Female trailblazers celebrated in Taupō

On the eve of the inaugural ITM Taupō Super400, Supercars recognised several key women in Australasian motorsport in its first Women in Motorsport breakfast, held Thursday morning in Taupō.

The Repco Supercars Championship has officially landed in the north island town of Taupō for the championship’s first event at Taupō International Motorsport Park, which kicks off tomorrow.

Hosted by Fox Sports journalist Jess Yates, the breakfast event brought together stakeholders, commercial partners, and attendees of all ages to celebrate some of the women leading the charge in Supercars and wider motorsport across the continent.

Speaking with panellists from competition, organisational, and governmental backgrounds, over half a dozen of the foremost women at this weekend’s race event discussed their experiences and aspirations for the growing impact women are having in the world of motor racing.

Kiwi racer Christina Orr-West spoke of her experiences as a driver both locally and abroad, while teenage Toyota 86 Series driver Alice Buckley shared her views on the changing landscape as she looks to climb the ladder to the Repco Supercars Championship.

Panellists Supercars fans may already be familiar with included PremiAir Nulon Racing engineer Romy Mayer and Kate Harrington, Team Manager of Blanchard Racing Team, who were also joined by Supercars Programming & Data Engineer Bea Vear in discussing their rise to critical positions in Supercars pit lane.

A second panel featured Supercars Media pit lane reporter Riana Crehan and Senior Producer Angela Rampal, who spoke on the fast-paced environment of live television.

Crucial in bringing the ITM Taupō Super400 to live, NZ Major Events Manager Kylie Hawker-Green and Taupō International Motorsport Park CEO Josie Spillane also joined in to give their insights on building the history-making event and encouraging women of all ages to continue making history in the industry.

These women and dozens more will be in action across the weekend at the ITM Taupō Super400, playing critical roles in pit lane, the broadcast booth, behind the wheel, and across the grounds in what will be an historic weekend for both Supercars and the city of Taupō.

Live coverage of Supercars’ first ever event in Taupō begins tomorrow, and can be found on Sky Sport in New Zealand and Foxtel in Australia.

Live streaming is available on Kayo, with highlights in Australia available on the Seven Network and 7plus.