Female power vrooms in...

Women are driving into the ultimate male territory — motor rally sports. Most people consider motor sports as a male bastion. There are only a few women who have vroomed into this high testosterone-driven sports. But it will be a huge mistake to dismiss them as insignificant dilettantes. ‘‘Indian women drivers are not pushovers and often give the boys a run for their money,’’ says Sanjay Sharma, head of motor sports of a major tyre company. And among the women, Sarika Sherawat is the indisputable poster girl in India. ‘‘We don’t say that because she is the lone female participant in the Rally of the North, but she has shown her mettle in some of the toughest rallies earlier, like Raid-de-Himalayan Motor Rally and the Great Desert Rally, where she swept the trophies in every competition,’’ he adds. But, how difficult is it for women to sustain themselves in this field? ‘‘No, when I started four years ago, I was given a very warm welcome. I always get a special treatment and when aspiring girls say I am their icon, I feel touched,’’ Sarika says. But for many women, the journey ends abruptly before they reach their destination. Sarika says, ‘‘A woman cannot forever go on driving, thanks to her biological clock and lack of family support. This is a career that needs tremendous amount of family support. My rallying career may screech to a halt next year as I plan to get married by that time.’’ But all is not lost for women drivers. ‘‘Every sport expands gradually and women ultimately became one of its important fans and players. Women have also proved to be the equals of men in all other professions. It’s a matter of time before women become the main players when it comes to motor sports in India,’’ says Revathi, a navigator in Sarika’s team. What’s the future of women in motor sports? ‘‘The Indian women have not yet made their presence felt, but soon, we hope the sport will attract more women as it becomes more popular,’’ says Nazir Hoosein, president of Motor Sports Association of India.