Racing's no drag for women drivers

Women's car insurance customers may find themselves outpaced by their male counterparts on the road, but female drivers have proved more than capable of competing against men on the drag racing track.

Although an increasing number of women are making their mark on the touring car circuit and in rallying they are occasionally still regarded as something of a novelty, but in American drag racing female drivers have already been accepted as a normal part of the sport.

Melanie Troxel, who finished fourth in the 2006 NHRA Top Fuel championship and was nominated for the best driver award, is one of seven women competitors currently in professional drag racing.

"Women drivers are a normal, everyday thing, and no one thinks anything of it. It's one of the things I love about the sport," she told the Northwest Herald.

Troxel, currently in sixth position in the 2007 championship after nine of the 23 events, has a long way to go to emulate drag racing's most successful female driver, as Shirley Muldowney won the title three times between 1977 and 1982 to secure a place in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Female drivers may be competing on a level playing field with men on the track, but research has shown they are less likely to indulge in risk taking or thrill seeking behaviour on the road than men, meaning women's car insurance is often available at competitive prices.

Kwik-Fit Insurance was named the UK's cheapest provider of women's car insurance by research conducted last year.

© Adfero Ltd

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