“You can’t be what you can’t see” is a well-known quote and on Friday, 9^th May, this was put into practice when fifteen Grade 7 and 8 girls spent the day at Symmons Plains participating in the Girls on Track program. The purpose of the day was to expose the girls to some of the many roles found within the [predominantly male dominated] motorsport industry.

With female race car driver, Imogen Radburn, as one of the hosts, the girls participated in a series of activities associated with the industry. First up was being able to develop and present a ‘live cross’ segment for the media. The girls got very creative with segments including interviews with drivers about upcoming races, crashes and even sabotage.

A second challenge involved a time limit to simulate the pressure of the track, and the girls were tasked with building and racing Lego race cars and then making quick adjustments to improve performance.

Next up was experiencing the fitness and reaction times required of the drivers. The squats and plank position left many exhausted.

Motorsport is all about the cars, and a highlight of the day was being taken on a tour of the garages to see the cars up close, talk to the mechanics and another successful female driver, Ellexandra Best, who was about to compete in the Superutes.

Finally, a day experiencing motorsport would not be complete without seeing any racing, and the girls, arguably, had the best view of the track from the Paddock Club and were able to see several classes of cars completing their qualifying laps.

Louise Szegota
Science Teacher