What women do ...

Never doubt that a group of caring, committed women working together can make a difference.

Take NHRA fan, Track Chic Daneen Mayhue. We first met Daneen trackside at the Atlanta Dragway where she shared her story with us. Mother of a 3 month premature daughter, Kaylin weighed only 1 pound 9.4 ounces at birth. Daneen has fueled a team to March for Babies and raise money and help all babies to be born healthy. Premature birth is the #1 cause of newborn infant death and the biggest threat to babies' health today. The money raised helps fund research to determine why premature birth happens and what can be done to prevent it.

March for Babies takes place in more than 900 communities across the country. More than1 million people walk with their families or co-workers and March of Dimes ensures that 77 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to funding critical research.

Join Daneen Saturday morning, April 25th at Heritage Park in Canton, GA. Please join us if you can. If you can't join Daneen’s walk, please consider donating whatever your budget allows, $1, $5...any amount will be greatly appreciated. You can donate online: http://www.marchforbabies.org/mayhue

Or, visit http://www.marchforbabies.org and search for a walk scheduled in your area. Better yet, why not form your own team! Expect to run into some old friends and make new ones — and keep your eyes open for our celebrity walkers!
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Meet Track Chic Crew Chief, Barbara Bennett, a successful drag race competitor from Sarasota Florida. Barbara is a force to be reckoned with both on and off the track. To honor her mother, Beverly Bennett, who died from Ovarian Cancer, Barbara organized the annual Mom's Warriors in Pink Car Show and Health Fair.

Last summer, Barbara also lost her sister, Claire Tiling, to Breast Cancer. The efforts from Mom’s Warriors Car Show and Health Fair benefit the Florida Suncoast Affiliate Susan G Komen for the Cure and FORCE, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, which deals with Ovarian Cancer in its hereditary form, which is linked to Breast Cancer. The Health Fair also serves to inform the community about resources for cancer victims and their families in the community and to assist Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer victims in the local area.

The event promises to be a fun time with over 40 Trophies awarded, door prizes, and goody bags – and of course, great BBQ.
Join Mom’s Warriors:
April 18th, 2009
10am – 2pm
Sarasota Ford
707 Washington Blvd S
Sarasota, Florida 34236

Not from the area but still want to help?
Contact:
Barbara Bennett, Event Chairman
Moms Warriors in Pink Car Show and Health Fair
April 18, 2009
2611 Wells Ave
Sarasota, FL 34232
Tel: 941-371-6707
Fax: 941-378-4945

In Barbara’s words, “In Sisterhood, we all win”

This is who we are . . . we are Track Chic and we are Phenomenal!

Learn More: http://www.trackchic.com/charities/

Talent, Tramp Stamps and Missed Opportunities

What happened?
Years and years of women proving their credibility behind the wheels have just been undermined by a glossy photo shoot.

Danica Patrick, as talented as she is behind the wheel and as beautiful as may be in front of a camera, has sabotaged the struggles and sacrifices of the many young drivers competing today who look to Danica as a role model.

No one knows better than Danica how hard she struggled to get where she is today. Danica learned the intricacies of racing at a young age watching her father, TJ, race snowmbobiles, motocross and midget cars. She began go-karting in 1992 at Sugar River Raceway outside of Brodhead, Wisconsin and went on to win several national championships. Danica enrolled in the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program at the age of 14 and 15 and then moved to England at the age of 16 to advance her racing career. Focusing primarily on road racing, Patrick raced in several developmental open-wheel series while in Europe, including Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall. Patrick earned a second-place finish in England's extremely competitive Formula Ford Festival, the highest-ever finish by either a woman or an American in the event.

On May 29, 2005, Patrick became only the fourth woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500, following Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher. Also that year, Patrick, who was then a 23-year-old rookie, became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500.

And on April 20, 2008, Danica made history at Twin Ring Motegi in the Indy Japan 300 when she became the first woman to win an IndyCar race. And women stood with Danice to debunk the mostly male reporters’ relentlessly criticisms of that history-making win ... “she didn’t really win because of her racing skills, it was only smart fuel management that got her across the finish line first.”

I can understand Danica’s reasons for the photo shoot. It takes a lot of money to keep a seat in motorsports. But what I, and so many others, do not understand is why Danica agreed to the conspicuous exploitation. Does Danica want to be considered as a professional driver behind the wheel, or a “hottie” spread eagle across the hood of the car? The Sports Illustrated photo shoot could have been handled so much better. It’s not that the photo shoot should not have been done, it’s that it should have been done better.

Women are fighting back. Advertisers and marketing agencies are taking notice. It’s unfortunate that Danica’s handlers aren’t paying attention.

What do we tell today’s young female drivers like 13 year old Natalie Fenaroli who has accomplished so much at her young age, or Megan Reitenour competing today in NASCAR’s Driver Diversity Program, or the Harker Twins competing in NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster.

Tramp Stamps are more important than talent and tenacity? Drooling lap dogs will get you further than fastest lap speeds? T&A certainly grabs today’s headlines but publicity stunts such as the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition will ultimately diminish credibility both on and off the track.

Shirley Muldowney, Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James, Ethel Flock, Sarah Fisher set the standard for women in racing and continue to be idolized for their talent and tenacity in a sport dominated by men. Danica, instead, risks being idolized for her taunt and tease and photo-shopped tramp stamps rather than for her hard earned success in motorsports. It’s an unfortunate choice, and a missed opportunity to be so much more.

See more: www.TRACKCHIC.com