 2011 as part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, first opened on August 8, 1861. The team will drive the same 7.6 mile course, but this year it is nearly 87% asphalt and only 13% still gravel. The challenging road is lined with trees on the lower half with dramatic drop-offs as it winds up to the 6,288 foot summit of the Northeast’s tallest peak – Mt. Washington.
“We are very excited to be invited to such a prestigious event,” said Detota. “Mary and I are honored to be given the chance to test our skills alongside the current record holder. I’m hoping our tarmac experience will help us.”
At the 2011 running of the event David Higgins set a new overall course record of 6:11.54 in a Subaru WRX STi. Detota’s Subaru Impreza 2.5 is not equipped with the same power and traction as Higgin’s, but the team is hoping to record one of the fastest times up for an all-woman team.
“I am interested to see how we do on such a steep incline at the highest altitude we have ever raced” says Detota’s navigator Mary Warren. “We will be writing our own notes for the climb which will be key to carry speed up the mountain.”
Team RallyErika will bring a new sponsor with them to Mount Washington – DriveSafer. DriveSafer, provides the premier teen car control and defensive driving courses in the US, preparing students to control their vehicles in the face of real-world distractions and dangers that take thousands of lives annually. “Last year I started working with the awesome group of people at DriveSafer. It has been amazing to have the opportunity to instruct and help people become better drivers. It’s great to have DriveSafer with me at the Climb to the Clouds.”, says Erika.
Detota’s car is also the only 2WD Subaru in the rally car class. “It is not a perfect set up against the 2WD field racing up the mountain, as our car is build specifically for rally stages, but we are hoping for a good result.”
Rally America portion of the event will consist of almost 27 competitive stage miles. While the other hillclimb teams practice on Friday and Saturday, rally team’s times will count for the final result at the event. The hillclimb will feature an open public paddock where the fans can get an up close look at the cars, meet teams and get autographs.
Team RallyErika is supported by Ruge’s Subaru of Rhinebeck, NY, Keep a Breast Foundation, DriveSafer LLC, Spy Optics, Exedy Racing Clutch, HMS Motorsport, Flat Out Automotive, DBA USA and Whiteline.
Please visit https://www.drivesafer.com for more information
Ruge’s Subaru Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/RugesSubaru
Erika Detota Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RallyErika
For more information about Erika Detota go to www.RallyErika.com
PHOTO CREDIT: JORDAN APGAR
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]]>The post AMY RUMAN CAPTURES ANOTHER TRANS AM VICTORY appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
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Amy Ruman, in the #23 McNichols Chevrolet Corvette, started on pole position at New Jersey Motorsports for the RacingJunk.com 100, Round 5 of the 2014 Trans Am Championship.
Ruman was able to hold that position for the duration of the race, despite multiple challenges from defending Champion Doug Peterson. The win is her first since the 2012 season, places Ruman within 2 points of Peterson for the Championship lead going into the rest of the 2014 season.
“This week has been all about my team, my mom, my dad, everyone that works so hard for me, McNichols, everyone that lets me do what I do,” said Ruman. “I can’t thank everyone enough for all the effort they give me week in and week out. It felt great to start on pole and lead the race, back-to-back wins in New Jersey is pretty cool too—so I guess I really like Thunderbolt track here.”
The race began with Ruman on pole with Peterson, also in a Corvette, alongside and the #59 Simon Gregg in third position. Amy was quick to build a lead during the early laps; but it was Jim McAleese, starting fourth in the #03 Corvette who put on a show during the early laps. McAleese set a crazy pace, shooting up through the field, passing both Gregg and Peterson on the restart on lap 9, the consequence of a brief full course yellow during the start of the race.
McAleese would hold the position for nine laps but was never able to pursue Ruman; busy in a battle with Peterson for the position. Peterson who ran nose-to-tail with McAleese often attempted to overtake McAleese through turn one, only to have the window closed on multiple occasions.
The three would hold their position up to lap 26, when the course went under yellow once more due to a large oil slick in turn six. On the restart, Peterson closed the gap between himself and Ruman, with each driver running their best times of the race.
Ruman was able to fend off Peterson until the checkered flag, in turn capturing her second consecutive victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park, despite finishing the last eight laps of the race without power steering.
