【108】佛罗里达州代托纳女子车队参加大型赛车比赛
每日一歌
73 亲爱的 Sugar, Sugar
歌曲选自《最适合学习英语的英文歌曲80首》
:
ARTS & CULTURE
Female Team to Compete in Major Car Race in Daytona, Florida
January 18, 2019
Katherine Legge of England waits to drive during a test session at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. Legge is part of an all-female-driver team racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona later this month. (AP Photo/Mark Long)
Many car racing teams have rich supporters with ideas that sound too good to be true. Most of the ideas fail before the cars even make it to the track.
Jackie Heinricher, however, has had success with her idea. She has formed an all-female team of drivers. The team will take part in an important race this month. It is called the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It is one of the most respected races of its kind in the world.
As the name suggests, the race lasts 24 hours testing the driver and the car to the limit.
Heinricher’s dream became a reality when the company Caterpillar agreed to be her sponsor. She also partnered with Meyer Shank Racing and signed up top racers.
British driver Katherine Legge is one of them. "I am scared, a little bit," she said. "I am scared that it will be gimmicky and we won't be taken seriously. That's why we have the drivers we have, that's why we are going with a professional team, that's why we made sure we had everything to do it right.”
Heinricher is a scientist who formerly served with the United States Air Force. She established a biotech company, Booshoot Technology, based in Sun Valley, Idaho. She is also an independent race car driver who pays to race against professional drivers.
Heinricher is a racing fan who often cheered for female drivers. Just like many of them, she was angered by the difficulty they find in moving up in the industry. Heinricher grew tired of seeing such women leave the U.S. for Europe’s racing industry.
"I started having this vision to bring these top women professionals together to race a season together," Heinricher said.
Legge was part of carmaker Lotus' noncompetitive return to IndyCar racing. She also was the announced driver for an Indianapolis 500 team that was going to be formed entirely of women. But, that never happened.
Legge knew about Heinricher's idea for two years. She agreed to join because it appeared that the plan would really happen.
Legge was already part of Meyer Shank Racing, and her Acura team won twice last season. It finished second overall in its category.
Heinricher’s team includes Legge, who is the full-time driver of the car. Simona de Silvestro, known as the Swiss Missile, is another member. Brazilian Bia Figueiredo is the only woman to have won several Indy Lights races. Completing the team is Christina Nielsen, from Denmark. She is a two-time International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) champion.
The team has more combined experience and success than Danica Patrick, the most famous female racer of this generation.
Cars don’t know if you are a man or a woman
Heinricher's team believes it as a chance to expand racing possibilities for women. Catherine Legge said she hopes the team will provide girls with an example to follow in racing.
Nielsen said she and Legg like to repeat the saying, “’Once you are behind the wheel, the car can't tell if it is a man or woman driving.’"
Heinricher still plans to be one of the drivers this season. She knows Legge worries about an effort that might set women back in racing. She believes this project will be different.
Heinricher has a real race team, but Legge believes judgment will still be based on results.
"One race is not going to be gimmicky or not gimmicky, but over the season if we finish last every race, absolutely that would be gimmicky," Legge said. "But that's not going to happen with the people we've put in place."
I’m Caty Weaver.
Jenna Fryer reported this story for AP. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor.
_______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
track - n. an often circular path or road that is used for racing
sponsor - n. an organization that gives money to an athlete for training, clothes, equipment, etc., in return for the right to use the athlete for advertising
scared - adj. fearful of something : nervous or frightened
gimmicky - adj. trickiness to get people's attention or to sell something
category - n. a group of people or things that are similar in some way
absolutely - adv. completely or totally
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
:
漂泊者乐园微信公众号在线英语学习资料
美国之音特别英语节目:
VOA英语慢速听力 (文化艺术类)
提示: 回复 d6 可收听查看所有《文化艺术 ARTS & CULTURE 》文章。
:
推荐1:(可听可读的慢速听力文章)
【笛台头条】皇后乐队《Bohemian Rhapsody》,电影与歌都想说说!
【714】Disabled Venezuelans Reach New Heights through Dance
【126】科技:China Lands Spacecraft on 'Dark' Side of Moon
推荐2:
英语实用听力:Apartment: Renting a Place of Your Own
亲爱的朋友,如果您能能坚持跟着本号听读,相信不用多久,您的英语听力一定会有极大的提高!
学英语的朋友,想提高听力的话,请听下面的音频。
有问题可在【漂泊者乐园-英语学习群】里一起交流,谢谢!
:
:
:
:
:
:
1. 回复 president 可收听查看所有《美国总统》文章。
2. 回复 park 可收听查看所有《美国国家公园》文章。
3. 回复 zjmgyy 可收听查看所有《中级美国英语》文章。
4. 回复 bztl 可收听查看所有 《VOA标准听力》。
5. VOA英语慢速听力 708 篇(时事新闻类2018总结)
1): 邀你加入->【漂泊者乐园-英语学习群】
您好!既然漂到这里,就顺便把本文转到朋友圈吧
长按二维码
关注我们吧