How Fast Can She Go? | "LandSpeed" Louise Noeth | TEDxStLouis

TL;DR

Although women have been overlooked in land speed racing, they have set over 1,000 records and are encouraged to participate.

Transcript

thank you you're about to go for a very fast ride with me land speed Louise I'm a Gail with a PhD from the University of concrete and a 458 mile an hour world land speed record the speed got inside of me as a teenager growing up on the south side of Chicago when I convinced the local Street Kings that they should let me drive their fast muscle cars... Read More

Key Insights

• 🇰🇾 Land Speed Louise set a world land speed record of 458 mph, proving that women are just as capable in land speed racing as men.
• 🕵️‍♀️ Over 300 women, ranging in age and background, have driven on the Bonneville Salt Flats, challenging the notion that land speed racing is a male-dominated sport.
• 🤩 The key to success in land speed racing is skill, determination, and courage, not gender or physical abilities.
• 🕵️‍♀️ Land speed racing offers a supportive and welcoming environment for women, with many female role models ready to assist and mentor newcomers.
• 📌 The Bonneville Salt Flats, along with other racing locations worldwide, provide opportunities for women to push themselves to their limits and achieve their own land speed records.
• 🏇 Land speed racing requires calculated risks, emphasizing the importance of courage and common sense in this dangerous sport.
• 🐎 A sense of community and volunteerism is present in land speed racing, with racers helping each other and sharing in the thrill of speed.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Land Speed Louise first become involved in land speed racing?

As a teenager, Land Speed Louise traded her painting skills for opportunities to drive fast muscle cars, which eventually led her to become a land speed racer.

Q: How many women have driven on the Bonneville Salt Flats?

After researching this female lens, Land Speed Louise discovered that she had documented over 300 women, with ages ranging from 16 to 80, who had driven on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Q: Is there a gender bias in land speed racing?

Land Speed Louise found that the women racers she interviewed had no idea about any existing gender bias until she brought it up. Their success and records show that skill, not gender, is crucial in operating vehicles.

Q: What are the requirements for setting a record on the Bonneville Salt Flats?

To set a record, racers must make two runs down the surveyed and certified timing lights of the Bonneville Salt Flats, with the speeds averaged to determine the record run speed.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker, known as Land Speed Louise, shares her journey from being a car enthusiast to setting a world land speed record of 458 mph.

• She discovered a significant number of women racers on the Bonneville Salt Flats who had set over 300 records, proving that skill, not gender, determines success.

• The speaker invites more women to join land speed racing and emphasizes the supportive environment and volunteerism in the sport.