“It was an endurance race,” said Ruman. “I knew Peterson would be there when we got the yellow, he was probably being conservative with his tires; I was trying to be as conservative as possible with mine too. At the end, I knew he’d be gunning for me; I didn’t anticipate the power steering problems. I was ok on the straights; but in the corners he caught up with me, so I had to get back on the gas as fast as I could. I don’t know how much longer I could have done that; but you know, I’ve been working out, so we’re good!”
Peterson would finish second, enough to retain his points lead, but only just; as Ruman now remains only two points down from the reigning TA Champion.
“We’re focusing on trying to win this Championship; it’s really a goal of ours,” said Ruman. “I’m excited that we’re back in the hunt for it. It’s basically a new season; I think it’s going to be exciting for the fans and exciting for us. There are six races to go and anything can happen!”
McAleese held on to finish third in the race, his highest finish on the year, while Simon Gregg would come in fourth and Kerry Hitt, in the #19 Advanced Composite Products, finished fifth.
Going into Round 6 of the 2014 Trans Am Championship, the 3Dimensional Services Group Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Doug Peterson remains the TA class points leader with 132 points, followed by Ruman with 130 and Gregg with 122. In TA2, Lawrence increased his tally to 155, with Andretti in second with 125 and Poitras in third with 115. Russ Snow holds the International Group lead with 113 to Tim Gray’s 75 and Berkeley’s 70, while Cassaro continues to lead the American Muscle Group with 128 to Ernie Francis, Jr.’s 116 and Rob Bodle’s 99.
To keep up with Trans Am at www.gotransam.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com and on Twitter at @Gotransam.
For more information about Amy Ruman visit her website: www.rumanracing.com
Trans Championship Points after Round 5
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]]>The post Podium Finishes After Well Fought Weekend in Canada for Shea Racing appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>Orlando, FL
Shea Racing ended the Pirelli World Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park May 16 – 17th with podium finishes, a Sunoco Hard Charger and Optima Battery Best Standing Start Award.
Shea Holbrook, of Groveland, FL, pressured the pole sitter during race one, which served as the makeup race from Barber Motorsports Park making several passing attempts, most notably on Lap 15 into Turn 1 as the Holbrook dove to the inside as the two went door-to-door. Holbrook in her No. 67 TrueCar/Lucas Oil/Radium/Hendrick Honda Civic Si ultimately finished second securing the fast lap of the race with a 1:35.597 putting her on pole for race two. Holbrook led the majority of the race but found herself wide on the outside of Turn 2 losing two positions. She clinched a 3rd place finish. The final race of the weekend Holbrook charged from the back after an incident with the tire wall in Turn 2. Fighting back and turning extremely impressive lap times Holbrook captured another 3rd place finish.
“I don’t think I’ve ever driven like that before. After my wreck I guess I drove like a mad woman. My crew chief, Nick Chorley, kept me focused and made a perfect calculation informing me if I continued to run as fast as we were I’d catch the field with three laps to go. On the final lap I regained two positions to secure third place,” said Holbrook.
Canadian native, P.J. Groenke, in the No. 66 Verax.ca/Tundra/Mulligan Gold Honda Fit began the weekend facing struggles but it was his track experience at CTMP and fierce determination that paid dividends clinching his first podium finish of the season and a Sunoco Hard Charger Award for gaining three positions during the Race 3.
“My home race weekend could not have been filled with more ups and downs…The test and practice sessions went as planned and I managed to qualify 3rd. Unfortunately in my search for the illusive pole position I got extremely loose in Turn 2 and the Verax.ca, Tundra, Mulligan Gold Honda Fit ended up meeting the inside wall at corner exit very hard. Thanks to the hard work of the Shea Racing team, my good friend Sean Asselin, and Chase Pelletier for loaning me the rear axle out of his team’s personal Honda Fit, we managed to start the first race of the weekend from pit lane and secure valuable championship points with an 8th place finish. Regrouped and ready to move forward through the field I had a great start to the second race and only made it to Turn 2 before I had to park the Verax.ca, Tundra, Mulligan Gold Honda Fit due to a broken motor mount retiring the car for the remainder of the weekend. Luckily I was able to secure a ride in the No. 24 4R Motorsports MINI Cooper for Sunday’s race through the much appreciated help from Scott Kuhne. Starting from 7th place I utilized much of my home track experience to move up to 3rd place and secure my first podium finish of the 2014 season. It was amazing to race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the first time in over a year and cannot thank everyone enough for helping me achieve my first podium finish in 2014!.”
