Women in Motorsport
STEM Profiles
As part of the exhibition we have spoken to a variety of women who work within science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) related roles within the motorsports industry and asked them what a day in their roles is like. Why not take a read and see if you feel inspired to move your future career towards motorsports?
Faye Ho – Team principal, FHO Racing BMW Team
Faye is the team principal of FHO Racing and currently the only female team owner in the British Superbike (BSB) competition. Of dual British-Macau nationality, Faye grew up in Macau and loved motorsport from being a small child, her family being inextricably linked to the Macau racing scene. Faye’s grandfather was a sponsor of legendary Hong Kong team owner Teddy Yip, whose Theodore Racing team was a record eight-time winner of the Macau GP. A successful businesswoman in her own right, she has been involved in motorsport sponsorship for over 10 years, turning her attention more recently to the promotion of female competitors in the paddock.
For the 2022 season, Faye will offer mentoring and support to three young female contenders in the two-wheeled British Championship classes - Charlotte Marcuzzo and Scarlett Robinson in the Hel Performance Junior Supersport class and Holly Harris in the Honda British Talent Cup (pictured). She has also announced a collaboration with the up-and-coming karting star, 12-year-old Lizzy Mentier, in the IKR junior kart championship, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to showcasing female motorsport talent to a wider audience – whether that’s on two wheels or four. Faye comments:
“I think for motorcycle racing, or any type of racing, there should be more females involved whether as competitors or management…. if someone has a passion for something, they should all be able to pursue it and chase their dreams, and I am hoping to encourage more women and girls into the sport.”
“When I’m racing, I don’t see myself as any different to the guys and I just try to be the best person I can and not worry about what other people are thinking. I don’t see gender; I just see a race with other racers around me. But I do like helping females who want to race as we need more to join the sport! It is slowly getting better for women and girls and its brilliant seeing more get involved.”
Nicola Drew
Nicola Drew is a lecturer, academic and occasional journalist who has assisted in the collation of motorcycle racing biographies for the Women in Motorsport exhibition. Although not a racer herself, she enjoys attending track days on her Suzuki GSX-R 750 motorcycle. In the course of her work, she investigates motorcycle racing, memorialisation in British motorcycle culture and the human-motorcycle relationship. In 2016 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute with recognised research interests in motorcycle communities.
“It’s important to prove yourself whoever you are. Of course, sometimes I recognise I might be the only young woman on the grid at certain times when I’m racing but it’s cool that I have the chance to compete against the guys, and of course they’re also competing against me. I’m all for getting more women into the sport, because this is something I love, and I know that a lot of other women would love it too. It’s great to have a platform now where I can express my passion and encourage others into motorcycle racing.”