Courtney makes British newspapers (1 Viewer)

[robinjackson]

Here's an article printed in today's Mail On Sunday newspaper:

Female face of U.S. drag racing marks advance for women in sport dominated by men | Mail Online

and also in The Sunday Times.

Always good to see the sport featured in the mainstream media...

...BUT, drag racing followers everywhere, be prepared to tear out your hair when you read it.

 

[Toejam]

I like the way they make it seem like she's breaking some sort of Barrier! I wonder what Melanie, Hillary or Shelly Anderson think of that?

 

[jackass]

reads like a well done PR promotion... from in-house... nothign wrong with it if it creates new interest....

My questions are these.. did Big Sister get any press over there when she jumped int othe FC's?.... If not ....who pushed for the write up?.. TRAXXAS?.. if so their promotion advantages begins.....

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

COOL, the more mainstream coverage, the better.

 

[robinjackson]

reads like a well done PR promotion... from in-house... nothign wrong with it if it creates new interest....

My questions are these.. did Big Sister get any press over there when she jumped int othe FC's?.... If not ....who pushed for the write up?.. TRAXXAS?.. if so their promotion advantages begins.....

I'd agree about the PR promotion. The fact that it is an identical article and photo in two rival papers suggests so. Maybe it suits the PR's corporate interest to imply that women didn't figure in the sport before, or beside, Ashley.

No, Ashley received no coverage here when she came on the scene. Indeed, I can't recall the last time (if ever) that NHRA drag racing received coverage in UK papers. I guess that's 2 or 3 million more people who have now heard of it who had never heard of it before.

 

[George.]

I like the way they make it seem like she's breaking some sort of Barrier! I wonder what Melanie, Hillary or Shelly Anderson think of that?

Rewind even further, how about Shirley.
Nuff said, unless you want to include the late Lucielle Lee or Bunny Burkett.

Say what you want about Shirley, but NOBODY, I mean NOBODY will ever break the ground in that fashion again, nor should any women ever be mentioned in the same sentence of comparison with Shirley Muldowney..
If there is a "new school" second place, Shelly Anderson occupies that spot all by herself.

 

[You!]

From 1971...back when these things were really dangerous...

 

[Huge]

From 1971...back when these things were really dangerous...

That's a cool pic Bill.

 

[none]

I like the way they make it seem like she's breaking some sort of Barrier! I wonder what Melanie, Hillary or Shelly Anderson think of that?

Ask SHIRLEY what she thinks !

 

[Toejam]

From 1971...back when these things were really dangerous...

Wonder what guests at these hotels thought when they heard these cars Fire up in the Parking lot!

 

[megadeth]

Let’s see if it translates into attendance at the season opener!
That will be the true gauge if she makes a difference!

 

[Toejam]

Let’s see if it translates into attendance at the season opener!
That will be the true gauge if she makes a difference!

You and I have been to Pomona enough Bob to know that if it's Clear and Sunny, the Place is Packed! If there is even a Hint of Rain the place is a Ghost town!

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

Rewind even further, how about Shirley.

Lets rewind all the way to Barb Hamilton.
(for you youngins) the FIRST licensed supercharged female. There are tons of gals in our sport, PSM alone has what 3 or 4 ??

 

[megadeth]

You and I have been to Pomona enough Bob to know that if it's Clear and Sunny, the Place is Packed! If there is even a Hint of Rain the place is a Ghost town!

True, So true, Joe!

 

[robinjackson]

I'm only guessing, but...

I'd imagine this story originated with a corporate press release which was then picked up and embellished by a US press agency staffer with no drag racing knowledge.

In turn, the press agency story was picked up by the two UK newspapers and published under their own writers' bylines as a quirky-interest piece.

I don't suppose the writer of the corporate press release was remotely bothered about drag racing history. His/her responsibility is to market corporate product. The "story" here is Courtney's "unique" and remarkable battle against the men. Admitting that women have been successful in drag racing for decades would greatly dilute the power of that story.

Someone somewhere is doing something right. As I said above, that's 2 or 3 million more people who have now heard of NHRA drag racing that had never heard of it before.

Traxxas sell product over here too. I shouldn't think it will do their promo prospects any harm either. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't just an accident that the papers picked it up...

But, hey, I'm only guessing.

 

[megadeth]

I'm only guessing, but...

I'd imagine this story originated with a corporate press release which was then picked up and embellished by a US press agency staffer with no drag racing knowledge.

In turn, the press agency story was picked up by the two UK newspapers and published under their own writers' bylines as a quirky-interest piece.

I don't suppose the writer of the corporate press release was remotely bothered about drag racing history. His/her responsibility is to market corporate product. The "story" here is Courtney's "unique" and remarkable battle against the men. Admitting that women have been successful in drag racing for decades would greatly dilute the power of that story.

Someone somewhere is doing something right. As I said above, that's 2 or 3 million more people who have now heard of NHRA drag racing that had never heard of it before.

Traxxas sell product over here too. I shouldn't think it will do their promo prospects any harm either. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't just an accident that the papers picked it up...

But, hey, I'm only guessing.

We will see! NHRA cares what happens over hear not over there! Being a girl in drag racing is "OLD NEWS"!
If one of them can win a championship that might help! Now I know how they are going about it give all the girls a seat and with no men to compete against one of them will eventually win! LOL

 

[robinjackson]

Agreed: NHRA has no obvious interest in the UK, so the spread of its name here is just an accidental bonus. Traxxas sells here though.