Paul Holton, rookie from Tallahassee, FL, in the No. 65 Radium/TrueCar/Lucas Oil Honda Fit ran quickest during Thursday’s wet practice sessions with a 1:53.975. Holton’s continued improvement earned a 6th and 7th place finish in the first two races, respectively. Holton’s was awarded the Optima Battery Best Standing Start Award. After an intense three-way battle throughout the race Holton ultimately scored a 5th place finish, his best finish of the season.
“This weekend was a great learning experience for me. While battling for third in the second race I made contact with a competitor causing a flat. I was able to back into the pits where the team did a stellar job of getting me back out on the lead lap finishing 8th. The start of the third race I managed to pick up three positions earning the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award! Overall, I’m pleased with my progress and look forward to New Jersey Motorsports Park,” Holton said.
The team currently ranks third in the TCA championship with Shea Holbrook’s 346 points, Paul Holton with 304 points sits in fifth in the TCB championship and P.J. Groenke sixth with 240 points.
Follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and for more information visitwww.shearacing.com.
Watch on TV
MAVTV Special One-hour TC, TCA, TCB Broadcast from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park! Date TBA in June.
About Shea Racing:
Shea Racing is a three-driver, three-car professional auto racing team in the Pirelli World Challenge dedicated to achieving paramount success by providing extraordinary racecars and trackside service, incredible branding and marketing efforts and developing a strong foundation to support talented drivers and to elevate our partners. The 2014 season marks the team’s fifth year racing in the series.
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]]>The post All Woman Rally Team Preps for Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>Rally driver Tracey Gardiner and co-driver Tabitha Lohr will participate in the fourth round of the Rally America National Championship, Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR) on May 30-31 in Wellsboro, PA.
Tracey and Tabitha will commandeer their Toyota Yaris in the B-SPEC category as the only all-female team competing in this national event. The team recently finished second in class at February’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, which was the first event finish for the team this year. Rally America allows teams to drop two events from a team’s season points totals, and Tracey will have used these two drops after she skipped the Oregon Trail Rally. Tracey and Tabitha will now need a finish at STPR to attempt to close the points gap on B-SPEC’s driver leader James Robinson, and finish strongly in the remaining events on the national calendar.
Hailing from North Providence R.I., Tracey is a mom, successful rally driver and considered a female expert in the world of motoring, delivering hands on workshops on defensive driving, teamwork, leadership and personal development. Tracey is a qualified driving instructor in both Rhode Island and Colorado, daily testing the abilities necessary to hold a driver’s license for public roads.
Though first impressions might be of a quiet reserved mom, her reputation for bringing people beyond their perceived limitations grows every day. Her unique and inspirational story shows there is no limit to what you can achieve at any stage in your life with the right attitude, determination, focus and commitment. Maintaining femininity and grace in the motorsport world, Tracey and Tabitha have not let adversity or obstacles get in the way of their dreams. “Dedication, persistence and hard work will take you incredibly far,” says Tracey, “Never let negativity or gender get in the way.”
The STPR Rally is the oldest race on the schedule running since 1977, and one of the fastest rallies in North America. Top names like Ken Block will compete alongside top international rally driver David Higgins, with many home town regional drivers on the very same stages. While NASCAR might be the descendant of old “whiskey running days,” cars exceeding 100 miles per hour through densely woods on slippery, fast and extremely dangerous clay and gravel roads is guaranteed to bring back the excitement of those bygone days.
All the STPR Rally action is scheduled to be televised on the NBC Sports Network on June 28th at 6pm EDT.
About TagRallySport:
TagRallySport is a woman-owned, new-age motor sports marketing company with locations in R.I. and Colorado.
- See more at: http://rally-america.com/news/entry/national-all-female-rally-team-prepares-for-stpr-rally
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]]>The post Ramona Roughs through the Second World Rallycross Event appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>By: Erika Detota
The Second World RX competition in Lydden Hill, England, ended up being a difficult one for Sweden’s Ramona Karlsson.
