Originally Posted By: Garak
Yes. Jorda made things worse lately in Europe, being given some FIA position of some sort, since driving is clearly not her forte. She had gone on to say that women don't belong in some of these series and should have their own separate women's series.
Actually, she's 100% correct. And I admire her honesty. No doubt about it. Women will NEVER evenly compete with men in circuit or circle track auto racing, anymore than they could in tennis or golf. John McEnroe brought this to light in the late 70's, and through the 80's with women's tennis. And he got a ton of flack for it then, just as Jorda is getting it now. Back then the top women professional tennis players like Martina Navratilova were all griping and whining how women players should get the same money as the men do.
McEnroe said, "If they want the same money, let them play the same draw". Of course that never happened because the top ranked men would wipe up the court with them. They would never be able to return their serve. When Billie Jean King was in her prime, she barely beat Bobby Riggs. A broken down old man with heart trouble nearly twice her age. If she had faced McEnroe or Connors instead, they would have pounded the ball down her throat all night long. In fact McEnroe offered to put $1 Million cash into a suit case, and have any woman tennis player do the same. He said he would be willing to take on any woman player on any tennis court, anywhere in the world. Winner takes the others suitcase. He had no takers.
Same deal with golf. If women could play equally with men there would be no such thing as, "Ladies Tee's", or the LPGA. But they can't and there is. Auto racing should be no different. If Danica raced against other women in the sport, she very well might have been a champion. Much like Nancy Lopez was in the LPGA. But against men she was a total disaster. You can argue that it doesn't take strength to drive a race car. And to some degree that is correct. But it takes unbelievable stamina and physical conditioning women can't develop. Sitting in a hot race car being exposed to high G forces for hours on end, and still maintain complete mental sharpness and clarity is something many male drivers have issues with. For women it becomes impossible to do on an equal competitive level. Danica, along with several other women drivers have proven this over the years. And in several racing venues.
And as far as equipment, money, and race teams with all but limitless financial and mechanical resources, Danica has had it in both Indy Car, with Rahal / Letterman, and Andretti / Green. And much the same in NASCAR with Stewart / Haas. It didn't help her one bit. The fact is she proved the only way she could win, is if everyone in front of her ran out of gas.... Which only happened once. If women had their own series, it would at least be more competitive. Let's be honest, how many drivers, and or fans like watching these women fall down lap after lap? It quickly becomes a bad joke. With race teams and announcers scurrying about trying to come up with the best excuses as to why. Or else find someone else to blame, so they don't wind up sounding "sexist" by telling the truth. The real reason IS that obvious. It's good that Danica finally came along, and proved without any speculation that with good equipment, it doesn't matter. Women will never race on par with men. Except for perhaps in drag racing where they only have to hold it together and hang on for 3 or 4 seconds.
