Make a difference? What could I possibly do?

Louis Stone-Collonge www.scatracing.com

So you are sitting there in front of your PC, reading Racerchicks.com and wondering, "God, what can I do to help the female racers out there?" You think to yourself, "I would offer to help a team, but anything I could do would just be a drop in the bucket. What can I possible do?"

Well, wonder no more.

The first thing you, as a supporter of Racerchicks, need to know is that there is no assistance or offer of help that is too small. And, I really mean that very strongly. There are a lot of things fans and supporters can do to support female drivers and, ALL of these things are helpful. Support for a racecar driver means more to them than you can really imagine.

Of the many things one can do to support their favorite Racerchick, here are some that do not require any money (stamps and phone calls excepted):

• If you are at the track, make a lot of noise. Be respectful of other fans who are supporting their drivers, of course, but yell a lot and make sure your driver hears you.
• If you see a Racerchick in the stands at a race or even in 'real life', say hi. Tell them you are a fan. Chances are, they will be glad to hear from you.
• Send an email of support.
• Sign their guestbooks if their website has one.
• Read a Racerchick’s website and offer feedback or an insight.
• Send a regular letter via the post office.
• Tell all your friends about a Racerchick's website.
• Support their sponsors (buy their products--and tell friends).
• Email their sponsors and tell them how much you appreciate their supporting your driver.

If you think that you cannot make a financial difference to a race team, think again. I am the team owner for,  and we run a Mini Super Trucks at Altamont Raceway (near San Francisco). The truck that we run is a 1980 Ford Courier. Trust me, any amount of money can make a difference. Here are some examples:
$14 buys an upper arm (at Pick n Pull almost every part of the front suspension is less than $20)
$30 buys a new fender
$35-$40 buys a new offset rim
$7 buys a can of gloss black spray paint (we get banged up a lot)
$20 buys a needed set of mechanics gloves
$20-$25 buys enough race fuel for a race day
$60 buys a race spring
$12 buys a role of duct tape
$25 buys a pit pass (our team is 4 people)
$10 buys enough bottled water for team for a day

For those with a little more money:
$170 buys a set of AFCO shocks
$350 buys a Hutchins Device (required at our track after a fatality earlier in the season)
$100 buys a new tire
$400 buys a set of tires
$200 buys new seat belts
$1000 buys a new, bullet proof, rear end for a mini super truck

These are examples from the class that S. Cat. Racing is running in 2002. The costs of running other divisions can be radically more expensive. Racerchick, Teresa Morten, is running in the Sportsman Late Model Division (SLM) at Altamont.

Not only does EVERY little bit help; every time a fan or supporter or sponsor does something to show their support, it makes a huge difference. As a team owner, money is always an issue and for. S. Cat. Racing to be successful it is a necessary evil. Having said that, the thing that keeps me going more often than not is the support from other people. Sure, money is the big key in racing, but the moral support of fans and friends is crucial. The support and energy from fellow human beings, is what keeps us digging when we feel like giving up. Trust me on this one as it the power of support is truly huge.

No joke, the possibilities are limitless. You can help in so many ways that the possibilities are only bound by the limits of your own imagination.

So next time, you are wondering how you can help out a Racerchick, just ask yourself this: "Can I comfortably offer any financial support?" If you can write a check for any amount, go for it. If you cannot offer financial support, send an email, Make a sign for the track, yell your support, visit their website, anything! Make sure your favorite Racerchick knows you are out there. Money is not everything. Be creative!

And, most importantly, have fun

Louis Stone-Collonge is the team owner for S. Cat. Racing (www.scatracing.com) in Campbell California. S. Cat. Racing is a sophomore race team that fields exclusively female drivers. Currently, S. Cat. Racing is racing Mini Super Trucks at a local NASCAR track (Altamont Raceway Park) and, has plans to expand into SCCA and NASA divisions. When Louis is not racing, he is also works as a web designer/manager, has a degree in Religious Studies and far too many graduate units in Media and Cultural Studies

Nika's Note: If you or your company would like to sponsor any racerchick featured  - please let us know and we will be honored to put them in touch with you. No racerchicks pays a fee to be featured nor is racerchicks.com going to ask a percentage of ANY monies offered to the female racers on this site.