As the first & only woman to race in the championship, she was fresh off of proving herself as a respected competitor in the first round in Portugal by making it to the semi final round. However, she didn’t get the chance to keep building on that success at Lydden Hill. ”I had problems with the installation of the launch control revs” Ramona said. “I was very unsatisfied” she added. She was 4th and 2nd in the two qualifying heats on Saturday, but fell to a 25th place during the race.
By Sunday Ramona’s team had the chance to make some big adjustments to the car which seemed to help her push harder. This momentum quickly came to an end with a flat tire in her heat which caused her to lose control of the car at one point, dropping to 30th overall.
“My goal was to make it to the semi final as I did last competition, so I’m of course disappointed with the result. The positive thing is that we finally found good settings, and that the lap times were improving. This was the first time for me on his track and with this conditions, and sometimes you need to accept that you don’t find the right settings and speed at once. After all, I’ve got valuable experiences from this weekend that I will take with me to next race” Ramona says.
It has been an exciting year for women in Rallycross! Fellow rally driver, Emma Gilmour became the first and only,thus far woman to race in the Red Bull Global Rallycross series. The 2 ladies in paralleling world level championships will hopefully help more women to come into the sport in the future. Both Emma and Ramona got their start in performance rally and have extensive driving resumes, it will be exciting to watch them among their respected rallycross series.
Ramona’s next competition is in Norway in three weeks.
Photo Credit: Johnny Loix
For results, go to www.rallycrossrx.com .
More about Ramona Karlsson Rallycross: www.ramonarx.com/en/
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]]>The post Strong Finish For Ekaterina Stratieva & Carmen Poenaru at Rallye Açore appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>Mission accomplished for FIA European Rally Championship’s leading ladies
Ekaterina Stratieva & Carmen Poenaru returned to the FIA ERC 2WD Championship on SATA Rallye Açores last week and achieved her aim of a finish in the highly competitive category. The historic event is based on the Portuguese island of São Miguel in the Azores and is known to be amazingly picturesque.
Stratieva came home 12th in class, switching from ERC 2WD to the ERC Production Car Cup for two events. She appeared happy to be back in her familiar Citroën C2R2 for the all-gravel event. She recently raced a Subaru AWD car in production class at Acropolis Rally earlier this year.
“I know that I can do more and be better but from other side I must be happy that we get to the finish of this very hard event,” said the Bulgarian. “Like people say – if you want to win first you must arrive to the finish. It was very easy to make mistakes and finish early.”
Co-driver, Carmen Poenaru reckons she could have been higher up the order had it not been for a troubled start to the rally.
“I lose the rally from the first day when I lose a good balance in the brakes and I stop to trust them,” the ERC Ladies’ Trophy leader said. “It was very hard for the first three stages to stay on the road. Then there was a problem with the gearshift and I was waiting a long time for some of the stage to start or not happen. But it was a big pleasure to be in the C2 again and I hope also Carmen enjoyed our moments together.”
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]]>The post California Dreamin; IMSA Heads to Laguna Seca. appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>Two words. The Corkscrew. If you are a racing fan, you know the track to which I am referring. Rounds 3 and 4 of the IMSA GT3 USA series took place at the famous Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in beautiful Monterey, California. Laguna Seca is Spanish for “dry lake” which incidentally explains the nature of the track itself; very, very dusty. Front end grip is hard to come by and the track is mentally exhausting. With 11 turns and only 1 major straight away, your mind never gets a chance to rest. Not only that, but the track is a series of low speed turns. For a driver that tends to overcharge entires, it can be a drain to reel you
A solid qualifying session is imperative a Laguna Seca. Why? Because passing is a challenge at this track. There is only one major braking zone (the Andretti Hairpin) in which to overtake another car; arguably two if you count turn 11. Most of the other turns are too narrow to afford a good opportunity to pass. So with this in mind, I proceeded to my qualifying session with my game face on. I did not want a repeat of Sebring where I flat spotted my tires, but I absolutely had to knock out 2 fast lap times (the fastest time is used for Race 1 and the second fastest is used for Race 2). I went out for “quali” as we racers call it and tried to get into a rhythm. I was fast but not where I wanted to be. I pit, my mechanic bleeds the tire pressures, and I go out to give it one final push. In the last few laps in the short 20 minute qualifying session, I managed to qualify in P3 for Race 1 and P2 for Race 2. It is not the pole position, but it is pretty darn close.
