Female Team to Compete in Major Car Race in Daytona, Florida

 

Many car racing¹ teams have rich supporters with ideas that sound too good to be true. Most of the ideas fail before the cars even make it to the track.

Jackie Heinricher, however, has had success with her idea. She has formed an all-female team of drivers. The team will take part in an important race this month. It is called the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It is one of the most respected races of its kind in the world.

As the name suggests, the race lasts 24 hours testing the driver and the car to the limit.

Heinricher’s dream became a reality when the company Caterpillar² agreed to be her sponsor. She also partnered with Meyer Shank Racing and signed up top racers.

British driver Katherine Legge is one of them. "I am scared, a little bit," she said. "I am scared that it will be gimmicky³ and we won't be taken seriously. That's why we have the drivers we have, that's why we are going with a professional team, that's why we made sure we had everything to do it right.”

Heinricher is a scientist who formerly⁴ served with the United States Air Force. She established a biotech company, Booshoot Technology, based in Sun Valley, Idaho. She is also an independent race car driver who pays to race against professional drivers.

Heinricher is a racing fan who often cheered for female drivers. Just like many of them, she was angered by the difficulty they find in moving up in the industry. Heinricher grew tired of seeing such women leave the U.S. for Europe’s racing industry.

"I started having this vision to bring these top women professionals together to race a season together," Heinricher said.

Legge was part of carmaker Lotus' noncompetitive return to IndyCar racing. She also was the announced driver for an Indianapolis 500 team that was going to be formed entirely⁵ of women. But, that never happened.

Legge knew about Heinricher's idea for two years. She agreed to join because it appeared that the plan would really happen.

Legge was already part of Meyer Shank Racing, and her Acura team won twice last season. It finished second overall in its category.

Heinricher’s team includes Legge, who is the full-time⁶ driver of the car. Simona de Silvestro, known as the Swiss Missile, is another member. Brazilian Bia Figueiredo is the only woman to have won several Indy Lights races. Completing the team is Christina Nielsen, from Denmark. She is a two-time International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) champion.

The team has more combined experience and success than Danica Patrick, the most famous female racer of this generation.

Cars don’t know if you are a man or a woman

Heinricher's team believes it as a chance to expand racing possibilities for women. Catherine Legge said she hopes the team will provide girls with an example to follow in racing.

Nielsen said she and Legg like to repeat the saying, “’Once you are behind the wheel, the car can't tell if it is a man or woman driving.’"

Heinricher still plans to be one of the drivers this season. She knows Legge worries about an effort that might set women back in racing. She believes this project will be different.

Heinricher has a real race team, but Legge believes judgment⁷ will still be based on results.

"One race is not going to be gimmicky or not gimmicky, but over the season if we finish last every race, absolutely that would be gimmicky," Legge said. "But that's not going to happen with the people we've put in place."

I’m Caty Weaver⁸.

Words in This Story

track - n. an often circular path or road that is used for racing?

sponsor - n. an organization that gives money to an athlete for training, clothes, equipment, etc., in return for the right to use the athlete for advertising⁹?

scared - adj. fearful of something : nervous or frightened?

gimmicky - adj. trickiness¹⁰ to get people's attention or to sell something?

category - n. a group of people or things that are similar in some way?

absolutely - adv. completely or totally

1 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

2 caterpillar   

n.毛虫，蝴蝶的幼虫

参考例句：

• A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的。
• A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.毛毛虫必须经过茧的阶段才能变成蝴蝶。

3 gimmicky   

adj.诡计的，骗人的

参考例句：

• A gimmicky or imbalanced team relies on one powerful tactic to win. 投机取巧的团队依靠单一的强力战术制胜。 来自互联网

4 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

7 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

8 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

9 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

10 trickiness   

n.欺骗；狡猾；棘手；微妙

参考例句：

• These puzzles are famous for their trickiness. 这些智力游戏以其机巧而闻名。 来自互联网