Women and MotoGP

[RatsMC]

So, the top class has never had a woman compete. However, it is looking like things are starting to change. There are a lot of female riders in the US that are seeing some real success. On her current trajectory, Elena Myers will make the top US class and could very well make it to the world stage. MotoGP? It's a little early to tell but it appears that she will at least get the chance to ride a MotoGP bike - even if it is just post-season de-tuned laps with journos. Keep an eye on her, she is not only fast and aggressive but she is also analytical and precise - a tough combination.

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41424

On a related note, Elena Myers is currently racing in the AMA Daytona Supersport class where she became the first woman to win a pro race in the US shortly after turning 16. The class she is racing has all of the American young guns - some of whom have been on the world stage already but maybe more interesting is that there are 2 other young women racing in the class, Joy Higa (who I met in the gravel at T10 last weekend) and Zoe Rem . Looking at who, in this age bracket, is racing at this level the number of women is surprising given that there was just one (Melissa Peris) just a couple of years ago. If you ever get the chance, check out a Daytona Supersport race. Every one of these kids is fast and believe that they are headed to MotoGP so they are working really hard - great racing and enormous passion.

The point: What does the future look like? are there women coming up through the ranks in your home country? Will a woman ever get a damn contract?

[jihem]

interesting post, thanx !

Altho Belgium is nowhere on the map as far as, euh well, everything, we have some women racing at national level and/or endurance but nothing important. We have a very fast woman in autosport, Vanessa Ickx, daughter of ex-F1 and Le Mans winner jacky Ickx. But that is all: motorised sports is a nest for testosterone addicts/ so called "real" men, and unfortunately when women are on the grid, it's only with an umbrella.

I did notice a few years ago that women bike pilots in the USA were starting to make good results, and when I posted about it on the main racing bike forum here, it was welcomed with the usual sexist/raunchy/stupid comments one can unfortunately expect from stupid males.

I think women at top level in a motorised sport is very possible, and a great marketing opportunity, and we might be surprised how popular it could become. I recall the amazing discovery a few years ago when the world discovered that women were as enthusiastic about being soccer fans than men.

[Gustav O]

As a reader of Roadracingworld I have read about Elena Myers since she started out and she is really impressive and her current riding in the AMA is very inpressive indeed. Fast enough for MotoGP? I don´t think so but she sure could get in to Moto2 or WSS. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

[lucy]

Fast enough for MotoGP?

She won't have to be fast, in absolute terms, to get a MotoGP ride. The novelty value alone would be weapons grade exposure for any sponsor. The fact that she is a lissome teenage blonde doesn't exactly hurt either. She's going to be our Danica.

[Gustav O]

She won't have to be fast, in absolute terms, to get a MotoGP ride. The novelty value alone would be weapons grade exposure for any sponsor. The fact that she is a lissome teenage blonde doesn't exactly hurt either. She's going to be our Danica.

A very valid point but still - she has more to prove before she will land a MotoGP ride, I hope I am wrong and she will get in there and beat the guys.

[NCETRY]

If she wants to race MotoGP then it would be best if she tried put Moto2 first. If these girls or even the young guys think they have a shot at MotoGP then I think it would be very beneficial if they started racing in the 125's or Moto2 as soon as possible. It is great to see them win here in America but it will not benefit them to race AMA here untill there mid 20's and then try MotoGP.

[Pantah]

There was a girl who raced 250cc GPs for a couple of years.I saw her ride at Suzuka in 2001 and 2002? Her name escapes me,now......We will see girls racing. Perhaps the new 250 series or moto2,before MotoGP,but it will happen

[Kropotkin]

There was a girl who raced 250cc GPs for a couple of years.I saw her ride at Suzuka in 2001 and 2002? Her name escapes me,now......We will see girls racing. Perhaps the new 250 series or moto2,before MotoGP,but it will happen

Katja Poensgen:


On the poorest team and the oldest bikes on the grid at the time

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katja_Poensgen
http://www.katjap.com/site/