Race day arrives and I am good to go. Car ready? Check. Review data? Check. Stretch? Check. Listen to hip hop jams? Check. Race 1 was disappointing. It is always a let down to start out with a podium position only to lose it in the race. Inches separate me from the P2 car in Gold for several laps. I started to overcharge the turns which resulted in massive understeer. P4 slid by in the Andretti Hairpin as I was struggling with getting the car to rotate. In an effort to regain this position I ended up spinning in Turn 11 and falling back to P6. Now I am pissed. I had a podium spot, lost it, and now I am back even further. So I hunkered down and focused. I regained P5 then P4 and finished the race in P4. I credit my crew chief, Brandon, for keeping me calm and focused during my battle back to P4. I was not happy but at least I gained points towards the championship.
Ideally, Race 1 and Race 2 would be on different days. But at this venue it was the same day. Knowing this, I think many of the drivers held back in their aggression. I knew Race 2 would have a lot more contact. I was not wrong. For this race I started in P2. When the green flag dropped, one of my Wright Motorsports teammates was shoved into the outer pit lane wall. I took the opportunity to go far right, avoid the carnage, and made the pass for P1 in Gold. After a little wheel to wheel rubbing, I jumped in front of some Platinum cars as well. I lead the race in the Gold division for several laps. And then…I caught up to Platinum back traffic. Normally I am a wiz in traffic, but Laguna is not an easy place to make a move. At one point I got sandwiched in between 2 Platinum cars; meanwhile there go P2 and P3 around the mess and out in front. Four letter word expletives ensued. A couple of Platinum spinners shook up the mix some more. When the race ended, I found myself in P4…AGAIN. Shaking my head…
My narrative above probably sounds like list of excuses. Make no mistake, 4th place is on me. No one is responsible for those poor finishes but me alone. It was this realization that lit a fire under me. I have never been more motivated to refine my race craft and really knuckle down at the next race. All I have to say is, “I am coming for you guys at Lime Rock!!!”
By: Kristin Treager, 2013 PCA GTC4 National Champion
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]]>The post Emma Gilmour Debut at the 1st Round of Global Rally Cross appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>“I learned heaps and kept improving throughout the practise, qualifying and heats. Despite the racing being a big learning curve, I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait for the next round at the X Games in Austin Texas on June 7.”
Dunedin-based Emma is now looking forward to getting back into her Vantage-sponsored Suzuki Swift Maxi for the next round of the Brian Green Property New Zealand Rally Championship, driven by VINZ event at the Canterbury Rally June 1 and 2.
EMMA GILMOUR’S 2014 GLOBAL RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
• May 17-18: Barbados, Top Gear Festival.
• June 7: Austin, X-Games.
• June 21-22: Washington.
• July 19-20: New York.
• July 25-26: Charlotte.
• August 2-3: Detroit.
• August 22-23: Daytona.
• September 19-20: San Pedro.
• September 26-27: Seattle.
• November 5: Las Vegas.
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]]>The post What Type of Male Driver Are You? appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>There are 3 types of male drivers. Type 1: men who like and respect female drivers. Type 2: men who do not like female drivers, but learn to like them and/or respect them. And Type 3: men who will never like or respect female drivers. I have met plenty of Type 1 and Type 2 male racers. Luckily, I have never come across a Type 3 male driver in person. If I ever do, it will not be pretty.
The Type 1 male driver is the most pleasant to meet. Case in point, Andrew Davis. Andrew is a driver in the United SportsCar Championship. I first met him in 2013 at a Porsche Club of America (PCA) race at Watkins Glen International. He was there coaching for Kelly-Moss at the time and offered up some friendly advice. He is a big proponent of women drivers and believes that there is no disadvantage as a woman competing in racing other than it being a bit of a “boys club.”
