NCM Motorsport Park holds 4th annual Women’s HPDI event

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.- According to the Global Girls Development Foundation, women make up 7% to 13% of participants in Motorsports.

One Bowling Green organization is breaking those barriers by teaching women the way of the road at NCM Motorsports Park.

The National Corvette Museum Motorsport Park held its fourth annual Women’s High Performance Driving Introduction event. Women received instructions in the classroom and on the lanes, testing what they’ve learned.  

Morgan Watson, marketing manager of the National Corvette Museum Motorsport Park, said, “We always want women to feel safe, empowered and ready to take on the track.”

From vehicle safety procedures, basic car control, on track performance, to flag meanings and learning road types, Watson said the representation in this event is to help women feel seen.

“The big takeaway is that we do it for women so that they’re learning from female instructors to that they’re learning with female students, and they don’t have to worry about some of the pressures that can come when you’re trying to perform in a mans dominated sport,” she said.

Women are now exposed to new opportunities to learn in motorsports.

Rebecca Campbell, who started as a trainee, is now an instructor for the women’s HPDI event. She has been racing for over 20 years and says in a male-dominated field, women entering the sport gives her familiar faces to train. 

“Oh, I love it. I absolutely love it. I’ve got girlfriends now to talk to,” Campbell said.

Campbell said she has personally been in a situation that if she did not know the driving techniques she learned, she could have gotten into a car accident on her way home, while another car was not paying attention to the road.

She said, “If I would not have had the driving skills, I would have been dead. I would have over corrected. I would have not been able to stay in my lane, I would’ve been off the edge of the bridge.”

No matter the car make, year or model, organizers encourage women to participate in the events to learn more about the safety of driving and to enjoy themselves even if they are craving a safe need for speed.

“We meet these ladies where they are in both comfort and skill levels, so if you’re just wanting to come and learn to be a better driver we can certainly match you with an instructor who is going to tailor to that,” said Watson.

If you missed this event, the next Women’s High Performance Driving Introduction event is set for Aug. 16.