Santa Pod Raceway’s approaching Easter weekend event, the Festival of Speed (18-20 April), offers a timely reminder to the motorsport world about female participation. Of 312 drivers and riders entered for the race, 55 are women or girls.
David Coulthard’s organisation More than Equal is dedicated to crowning a female Formula 1 world champion. Could a different form of motorsport help light the way? More than Equal recently undertook a study into drag racing to learn how its long-standing tradition of gender-equal competition might be invoked for the benefit of circuit racing, and of F1 in particular. The study was conducted in Europe and the USA and the introduction below contains a link to the report.
NEW RESEARCH BY MORE THAN EQUAL UNVEILS DRAG RACING’S BLUEPRINT FOR GENDER PARITY
More than Equal, in collaboration with Santa Pod Raceway and Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA),
releases a comprehensive white paper highlighting the lessons other motorsports can learn from
Drag Racing’s success in female representation.
LONDON, December 10, 2024: More than Equal, a global motorsport initiative with a mission to find and develop the first female F1 world champion, has partnered with Santa Pod Raceway, Europe’s premier drag racing venue, and Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA) to launch a landmark white paper examining Drag Racing’s leadership in gender inclusivity.
The report, titled “It’s Never Been A Thing: Lessons in Gender Equality from Drag Racing,” showcases the unique environment, cultural values, and structural advantages that have enabled drag racing to become the most gender-equal motorsport in the world. Female drivers in drag racing not only compete but consistently achieve at the highest levels, a rarity in motorsport, where women make up only 4% of elite competitors across disciplines. This year, Drag Racing celebrated its 100th female event winner in the NHRA series, a significant milestone. The comprehensive white paper sheds light on how the sport achieved this and offers a roadmap for others to follow. The collaboration highlights that while motorsport remains predominantly male, some disciplines achieve greater gender balance, offering valuable lessons to apply across the sport.
“It’s Never Been A Thing: Lessons in Gender Equality from Drag Racing” highlights six primary themes that help explain why and how Drag Racing has achieved excellence in female representation, including collaborative advocacy, cultural and structural advocacy, elite-level representation and engineering excellence to name a few. In addition, icons like Shirley Muldowney and Paula Murphy paved the way in the 1960s and 1970s, inspiring subsequent generations of female drivers who now dominate in categories like Top Fuel and Pro Stock.
The white paper emphasises strategies other motorsports can adopt to close their gender gaps, including expanding talent development pipelines, promoting female role models, developing accessible entry points, and removing financial barriers.
“This research underscores More than Equal’s commitment to leveraging data and insights to drive meaningful change in motorsport,” said Dr. Fran Longstaff, Head of Research at More than Equal. “By understanding what has worked in disciplines like Drag Racing, we can equip the drivers in our development programme with the knowledge and tools they need to overcome barriers and succeed at the highest levels. Collaborating with motorsports that have achieved gender parity is crucial to creating a more inclusive future for all drivers.”
The findings in the report are based on More than Equal’s multi-faceted research approach designed to uncover the key factors behind Drag Racing’s exceptional rates of female representation. To ensure a well-rounded understanding, the study included extensive desk research, stakeholder interviews, and firsthand on-track observations.
Richard Foster-Turner, Business Development Manager, Santa Pod Raceway / Trakbak Racing said: “It’s been decades since gender became a non-issue in Drag Racing. Our participants consider themselves purely racers. Nobody outside Drag Racing has been talking about this, but now with this white paper we are putting Drag Racing’s gender-equal credentials out there to stimulate discussion and follow-on research, and to help other motorsports work towards the same level of diversity.”
Cindy Sisson, Executive Director, WIMNA added: “It has been an honour for WIMNA to participate in this study, as we have always admired the NHRA’s groundbreaking approach to promoting women in racing. From trailblazers like Paula Murphy and Shirley Muldowney, who shattered stereotypes and proved that women can not only compete at the highest levels but also dominate as champions, the NHRA has consistently led the charge in fostering gender equity in motorsports. These pioneers paved the way for future generations, and WIMNA is proud to continue building on this legacy by supporting and empowering women to achieve greatness on and off the track. Together, we celebrate the ongoing progress and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that motorsports remain a space where everyone can thrive and succeed.”
Downloads
ABOUT MORE THAN EQUAL
More than Equal is a global, independent motorsport initiative with a mission to find and develop the first female Formula 1 world champion.
Led by data and evidence, the organisation identifies top female racing talent worldwide and seeks to close the performance gap for girls and women in motorsport. The More than Equal Driver Development Programme is a high-performance athletic initiative informed by Olympic-level expertise, technical training, and pioneering research and innovation. For more information, visit: www.morethanequal.com
ABOUT SANTA POD RACEWAY
Santa Pod is the home of drag racing in Europe and was the continent’s first permanent drag strip (Est. 1966). The venue hosts more than 60 events each year, including rounds of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship.
ABOUT WOMEN IN MOTORSPORTS NORTH AMERICA (WIMNA)
Women in Motorsports North America is a community of professional women and men devoted to enabling opportunities for women across all motorsport disciplines. Founded as a 501c3 in April 2022, WIMNA is quickly establishing its positive impact on motorsports, supporting, and creating resources that enable women drivers, technicians, engineers, operations staff, business-related, media, and more to thrive in the industry. Best known for its Women with Drive Summit held each year, WIMNA also provides resources, mentorship, coaching, career connections, and more. Learn more at womeninmotorsportsna.com
NOTES
Santa Pod Raceway opened in 1966 as Europe’s first permanent drag racing venue, located on a former World War 2 airfield – ‘Santa’ to evoke Southern California, the cradle of drag racing; ‘Pod’ for Podington, the name of the airfield and nearby village. The venue holds a 365-day operating licence and hosts more than 60 events a year over most weekends from February to November and occasionally mid-week. The calendar includes major spectator events such as two FIA/FIM European Drag Racing Championship rounds and the renowned mid-summer Volkswagen festival, Bug Jam, along with national drag races, modified car shows, specialist and family events, and public track days known as ‘Run What Ya Brungs’.
Santa Pod Raceway is located on the Bedfordshire-Northamptonshire border near Wellingborough, NN29 7XA.
For further information, visit www.santapod.com or telephone 01234 782828.