In contrast, the Type 2 male driver is a little annoying at first…ok…very annoying at first, but can be charming once you win him over. Take, “Speedy Steve” for instance. I first met Speedy Steve at a PCA race at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. We were staying at the same hotel and both of us were enjoying the complimentary pseudo eggs and cold cereal the morning before qualifying. He casually mentioned that I should “stay out of his way.” Little did he know, the day prior was my first day at that track; I was still “mastering” the line. Boy was he surprised when I beat him in the race; not that it mattered, we were not even in the same class. Fast forward to a year later, I come across Speedy Steve at Texas World Speedway. Again, another new track for me to learn. This time he knew I was a fast learner. He allegedly told another driver not to let me follow him because I would pick up the line faster. Again, not that it mattered because we were not in the same class. Later on, he graced me with his presence long enough for him to call my driving “powder puff.” Which he claims to this day is a compliment, an odd one if it is… Now to Octoberfast at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit. Speedy Steve and I were in the same class as he had upgraded to a GTC4 car. We went toe to toe in two points races. I had out qualified him for pole position. But as another driver humorously described it, a “burglary” took place during the race. Speedy Steve almost wiped out in turn 2, forcing me nearly off track, but he saved it in time to take the lead. To my dismay, Speedy Steve won Points Race 1. The next race, I was bound and determined not to let my nemesis beat me. He had belittled me, he had egged me on, and now was the time to show him that I was not a weak, powder puff driver. I am in the pole position, the green flag drops, he leaps out ahead, and I am right on his tail. Only inches separate us for laps… Then, in turn 2, the same turn the aforementioned “burglary” took place, Speedy Steve makes a mistake. I make my move on the following turn and take the lead. I won Points Race 2, but more importantly I won Speedy Steve’s respect. Recently, I ran into Speedy Steve at a PCA event at Road Atlanta. We had a very pleasant time chatting about our racing endeavors. We traded battle stories and had a good chuckle. So…once you win the Type 2 male driver over, they can be one of the most fun guys to kick the proverbial tire with. I was shocked days after my most recent Speedy Steve encounter to receive a text message from him complimenting me on my driving and how I showed him the line through turn 4. Oh, the irony!
Lastly, I have never met a Type 3 male driver and I hope that I never do. If there are any still in existence, they are probably vestiges of an era long ago. I will not kid myself, racing is still very much a “boys club.” But, once you prove yourself to these guys, they accept you as one of their own. I am proud to say I am “one of the guys.” Most of them do not treat me any different…other than complimenting me on how pretty my eyes are when my visor is up. Some things will never change.
By: Kristin Treager, 2013 PCA GTC4 National Champion
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]]>The post Review: 2015 Chrysler 200 appeared first on Female Racing News | News about Women in Motorsports.
]]>A couple of weeks ago we joined Chrysler in Louisville. They invited us up to drive the newly redesigned Chrysler 200. If you are unfamiliar with the 200 then you are in the majority. This little car tends to fly under the radar in many ways, but I think those days may be over. I hadn’t heard anything about the new version of said 200 so I had no expectations of the car. I would pass a current one now and then on the road and not think anything about it. There wasn’t anything, especially exceptional about the car, until now.
We joined the folks from Chrysler at the Louisville Slugger Stadium for a presentation to learn about the car. Here we got our first looks at the new 200 and let me just say this is a NIIIICE car. I’m an odd demographic to satisfy, I’m a car gal who loves to go fast, who is also a Mom, and a tech geek. If you can build a car that satisfies all sides of me then you have done a pretty awesome job.
The Chrysler 200 caught me off guard, nothing against it previously, but like I said it really blended in with every other daily driven car I pass on the Interstate each morning. Upon entering the presentation there was three of their six different trims on display for us to look at. The car is very different from previous models, the redesign really went in a great direction for both the interior and exterior of the car. The silhouette of the car is very sleek and classy, the sport has the extra sporty touches that us sports car geeks did not snub our noses at, Hyper Black 19″ Wheels and Black trim and grill, yes please!
The tech that is included with the 200 S was so geeky I was sad I didn’t have longer to play with the features. The model we drove had the available 8.4 inch touchscreen multimedia command center. You can head over to Chrysler’s site to see the specifics because I just will not do them justice.
Engine performance, yes, I saved the best for last. The Sport model lives up to its name. The sport model boasts a 295HP, V6 engine. I KNOW! I could not believe it either. It’s also available in both FWD and AWD layouts which makes it even more appealing. For perspective the 2014 Subaru WRX STI has 305 HP and its turbo the 200 is naturally aspirated! The 200 also features a 9 Speed Automatic transmission. Yes, it really has 9 speeds! The sport model also includes paddle shifters for when you are feeling frisky. They only work in “Sport” mode, however, which also by turns off traction control. The car was a ton of fun to drive. I would definitely recommend it to as a daily!
Cheers!
Amanda
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]]>