With Women’s History Month in full swing, I regret to report that some in NASCAR still haven’t decided if it’s Women’s History Century yet. But today their website did feature a story about Chrissy Wallace, talented driver daughter of NASCAR National Series driver Mike Wallace.
NASCAR kinda had to recognize Chrissy, because she just signed with a top team, Germain Racing, to run five races in the truck series and five in the ARCA series. She makes her NASCAR debut on March 29 in the truck series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
These series, along with the Busch series, are more or less for development purposes, though veteran drivers run them too, for practice and seat time. The article was actually a favorable one, written by Raygan Swan, and quotes Chrissy’s blunt comments about the ubermacho attitudes that keep women off the tracks. Chrissy has been winning steadily and attracting attention in Late Model racing. Yet she was actually passed over by NASCAR for their Drive for Diversity program, which supposedly exists to open the door for minorities.
The attitudes don’t just keep women from “getting a chance.” They make it hard for a good woman driver to get seat time in a good car, supported by top quality engineering and enough money to pay the bills for a real season. Nobody wins NASCAR races on a peanuts budget, and females have been kept out of the game simply by being starved out financially.
Chrissy will race under the protective eye of her dad, who will be her spotter. He’s not the only dad who has had to help his kid kick the door down — John Force has done the same for his daughters in drag racing. The Wallaces are one of the premier racing families in this dynasty-rich sport of stock-car driving.
So Happy Women’s History Month to Chrissy. She’s adding to that history on March 29. – Patricia Nell Warren
on Jun 26th, 2009 at 4:09 PM
What is up I get a glimpse of girls in the camping world trucks and thats it nothing is said about them, ever. Seems like the media dose not want there sponsors to get any air time and fans don’t get a clue as to what happened. I want to see a young lady with some serious attitude get there attention and to heck with the good old boy attitude. NASCAR is not getting it I am a guy that once had a dream of driving NASCAR until my health said no way. I have a daughter and I want her to find all things are possible when she gets old enough to drive