[TwoStroke Institute]

There was a girl who raced 250cc GPs for a couple of years.I saw her ride at Suzuka in 2001 and 2002? Her name escapes me,now......We will see girls racing. Perhaps the new 250 series or moto2,before MotoGP,but it will happen

Edit ah beat me to it Krop.
"That girl"(ha ha if you ever seen the 60's show) was Katja Poensgen she was quite good in WSS on a GSX-R 600(father is the German Suzuki importer) before going to 250ccGP where she was the first woman to score points. Not sure if her looks or father helped but she could definately ride, had little time for dumb journalists as she tore a female TV presenter to shreds at Phillip Island one year. The last woman to race in GP's before her was Finnish girl Taru Rinni(sp?) who Barry Sheene took a keen interest in here career on 80's and 125's.
In Australia we had Linda Walsh who was very quick on a 125, who has several wildcard entries in to Australian GP's.
Katja is busy commentating for RTL and driving rally cars according to her website

[Pantah]

Thanks TSI.Of course all us Aussie blokes were rooting for her in the day..........
You hit upon an important factor in the "will we see a girl riding MotoGP".Actually its doesnt matter if its a male or female...if Daddy has money,his own track and or connections with money,track and or sponsors...we could see just about anyone.......Raw talent isnt the only ticket to ride..............Thats not to say Katja didnt deserve her ride....,however....

[Gustav O]

I think Taru Rinne is the most succesful female riding in GPs recently. She raced in 125s 1987 through 1989. IN 1989 she finished seventh in Germany and collected 23 points for a 17th in the final points.

[Gustav O]

Elena Myers features in the latest issue of Road Racer X.
http://www.roadracerx.com/

[RatsMC]

Fast enough for MotoGP?

She won't have to be fast, in absolute terms, to get a MotoGP ride. The novelty value alone would be weapons grade exposure for any sponsor. The fact that she is a lissome teenage blonde doesn't exactly hurt either. She's going to be our Danica.

Yep. The amount of exposure she gets compared to say, Cameron Beaubier - who has been to GP and has won more - is amazing. Everyone knows her name while few know any of the other riders in the class.

That said, she has improved at such a rate that I think she shows more potential than some of the riders she is behind right now.

If she wants to race MotoGP then it would be best if she tried put Moto2 first. If these girls or even the young guys think they have a shot at MotoGP then I think it would be very beneficial if they started racing in the 125's or Moto2 as soon as possible. It is great to see them win here in America but it will not benefit them to race AMA here untill there mid 20's and then try MotoGP.

I am not convinced that Moto2 is a good training ground for much of anything, certainly not MotoGP. It will be many years before we have an answer on that but I'm not seeing any cross-over.

That said, Myers has raced 125cc for a while now. She has a pretty broad range of experience. I think one of the things that has me the most excited about Myers is that she is the first female rier I am aware of that was raised to be a racer - training from a very early age on anything two-wheeled. I watched her beating fast guys in Supermoto when she was like 13 years old.

[jihem]

i don't collect pictures of crashes and the pain that goes with it, but this is quite an incredible picture of Taru Rinne in a visible state of shock.
(Krop, feel free to delete this msg if feeling like it)

[Squidpuppet]

Women, tight leather, motrcycles, high speeds. How could a sane man complain?

I watched Elena on some Youtube vids and she has a smooth style. I hope her dreams come true.

[NCETRY]

If she wants to race MotoGP then it would be best if she tried put Moto2 first. If these girls or even the young guys think they have a shot at MotoGP then I think it would be very beneficial if they started racing in the 125's or Moto2 as soon as possible. It is great to see them win here in America but it will not benefit them to race AMA here untill there mid 20's and then try MotoGP.

I am not convinced that Moto2 is a good training ground for much of anything, certainly not MotoGP. It will be many years before we have an answer on that but I'm not seeing any cross-over.

