British racer Pippa Mann has become the first woman to take pole position for a race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was built 101 years ago.
The 27-year-old from London set fastest time in qualifying for the Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights race, which is the official feeder category to Indy Racing League.
"I knew we had a quick race car, but I wasn’t expecting to be on pole position," said Mann, who races for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. "My dash wasn’t working and I had no idea what my speed was, so you can imagine how surprised I was to find out we were on pole!"
Mann started racing in karts, before contesting Formula Renault and Formula Renault 3.5, where she also set a pole position. She is in her second year of Indy Lights
She is the second female pole-sitter in Indy Lights history. Sarah McCune set the fastest time in 2005 at Chicagoland Speedway.
The Firestone Freedom 100 takes place later today (Friday). Four female racers will take the start of the main Indy 500 event on Sunday.
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Re: British woman takes pole at Indy
They do. They have more important things to do. Women are, in my view, and despite how I've been cast, much more better than men and don't do pointless things just to go around and around.
You take childbirth! I'd like to see a man give birth to a child - Arnold Schwarzenegger seems the most likely candidate so far. Let me remind you male pigs who read me how important women can be: without childbirth, we wouldn't even be here and able to contemplate the idea of stupidly going around and around a circuit, or to get tattoos and genital scaffolding and such like to look cool, or go shopping for flummeries, or twit, or play golf - all of whom are almost exclusively the pursuits or stupid men.
Most cars wouldn't be heard of, because women think cars are vehicles. Even as a man, I have to admit they're right on that, no matter how hard I've tried to deny it. I don't care if I lose followers saying this; it's how I feel.
Rinspeed would be the first company to suffer under women.
I think we're agreed that the only women who do go around and around are the sort who, three hundred years ago, would've been dipped in a stream for having too high a testosterone reading in a blood test spectrogram (wink-wink). You know what I mean.
You sexist, disgusting pig. Are you saying - after all we've been through in this country and how far we've come on the issue of equality and women jumping in front of horses as they do - that women can't be statistically crap sportsmen who are unbeatable as gentlemen? You don't deserve the Autocar privileges afforded you here! Don't speak to me again, you pig.
Women! They don't half talk some twaddle, don't they? Silly cows.
Re: British woman takes pole at Indy
Seems there's a few on this thread who haven't encountered VirginPower's stupid trolling before and are actually taking his drivel seriously.
Re: British woman takes pole at Indy
And you're calling me a chauvinist! ;)
I'm sure that there are plenty of women that are more than capable of racing at the top level in motorsport. Let's just say that the system isn't exactly stacked in their favour - old boy networks and outdated opinions etc...
I do agree that people should only get anywhere in life on merit alone, not by virtue of the fact that they are in a 'minority'. Let's leave that cr@p for the politicians who would love to employ a one legged, black, Muslim, Welsh speaking turnip farmer because it makes them look unbiased, multi-cultural and fair and ticks all the right boxes :) . I know, i'm a cynic.
However, if they can drive, they should be able to drive independently of any other factor - I still hope to see more women getting into motorsport on their ability to drive.