Episode 4: Closing the gender gap in motorsports with Tami Powers
Tami Powers' passion for fast cars has driven her 20-year career in #motorsports. In 2020, Tami launched PowerDrive Motorsport Futures to connect forward-thinking brands to up-and-coming female race car drivers.
In this episode, Tami discusses the obstacles holding women back from competing in motorsports at the highest levels. She shares some of her defining moments, her take on why the GoDaddy Danica Patrick model WORKED, but did not stick… and she invites big brands to join her on her mission to give women not one, but many seats at the table… in motorsports.
“We can’t just have one, we have to have more than one, we have to have more than two, we have to have more than three in order to normalize that. Women aren’t gimmicks, we’re not minorities, we’re over half the population.”
Very few had the drive to start a company during COVID, but Tami Powers did just that.
Tami used the downtime during the pandemic to reflect on her 20-year career in motorsports. She thought about her legacy. What would she leave behind? Where did her true passions lie? How could she create a world where the playing field was equal for men and women in motorsports? This is when her company, PowerDrive Motorsport Futures, was born.
“What we know now is that there are no women competing in Formula One. There are no women competing in IndyCar. There are no women competing in NASCAR Cup. There are TONS of women competing in the NHRA… winning championships…. winning races. ”
Paving an uncharted path for women to compete at the highest level in motorsports.
During her career with Alan Johnson Racing, Tami was keenly aware of the obstacles in front of women in motorsports. “Up until a certain age," she says, “gender in racing is a non-issue.” There is an equal ratio of men and women in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). Outside of that, though — when it comes to women competing in high level events — the numbers are bleak.
How do we change this? That’s where PowerDrive comes in.
“The tide is turning now because we’re realizing that it’s (women in motorsports) good for business across the board. It’s good to normalize women competing with men in motorsport, because it’s one of the only professional sports where men and women can compete equally. ”
PowerDrive is the first company of its kind in motorsports, and Tami is focused on spreading the word about both her brand and the athletes she is championing. Her steps are simple; connect, create, and activate in that order. PowerDrive is about bringing brands along with on the journey with the women racers so that they have the visibility, the experience, and the funding to get them to the highest level.
Thank you Tami for sharing your story and for all you do to lead and inspire women in sports and entertainment!
This interview is powered by WINS, our media membership for women in sports and entertainment. Click here to learn more about WINS.
Deja Wiggins is the Sales Coordinator for Ticket Operations at Madison Square Garden Sports.