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Collaboration Driven by Dreams: Iron Dames, NASA Women Unite in Daytona

Inspiration, Career Stories Fill the Room between Women Drivers and Directors

By Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Not only did the large driver meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway fill up quickly on Friday afternoon during the Rolex 24 At Daytona race weekend, but also, the good vibes and enthusiastic mood was unmistakable. High schoolers, college students, race team members, media and fans made their way to hear some of NASA’s most talented and accomplished women join some of auto racing’s most talented and accomplished women talk about their lives and their careers.

Imsa Irondames2 012925NASA’s three women present were Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, Jennifer Kunz, acting deputy director for NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center (an hour south of the track) and astronaut Susan Kilrain, a two-time space shuttle pilot.

They shared the stage with Iron Dames drivers Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy and Rahel Frey, who would go on to finish eighth with fourth driver Karen Gaillard in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class over the weekend in their No. 83 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).

The crowd attending the “The Women Behind Race Cars and Rockets” panel on the afternoon before the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s season-opening green flag – notably a room of both men and women – was rapt with attention listening to the background stories, the successes, the dreams and the lessons these six women shared. It was impossible not to be equal parts awed and inspired.

“Breaking Barriers in Male-Dominated Fields” was the subject matter and the parallels between decorated careers dedicated to space exploration and renowned careers dedicated to motorsports were more common than you may have thought.

They shared some interesting stories most in the room could only dream of directly relating to – comparing the G-forces Kilrain experienced on space shuttle launch liftoffs to what the drivers all experience in a race. But more importantly, they shared stories everyone in the room could relate to – of believing in yourself and never letting gender deter your dreams even in the kind of male-dominated fields these women have spent their lives succeeding in.

“One of the great things about being at NASA is, they never talked about us being women. Ever,” Kilrain said.

“I never felt singled out in any way. Only the media brought up the fact I was a woman. Outside of that, it didn’t matter. The spaceship doesn’t know the gender of the person sitting in the pilot seat. So, it was not even brought up.”

Gatting nodded and recalled a conversation with a male journalist only days earlier asking if it was “more difficult” competing in races because she was a woman.

“No, it is not,” Gatting assured to the delight of the crowd.

“I fully agree (with Kilrain). I always say to the media, that when we put our helmet on, we are not a man or woman. We are race drivers, like any of the others on track. This is very important. I know when I am in the car, I don’t feel any pressure. That’s more coming from outside.”

In the case of all these women, it seems their sense of “why-not” was established early on. Blackwell-Thompson recalled a high school science teacher whose greatest contribution to her education may have been his belief in her “can-do” than a specific science lesson she mastered. While contemplating what she would study in college, this teacher had some advice that impacted her long after her schooling was done.

“I asked him, ‘What could I do with an engineering degree?’ and he responded, ‘What couldn’t you do?’” she told the crowd with a smile.

Kilrain shared a similar story, recalling all the education and training she had been through from her days studying at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University just down the street from the speedway to earning a master’s degree in engineering from Georgia Tech to her time in the Navy and ultimately being accepted in NASA’s astronaut program – which is a whole challenge in and of itself. Of 10,000 applications, she reminded, approximately 10 people are chosen at a time.

“I was fortunate, no one told me, I couldn’t do it,” Kilrain said.

As Blackwell-Thompson, Kunz and Kilrain spoke about their experiences overcoming perception with mental strength, hard work and much determination, the Iron Dames drivers were nodding their heads in shared familiarity.

Fans, Autograph Session, #83: Iron Dames, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), GTD: Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, Karen GaillardGatting told the audience that when she first began her career in motorsport she had hoped to be the “second Michael Schumacher” – referring to the great seven-time Formula 1 champion.

Her teammate Bovy stopped her.

“You wanted to be the second Michael Schumacher, but you became the first Michelle Gatting,” Bovy said, as the room erupted in applause and cheers.

And now Gatting, Bovy and Frey are proudly seizing their opportunity not only to compete but to demonstrate their talent is as measurable as the men they compete against. Perhaps 30 or 40 years ago, the Iron Dames team could have been perceived as a publicity-seek for a sponsor, whereas these days they have proven time and again they are as talented as any race team in the field – and many days, more so.

At the end of 2023, Gatting, Bovy and Frey became the first all-women team to win a FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) race, claiming the GTE Am class trophy in the 8 Hours of Bahrain.

Sitting in the audience were a group of five Embry-Riddle female college students – with majors ranging from aeronautical engineering to astro-chemistry. They were the first to shake hands with the drivers and the NASA representatives at the end of the presentation. And not too surprisingly, the speakers were as encouraged to meet the students as the young women were to meet their heroes.

“I feel like there’s so many women that have paved the way for us and I’m just so grateful they did all that so I can do what I want to do,” said Chicago native Molly Norgle, 20, a junior at Embry-Riddle, studying aeronautical engineering.

“It’s just amazing and there’s just so many women – especially the ones here we look up to. And to be able to connect one-on-one with them is just awesome. They are all just so amazing.”

The legacy being created in real-time has that kind of generational effect. During an interactive time with the audience, a woman sitting near the back said she was in her 70s and not even there to ask a question, but rather to tell the six panelists how proud she was to see this change in society’s attitude, opportunity and success in her lifetime.

“We had people that didn’t tell us no, who believed in us, who told us we could do the impossible,” Kunz acknowledged. “And when you’re told that you can do that, that’s a role we all play, and young people need to know they can do whatever they want to do.”