Women In Motorsport: Natalie Decker Racing

In most circumstances, industries that tend to be dominated by men tend to stay that way and change comes in a manner that is slow and with a lot of pushback. But there is an exception to the norm and that comes in the form of females behind the steering wheel as Natalie Decker Racing. And why are they making their presence known.

First of all, there exists a large misconception of how women are treated in this male-dominated industry when in reality. It s people of different sexes, genders culminating together for the love of motor vehicles and pushing themselves and those vehicles to the limit. And winning some shiny along the way to prove that they are the best at what they do, be it rallying, drifting or even driving fast around a race course.

From IndyCar to the Dakar rally, there is evidence of the feminine touch in the world of motor racing. The biggest problem that female racers face, however, isn t so much on of discrimination around the track but one of accessibility. Accessibility to information about cars and car culture in general and despite all the breakthroughs that have been made on the racetrack, the barriers to entry are still quite high.

But even though this obstacle, females have found a way to get around it. One of which is through mentorship by a male colleague. But more and more women who enjoy cars have found solace in male friends and colleagues who can grant them access to this otherwise enchanted but backward thinking realm made up of 40 something-year-old men set in their ways.

But the current reality is that males still garner more attention and paychecks than their female counterparts. But it s only a matter of time before such a statement becomes a thing of the past as more and more females continue to race, they will bridge this gap that exists.

But as more and more females find themselves fulfilling their dreams, a new generation can find themselves with idols to look forward to. And ways to get into motorsport from a young age as it becomes more and more socially acceptable for little girls at the go-kart track, honing their skills. After all, it was once illegal for people other than men with curly beards to vote, but look at the world now.

With that growth and interest, is the real possibility of turning the sport into a gender-neutral sport. Where the merits of each driver, regardless of sex are evaluated by their ability to cross the finish line and nothing else. A real opportunity for change.

The commentary of why having women in race cars is viewed in a negative light can circle Silverstone at least twice. But even though the animosity shown by people unable to the miraculous things done by females in motorsport, they have managed to persevere and inspire a generation of children who will be undeterred by gender norms and what They re supposed to do.