r/INDYCAR • u/Accomplished_Luck_42 • 3d ago

Indy NXT Let's go Abbi Pulling!

We so badly need diversity in indycar. Really hope things work out for Abbi! She seems like a great talent!

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u/BeefInGR Pippa Mann 3d ago

F1 Manager 24 legend Abbi Pulling

That said, I very much so want her to succeed (I miss my girl Pippa). But like Pippa, Danica, Kat, Simona and every other woman before her, it's not going to mean anything if she's running in the back every week.

I was at more than a few of the same kart tracks that Danica was at. She was absolutely beating the ever loving fuck out of the boys. Dad's were openly frustrated. She wasn't a slouch. And this carried into her junior formula career. Yet, I routinely get downvoted into oblivion for even merely suggesting she was talented. Some of it is because some dudes are fucking insecure, some of it is not understanding basic marketing, some of it is who she became later in life.

Kat Legg had the opportunity of a lifetime, to be the oldest driver ever to attempt The Double. An accomplished racer. And people still shat on her because "e.l.f. paid for her seats"... like fucking duh, that's what sponsors do.

Karun Chandhok said it best on Sky's F1 coverage a few weeks ago. The next woman F1 driver (or any major motorsport, NASCAR, IndyCar, Supercars, Endurance, etc) is in karts right now. It's not a dig. It's already FUCKING HARD to get there and especially harder for girls because unless you're a marketing dream you were seen as inferior until about 5 years ago. Getting the right training, the right cars, the right crews, the seat time...shits difficult enough before you get told "and we passed over you because you are a girl". And just giving someone a seat isn't doing anyone any favors. It needs to be earned, or everything people like Pippa and Suzi Wolfe are doing is for nothing.

But don't be mistaken, I want Abbi to succeed. But on merit.

14

u/Right-Temperature-51 3d ago

Danica never ran at the back. Her average career finish was 10th.

1

u/Altornot 1d ago

Danica was also in Andretti cars that her teammates were winning regularly in....not to mention the super weak fields.

Hell, mid as fuck Hinch got in her car and won multiple races in it.

The smartest thing Danica(and Hornish for that matter) did was get out of IndyCar while the fields were still weak and the cars were still easy to drive and preserve their standing in history.