Director of Bridgestone Americas, Lisa Boggs, who is on the board of Women In Motorsports North America, says that it is really nice to see how the initiative has grown over the past couple of years. Speaking to Paddock Eye at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday ahead of INDYCAR SERIES qualifying, Boggs, who is on the board of WIMNA, said
It’s an amazing group of men and women, who really feel passionately about motorsport and opportunities, obviously, it’s women-forward and again, sometimes it’s just a matter of getting the collective together and getting all the energy together of a group who feels passion about and you find that there are a lot of others who jump in and want to help.
It is such a difficult sport for men or women to get into and be successful and I think really it’s just an opportunity to say ok, let’s get all of this energy and passion together and just if we can make a difference.
When asked by Paddock Eye where she believes INDYCAR is when it comes to women’s involvement in the sport, Lisa says:
There have always been women in the paddock. It’s not so much being here as the roles. There are a bit of numbers, but more importantly, it’s the roles and the diversity of the roles, like you said. It is not just pr and comms, which is how I started, which I am very proud of. I still think that it is an extremely important and good way but it’s now also showing that if that is not your thing and engineering is than there’s that opportunity do you want to go over the wall? No matter what you want to do. If you are good at it and work hard and all of those things it shouldn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. it’s that simple! So, I think they are doing a very good job, I really do. I think there was a concerted effort, which is what it is going to take, no matter what you are talking about, to just make sure that there are equal opportunities and seats at the table. Everyone is being invited.
When asked if INDYCAR needs to be at the forefront, Boggs said that it has been wonderful watching Caitlyn Clarke and what she has been doing with the NBA and WNBA,
The trick is if you can see it, you can be it!
I think there is a collective good that applies to IndyCar and all motorsport and, again, a lot of other sports, NFL, NHL, NBA, and WNBA, to show opportunities. Sports is a beautiful thing to be involved in, as well as fans and the passion for bringing people together in a good way. There is so much good about participating. What that does again for men and women is confidence in teamwork. All that is good about all of it is important, men, women, boy, girl.
What they are doing is terrific! I think it all for good an genuine. It is not just a business thing.