While this year marked the 100th anniversary of women obtaining the right to vote in the U.S., the discussion of women’s rights and their role in society still continues today. Those conversations occur in corporate conference rooms to Capitol Hill to your local short track. Fueled by stereotypes and misconceptions, female drivers have had to overcome adversity not experienced by their male counterparts.
Within the last 50 years, some oval tracks still banned women from pit areas. These days women make up a significant portion of those who enter the back gate, including those who race. Marquee events, such as the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Knoxville Nationals in Iowa have as many as half a dozen women entering the races.
While female drivers have amassed achievements in the sport, they still face discrimination and misogyny. We reached out to three female open wheel racers for their perspective.
Amber Balcaen, originally of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, appeared not as a wife, but as a race car driver on the reality TV show “Racing Wives” on CMT in 2019. In 2016, Balcaen became the first Canadian woman to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race on American soil. The third-generation racer currently competes part-time in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League.
Maria Cofer, of Macdoel, California, won the 2017 Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) midget championship. Cofer participated in the first Toyota Racing Development (TRD) combine. The second-generation racer steers midgets, primarily on the West Coast.
McKenna Haase, of Des Moines, Iowa, became the first female to win at Knoxville Raceway in 2015. She regularly races at Knoxville Raceway in a 410 winged sprint car. Haase also runs Compass Racing Development, a driver development program, which was featured in “This Racing Life,” a Fox Sports film.
Please note that Balcaen, Cofer, and Haase do not speak on behalf of all women in the sport. They speak solely about their own experiences.
Photo Credit: John Lee
Being a female driver in open wheel racing comes with its advantages, but also disadvantages that may be contrary to prevailing thought. This especially holds true for finding funding to race, including for the numerous rent-a-rides in open wheel racing.
“I used to think that being a female would help me get sponsors,” Balcaen said. “Now I realize that’s not the case. It’s tougher for a female driver to get sponsors. The positive of being a female driver is that chances are you’ll be the only female driver in the race, and you’ll stand out and be noticed. I’ve had sponsors and managers tell me I should be more feminine at the track so that I do … draw more attention. But, on the downside … a lot of people have a hard time taking female drivers seriously and trusting that you’re a good driver.”
Balcaen added that when a female driver gets pitched to a potential sponsor, the sponsor often doesn’t ask to hear about the driver’s accomplishments. Instead, the sponsor questions if that female racer can drive. This mentality isn’t limited to sponsorship prospects.
“I’ll think I had a great night, and people will say I just got lucky,” said Balcaen. “When male drivers have a great night, everyone will say he earned it.”
Cofer and Haase felt the same double standard that Balcaen has experienced.
“People are inclined to say that because I started out front, I got lucky to win the race,” Haase said. “The reality is, if I started out front, I earned that position — it didn’t happen by accident. Races are won from the first three rows anyway.”
Cofer blocks out the naysayers.
“You can’t listen to it — it’ll make you feel smaller,” said Cofer. “You just can’t let those things get into your head.”
On the track, some say men race women harder — and perhaps, less cleanly, than their fellow male drivers.
“There are times that guys will treat you with respect, and other times where they will race you really hard,” Haase said. “I’ve had instances where I’ve passed those types of drivers and they drive way over there head, right off the track.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy McKenna Haase
Some individuals believe racing is a man’s sport. Those people are not only among those who steer race cars, but also those who turn wrenches on race cars. This can create difficulties for women wishing to race.
“I respect people who don’t treat me differently,” said Balcaen. “I want them to treat me the same way as a male driver. Flea [Ruzic, who owns the midget Balcaen races,] and I have a good relationship, because he treats me the same as he treats everyone else.”
Ruzic agreed that he’s as hard on Balcaen as any of his other drivers.
“I have tough love with anyone that gets in our cars and races them,” Ruzic said. “I’m going to tell you where you messed up in the race, and do whatever I can to make you better. It doesn’t matter to me what your race or gender is.”
Ruzic added that he felt the sport’s more open than ever to women.
“In the political landscape, where we are paying attention to and becoming more sensitive to diversity, I feel more car owners have begun taking female drivers into consideration,” said Ruzic.
With more women in oval-track racing, more are starting to visit victory lane.
“Seeing more women be successful in the sport made me think I could do this and win, too,” Balcaen said. “It’s a snowball effect, where now there are more and more female drivers. It’s great to see. I want to be an advocate and ally to them — someone they can come to and ask for advice and help.”
Many classify open wheel racing as one of the most dangerous in oval-track racing. Interestingly enough, it sees some of the largest numbers of female drivers in the sport.
“We have a love and a passion for this sport that I can’t deny,” said Cofer. “We put ourselves through crazy situations and injuries just to show back up, because to us, it’s something we’ll never give up. This is a hardcore sport. It takes grit and dedication. Once you’re a part of it, you never want to leave.”
Photo Credit: Matt Sublett
Female drivers still face adversity in open wheel racing. Drivers such as Amber Balcaen, Maria Cofer, and McKenna Haase work tirelessly not only to find victory lane, but also change the landscape for other women racers to come. Car owners, such as Flea Ruzic, have helped make open wheel racing more inclusive. With more women visiting victory lane — and shattering the stereotypes of female drivers along with it — we may soon find the stigma surrounding women racers relegated to the sport’s history.
Outside Groove contributor Ashley Zimmerman grew up around sprint car racing at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. Zimmerman has written for several publications, with a writing career in racing dating back to 2003. When Zimmerman isn’t at the racetrack, she competes with her own kind of horsepower at barrel races and rodeos in Iowa and Illinois.
