Car racing remains a male-dominated sport, but there are signs that there could be change coming down the road.
Only five female drivers have entered a Formula One Grand Prix, ten women have entered an Indy 500 race, and 16 women have driven in a NASCAR Cup Series. There’s hope for change, though, in the Formula E all-electric vehicle competition, which has already featured three female drivers during its seven seasons.
“Aside from gender, we’re all our individual characters,” said ROKiT Venturi Formula E team principal Susie Wolff. “There cam be boys that prefer ballet and girls that prefer cars, and it's just making sure that we make sure that the girls that are interested in the sport are getting the opportunity to enter and be successful.”
In 2014 Wolff became the first woman to participate in a Formula One weekend in more than two decades when she drove in a practice session. She now leads ROKiT Venturi’s team and a third team's members are women.
“It's hugely advantageous for me in my role now, the fact that I was a driver, because I know what it's like for the drivers in the car and I know the pressures they're under,” she explained. “And I also, from my perspective now, see what it takes to get the right environment, the right people on board to create that energy in the team which can be be such an important part of success.”
Adding women gives teams another vantage point, added ROKiT Venturi head of partnerships Chloe Bearman.
“I think being a female adds a different perspective and definitely the team I’m at right now, with Venturi, we're leading the way,” she said. “And we're showing that a team that is diverse, there's real strength in that.”
Forty-eight percent of workers for Formula E and member organizations are women. With electric cars emerging as the future of the automotive industry, the organization is hoping it can pave the way for further gender equality.
“The great thing is when you walk up and down that grid is that more girls feel like they can take part,” said Formula E chief strategy and business development officer Hannah Brown.
New Jersey is on track to overtake Las Vegas as the new sports betting mecca, Darren Rovell, senior executive producer at The Action Network, told Cheddar in an interview Friday. With fewer than 7 months of sports betting on its books, New Jersey is expected to hit $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion in bets by the end of the year, Rovell said.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, Dec. 14, 2018.
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White says the mixed martial arts league's five-year deal with ESPN puts it in a position to go the distance despite declining linear television trends. "Everything is going digital. Cord cutting is real. It's happening and we see it in all aspects of the business, whether it's pay-per-view or television," White said in an interview with Cheddar Thursday.
Two-time Call of Duty World Champ JKap talked with Cheddar Sports about why he's so excited to play with his new team, eUnited, and his thoughts going into Black Ops 4's first major, CWL Las Vegas.
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We journeyed to Las Vegas this weekend for two huge events: CWL Las Vegas and LoL All-Stars. Featuring interviews with Optic's Scump, Dashy, Karma, Crimsix, and CEO Hector Rodriguez, G2's Blazt, Flyquest midlaner Pobelter, Vitality midlaner Jiizuke, and journalist Travis Gafford.
We cover the Game Awards from the red carpet, Smash Ultimate releases, Black Ops 4's first tournament starts in Vegas, and Zane takes on the rest of the Cheddar Sports team in a Smash Ultimate 1v3 showdown. Featuring IMT, MIBR, and LA Valiant CEO Noah Whinston, CLG COO Nick Allen, and interviews with Dominique 'SonicFox' McLean, Imane 'Pokimane' Anys, Lia 'SSSniperWolf' Shelesh, and OWL commissioner Nate Nanzer.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018.
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Riot expands its collegiate efforts, Overwatch League hits the road, Fortnite Season 7 drops, and we open a whole lotta Rastakhan's Rumble packs. Featuring Esports Awards Broadcaster of the Year Clint 'Maven' Evans and Logitech G Esports Business Development Head Andreas Schicker.
