Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Women in Motorsport
Here is an odd little piece. Normally motorsports do not interest me. But this story does raise the interesting question of why women have not been successful in breaking into these sports. There should be not physical reason, since bulk is not a factor (actually it could be a disadvantage).
Jax
Japanese former model Keiko Ihara will race in F3 as the latest woman to try to crack the male-dominated world of motorsport.
The list of women who have made a career in international motorsport is short enough - but Ihara joins an even more exclusive club in Japan.
She is only the second Japanese woman to race outside her home country, following on from Tomiko Yasikawa, who raced at the famous Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race in 1992.
Ihara is taking only the first tentative steps in her quest, but her presence in the British championship - traditionally the best F3 series in the world - lends her credence, as does the fact that she is racing for the Carlin team.
The list of names who have used British F3 as a springboard to major success is long and impressive, with Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard among them.
Add to that those who have raced with Carlin - Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen and most recently India's first F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan - and it is clear Ihara is joining a team with a solid pedigree. (Link)
