Women in Racing

    I have met some awesome people through racing, and many of them women. This woman I met online and we clicked because she was involved in racing. Tanya Nitschke is an Australian woman who is the wife and mom of present and former racers. It is a different but similar world in Australia's racing, let's get to know Tanya and her family.     Tanya got involved in racing   in 2016. "My husband and his family are involved in Dirt Karts and Speedway. Which then in turn got our kids into racing Dirt Karts, they started out in Rookies. Ben my husband races Outlaw Dirt Karts and soon V6 Sprint in speedway," Tanya explained. Sounds like exciting times in the Nitschke household, along with chaos. With all the racers in the house I asked her if she ever wanted to race with them weekly and she replied, "  I love the dirt track but I haven't wanted to race professionally. I have had a go on our track at home as well as at come and try days at a local track in B...

    This week I interviewed a mother and daughter, Stacey and Shelby McLaughlin. Stacey is the team manager and mother of an amazing racer and young woman Shelby. I asked Stacey how she got into racing and she said " My Dad and grandparents always watched NASCAR, and when I met Mike he was into racing." When I met Stacey and found out she liked racing we just clicked, and Mike is her husband who also races. I also asked Stacey what led her to let Shelby to race, "  Mike used to race quads before he got into go kart racing.  I went to all of his quad races, but when he started racing go karts I didn't go as much as Shelby was just born.  But, when Shelby was old enough to start going, she was would watch Daddy race and play with her matchbox cars at the track.  When Shelby was just 3 years old we bought her an electric four wheeler and she just instinctively knew what to do.  Then when she was 4 my Dad bought her an electric Jeep.  Mike made h...

      My first interview with women in racing is with an amazing woman and racer. Angela was first introduced to the races at the young age of two years old. Her father Jack Caruso took her to the East Windsor Speedway in New Jersey. She wound up sitting in drivers race cars and a smile never left her face. It was love from then on. She had sat in a quarter midget when she was around 11, and a month later Jack and she were at Jay Butler's purchasing a used one for her to race.      Angela was 12 when she first raced a quarter midget. She raced from 12 to 16 years old and actually turned 17 at her last race in a quarter midget in December of 2000. Angela then turned to 270 micro sprints in 2001, she used a Hyper chassis bought from another racer Rick Agin. She raced at a now defunct Borger's Speedway in Pennsylvania, not far from Pocono Raceway. She then moved to 600 winged micro sprints and then wingless 600's. She has won many races and championships. One...

Welcome to the Women in Racing blog. Women have always been in racing in one aspect or another. Their role has been ever evolving since the beginning. At first we were just spectators, then wives, girlfriends, daughters, mothers, trophy girls and fans. Their roles have blossomed even more, they have become mechanics, track and team owners, officials, drivers and racing business women. Women drive the sport more than the general public knows. We are a growing demographic in the sport and we are not coming quietly.  Women are cheerleaders and care takers for the crews and drivers. They are feeding teams and doing public relations for them. Women do marketing for teams they are involved with, they also are selling merchandise for their teams. Women are driving more and more and they are winning, not just races but championships. From small tracks to major touring divisions, young girls to women are in this sport in every aspect of the sport and that is who I aim to cover in this blo...