Let's Talk About Success
Editor's Notebook, February 1998
Let's talk about success.
Women race car drivers are making an impression in all areas of the sport and at all levels. Thunder Valley receives news of these successful ventures literally every day and I'd like to share some of that news with you. I'll start with a few of the drivers featured elsewhere on the Thunder Valley Racing web site.
Terry MacDonald-Cadieux
Terry, a Canadian race driver, has been 'living like a Queen' in Florida
for quite some time, taping 52 television segments, ninety seconds long,
on 'car talk' geared towards women, but simple enough for men to understand.
The segments will air once a week, starting in September, on local newscasts
across the country.
| How'd she do? |
Terry ran in the Motorola Cup race at Daytona with her own car and team. She drove a '98 Firebird in the Grand Sports class in the two hour race. (I'm writing this before the race, so you may know how she fared.)
Terry is also a member of the PPG Pace Car Team and will drive at ten CART races. She's also working on plans for six SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge races in a Pontiac.
Jennifer Tumminelli
Jennifer has a fully funded season ride in the twelve race Pro Star Formula
Mazda Series sponsored by Vantive Corporation. She will be running with the
'97 Formula Mazda Championship Team of Valley Motors. Jennifer will be the
only woman driver among the five Valley Motors drivers. She will be running
the car that won the 1996 Formula Mazda Championship.
| patience, and proving herself... |
With the support of Vantive, she is also the series leader in sponsorship money. Jennifer says that getting the sponsorship took a lot of patience, doing things at the right moments, saying the right things, and proving herself.
Marybeth Harrison
Vancouver-based race car driver Marybeth Harrison has signed a one-year contract
with Fountain Tire Canada as the primary sponsor of her 1998 Formula 1600
race program. Marybeth will be driving the "Fountain Tire Racing" Euroswift
in the Western Canada Formula Ford Championship - a new pro series that will
offer up-and-coming drivers an opportunity to showcase their talents at a
number of race tracks for significant prize monies.
| the uniqueness of her product... |
Fountain Tire, Western Canada's largest retail outlet for Goodyear products, will be using their sponsorship as a way to increase the chain's awareness and build store sales. Marybeth and the Team Fountain Tire Formula car will be on display at various promotional events throughout the year. Fountain Tire's marketing manager says, "Fountain Tire has chosen Marybeth to represent the company because of the uniqueness of her product, and the combination of confidence and enthusiasm she brings to the marketing arena."
| ChampCar Lights... |
Melanie Paterson
The Thunder Valley Driver of the Month for February 1998 (look for her elsewhere
on this site) is planning to return to road racing after a season in Legends
cars on ovals. She'll compete in the Canadian ChampCar Lights series. This
series runs with European Formula Renault chassis and specifications, using
a Chrysler Neon powerplant.
Melanie has also been selected as one of the four new members of the 1998 PPG Pace Car Team.
other drivers I know that other drivers featured on the Thunder Valley Racing web site have success stories to tell and we'll be telling them in future issues of Distant Thunder.
| Tell us your story |
There are hundreds of success stories about women race car drivers who have not yet been featured in Thunder Valley. I'll not be able to tell them all, but two stand out and I'd be remiss not to mention them.
Cristen Powell
Cristen has a full-season ride in the NHRA's Top Fuel division, running with
and Andy Evans' owned Team Scandia. Cristen, still just 18 years old, is
moving up quickly in the drag racing world.
Patty Moise
Patty Moise, the only woman currently racing in NASCAR's Busch Grand National
Series, will be back on the circuit full-time in 1998. Patty, who has three
top-10 BGN finishes to her credit, will drive for Buffy Waltrip, with sponsorship
from Rhodes Furniture.
That's about all for now. Yours 'til the green flag drops.