That said, Myers has raced 125cc for a while now. She has a pretty broad range of experience. I think one of the things that has me the most excited about Myers is that she is the first female rier I am aware of that was raised to be a racer - training from a very early age on anything two-wheeled. I watched her beating fast guys in Supermoto when she was like 13 years old.

Where I think it would be best is one learning the circuits. Being in the paddock for a few years with good results I think would open some doors. And I think riding prototype bikes with the adjustability they have would help a rider out to learn before making the big step to GP. And if not then maybe start out in the Spanish series. They seam to be turning out some very good riders as of late.

[motomania]

I remember both Taru and Katja. They were pioneers and helped break down some barriers, both were good racers. Elena Myers is still quite young, she just turned 16 and while she's won a Pro AMA race and is the first woman to do so, it was just a SuperSport race. Albeit against some damn good riders such as Cameron Beaubier, Huntley Nash, Joey Pascarella that were involved in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and had some success there. She was leading the the SuperSport race at Laguna last weekend when it was red flagged due to a bike down in the corkscrew. She'd started opening a bit of a gap when it was stopped. Her second start wasn't good and she got ran wide in Turn 2 which pushed her out of contention. She's a very talented and focused rider who's also quite intelligent. The RoadRacerX article is a good one and gives quite a bit of background. Anyone that can pass Tommy Hayden on the outside when he's on his SuperMoto bike is doing something right. Time will tell but I expect we'll be hearing quite a bit more about Ms. Elena in the future.

[TwoStroke Institute]

Thanks TSI.Of course all us Aussie blokes were rooting for her in the day..........

I'll let you explain the local vernacular there.................................

[Pantah]

Thanks TSI.Of course all us Aussie blokes were rooting for her in the day..........

I'll let you explain the local vernacular there.................................

Hmmmmmm....we were supporting her......

[DucCat900]

living abroad for the last several months and spending quite a bit of time on the BSB and IRR circuit there are also Maria Costello and Jenny Tinmouth both women are exceptional racers, and since it's close to Bonneville time let's not forget Leslie Porterfield

[Albert]

living abroad for the last several months and spending quite a bit of time on the BSB and IRR circuit there are also Maria Costello and Jenny Tinmouth both women are exceptional racers, and since it's close to Bonneville time let's not forget Leslie Porterfield

--- and lets not forget this thread originated by Lucy, where we covered quite a bit of ground and included several women racers!

[phoenix1]

The sport is moving away from women, imo. Not consciously, just by the nature of adaptation over time. The modern 370lb 100+hp 4-stroke bikes are a bit beefy and clumsy b/c It's difficult for a 110lb woman to make a heavy, high-revving 4-stroke change direction at high speeds. The playing field is more level for women in 2-stroke road racing competition b/c the machines are lighter and the speeds are lower. An NSR500V weighs 47kg less than an 800cc MotoGP bike.

A girl of Elena's size will probably be restricted to 600cc competition just b/c everything else generates more forces than her body can cope with. Can you see her chucking an SBK around Silverstone or Monza? I can't. Maybe if she had another 25lbs of muscle. Like Lucy says, she might become window dressing for a sponsor who wants to exploit her looks and abilities in a class that is perhaps not well suited to her abilities. I hope she rejects this kind of lifestyle, but the money and the status as a role model might be worth more than any quest for glory in a lower class.

I think Elena's situation reveals bigger problems with motorcycling as a whole. All of the lightweight specialty classes are being killed off (except kiddie classes) by marketers who don't believe they serve any profit motive. These marketers spend years of their lives trying to figure out why women don't race or ride, yet any expert bike that "lacks balls" is rejected for production No more reasonably priced nimble cafes, no more supermonos, no more 400cc supersports, etc. Bikes have gotten heavier and more powerful with more rotating mass (fatter tires) for the last 30 years. Okay Okay, technically 4-strokes sports bikes have been getting lighter, but the transition from 2-strokes to 4-strokes has not been a net reduction in weight.

