Girls on track have their say

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Less than 2% of licenced racing drivers worldwide are women. MotorsportUK and TeamSport Karting have collaborated to create a ‘Girls Karting Academy’. Some successful female kart racers share their thoughts: 

Motorsport UK Girls Karting Academy is a national programme to support and develop the next generation of young female karters. The academy provides girls from ages 8 to 12 an introduction to karting and the opportunity to progress.  

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One progressing driver is Freya Lally, aged ten, who says her dream “is to be the first woman in Formula 1.” Her biggest achievement is “coming ninth in the British Indoor Karting Championship”, being the highest placed female driver and the first one ever to make the top ten.  

 

Due to this result, Freya was prized with “a fully funded season in the Club100 championship, the highest level of national hire karting.” 

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“There was a fun and friendly atmosphere” says Freya about the girl’s only events. “I made lots of friends and enjoyed seeing other girls getting into motorsport. It helped me to learn tracks and to take karting more seriously.”  

“I wish there were more girls” adds Freya, “I wish there were more getting into motorsport, because I’m only competing with boys and it doesn’t feel right. It’s not a gender separate sport.” 

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Freya encourages more girls to join a girls only karting event so they can find other girls and get tips from them, because they will see things in the same way. 

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Her proud father, Gareth, says: “Once you’ve got your foot in the door, it can lead onto many mixed competitions. The value of a girl’s karting competition isn’t just to be the best girl-karter, because you’re cutting out a chunk of the competition, but it’s definitely a way into the sport. There’s a more friendly atmosphere, a non-macho boys competing with boys atmosphere.”  

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One potential concern comes from Emma Rabbage, a seasoned national karter: “The concept is segregating and can actually lead to fuelling the concept that females shouldn’t be racing against males – so they can actually make the stigma worse if they are not advertised and ran in the appropriate manner.” 

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Emma then adds that overall, they are positive. “I personally feel that female only events are a good thing, they are a good start out for girls to get comfortable at tracks and in karts.” 

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“Having raced in primarily mixed events, I enjoy the female only ones as more of a social event and a chance to learn and develop in a less judged environment. In mixed events, there is often comments made about being female, or where you finish in an event based on being female. A just girls event takes that side of things away which is refreshing.” 

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“It would be great to see them do something for juniors and adults too, as a lot of guys start karting at a later age and it’s much easier for them to feel comfortable in a male dominated environment than it is for females.” 

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