Current IndyNXT driver and three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick has taken an active role in addressing gender imbalance in grassroots motorsport and has launched 'The Jamie Chadwick Series', a groundbreaking initiative that will see the driver herself provide mentorship in a new all-female karting series.
IndyNXT driver and three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick has become one of the top global ambassadors for women in motorsport, having made her way up the ladder from the Ginetta Junior Championship to multiple titles on the F1 support package - and is now one of the female drivers competing at the highest level in single seaters worldwide, as she is set to enter her second season in Indycar's top feeder series.
Chadwick is not only a role model for the youngest generation, but is now also taking an active role in addressing the gender imbalance in karting and boosting female participation at grassroots levels.
Thanks to a partnership with Daytona Motorsport - UK’s leading outdoor go-kart racing group - Jamie has in fact launched the 'Jamie Chadwick Series', a groundbreaking initiative that will see the driver herself provide mentorship in a new all-female karting championship.
The brand-new series will take place across three circuits in the UK, offering participants the chance to compete for a scholarship supported by Chadwick.
"I'm hugely excited to launch this initiative in partnership with Daytona Motorsport", Chadwick said. "While progress is being made further up the single seater ladder to close the gender gap, the issue of grassroots participation is yet to be tackled in a proactive way. Currently, only 13% of karters are female and it's clear that increasing this number substantially is essential to having more female racing drivers climb to the highest levels of the sport", Jamie explained.
"My aim is to not only encourage more girls to try the sport but also to help develop young girls who are already hooked and provide more opportunities for them to turn this into a career."
The year-long program will in fact see participants taking part in mentorship sessions with Chadwick herself, whose insights will represent invaluable guidance for the young girls approaching the sport.
"My message to girls is that motorsport is a hugely rewarding an exciting sport to be involved in regardless of your gender so come and try karting out for free on International Women's Day and if you enjoy it, sign up and come and get involved in all the things we'll be doing this year" - Chadwick continued, as participants can now register their interest via this form.