Maybe Elena Myers will open some blinkered eyes (in the US anyway) b/c marketers will realize "Oh, modern sports bikes really only suit people who think they have giant balls (yes, I've bought one before )". They might actually conceive of a legitimate lightweight sportbike (not kiddie racers) that gives women an advantage!! Tragically, the machine would become known as a girls bike, but so what? Motorcycling would benefit hugely if new markets were developed. Nothing is worse than the current paradigms of more displacement, more revs, and more rubber. I mean what the hell? You crack the throttle open, and before you shifted once, you're already at highway speed. You barely have to lean an SS or an SBK on a b-road unless you're speeding by 15mph. Bikes cost as much (or more) than small cars. Who dreamed this up? At the very least, catering to women or conceiving of a formula that is more inclusive of women could open things up a bit. Motorcycling is getting quite stale.

[Kropotkin]

The sport is moving away from women, imo. Not consciously, just by the nature of adaptation over time. The modern 370lb 100+hp 4-stroke bikes are a bit beefy and clumsy b/c It's difficult for a 110lb woman to make a heavy, high-revving 4-stroke change direction at high speeds. The playing field is more level for women in 2-stroke road racing competition b/c the machines are lighter and the speeds are lower. An NSR500V weighs 47kg less than an 800cc MotoGP bike.

A girl of Elena's size will probably be restricted to 600cc competition just b/c everything else generates more forces than her body can cope with. Can you see her chucking an SBK around Silverstone or Monza? I can't. Maybe if she had another 25lbs of muscle. Like Lucy says, she might become window dressing for a sponsor who wants to exploit her looks and abilities in a class that is perhaps not well suited to her abilities. I hope she rejects this kind of lifestyle, but the money and the status as a role model might be worth more than any quest for glory in a lower class.

I think Elena's situation reveals bigger problems with motorcycling as a whole. All of the lightweight specialty classes are being killed off (except kiddie classes) by marketers who don't believe they serve any profit motive. These marketers spend years of their lives trying to figure out why women don't race or ride, yet any expert bike that "lacks balls" is rejected for production No more reasonably priced nimble cafes, no more supermonos, no more 400cc supersports, etc. Bikes have gotten heavier and more powerful with more rotating mass (fatter tires) for the last 30 years. Okay Okay, technically 4-strokes sports bikes have been getting lighter, but the transition from 2-strokes to 4-strokes has not been a net reduction in weight.

Maybe Elena Myers will open some blinkered eyes (in the US anyway) b/c marketers will realize "Oh, modern sports bikes really only suit people who think they have giant balls (yes, I've bought one before )". They might actually conceive of a legitimate lightweight sportbike (not kiddie racers) that gives women an advantage!! Tragically, the machine would become known as a girls bike, but so what? Motorcycling would benefit hugely if new markets were developed. Nothing is worse than the current paradigms of more displacement, more revs, and more rubber. I mean what the hell? You crack the throttle open, and before you shifted once, you're already at highway speed. You barely have to lean an SS or an SBK on a b-road unless you're speeding by 15mph. Bikes cost as much (or more) than small cars. Who dreamed this up? At the very least, catering to women or conceiving of a formula that is more inclusive of women could open things up a bit. Motorcycling is getting quite stale.

Two words. Dani Pedrosa.

[phoenix1]

Two words. Dani Pedrosa.

Well, I'm relying on male-ego to keep the miniature men moving towards the bigger bikes even if it doesn't suit their stature.

[motomania]

Two other words, Casey Stoner. I understand and appreciate what you're saying but I disagree that motorcycling is moving away from women. I don't have the stats in front of me but I'd be willing to wager my last dollar that there are both more women racing as well as riding these days, as opposed to 20-30 years ago, many more.

Again, I'm not sure of the numbers but I'd bet that there's more "smaller" bikes selling now than there was 20 years ago. One of the reasons for the move to smaller bikes in many of the racing series has been because that's the bikes that the public is going after, aka 600s. The argument that I always chuckle about is that smaller bikes are safer, one which is full of holes in my opinion.