A mega turnout at a Women’s Introduction to Motorsport event at Sandown International Raceway signals a growing demand for women-focused motorsport programs.
Facilitated by the Toyota Car Club of Australia Victoria (TCCA) at its Sandown base for the first time, the Come & Try Day provided an opportunity for 14 participants interested in getting their first taste of motorsport guided by experienced instructors with the youngest participant just 14 years of age.
Club organiser Michelle Phillips outlined the TCCA is always looking for new ways to attract members, particularly women.
“The atmosphere was lively and everyone was buzzing with excitement from the moment we got there,” Phillips said.
“We enjoyed watching the newcomers experience something they’ve always wanted to try. We were quite pleased with the amount of junior participation as well, they were just so eager to learn and willing to try. The event was a great success for the club.”
TCCA has historically prided itself on being encouraging to all motorsport participants, and over the past years have been trying to increase its female (and junior) participation.
Phillips recalled when she began in motorsport, she wanted to have a go but was really nervous her skills “wouldn’t be good enough”.
“It wasn’t until I realised the club run motorsport wasn’t wholly about who was good and who wasn’t, it was more about trying it out and having fun, and that is what I wanted all the ladies to experience,” Phillips added.
“Our feedback from participants has been nothing but positive. The theory session was great for the newcomers, and a couple of the juniors had mentioned they’d learnt something new from the discussions.
“We were also impressed with how many motorsport participants were willing to offer extra help if we needed more mentors, even though we had a good number of mentors already.”
The club has confirmed its interest in running similar sessions in the future, offering women encouraging, supportive, safe, and fun opportunities to have a go at something they’ve always wanted to try.
“We want them to feel comfortable with these events and the more opportunities we have for encouraging females to come out of their shells, the better,” Phillips concluded.
Toyota Car Club Australia Victoria thanked Motorsport Australia for its ongoing support and will now look toward hosting more Women’s Introduction to Motorsport events, while also supporting other clubs in similar ventures.
