Women and Cars

[MEHemsley@xxxxxxx]

Uh oh...you guys have awakened a sleeping woman and filled her with a terrible
resolve.  Somebody else said most of that, but I just saw Tess' post on the
Digest.  I have not followed this thread, but I feel compelled to add a
comment.  

I am here to tell you that she is quite competent wielding a wrench or behind
the wheel.  I have to say that I know a number of women who are better at both
than I am.  Sandy Pence is Fletcher Williams wife.  Fletcher has been an SCCA
racer for some time and with considerable success.  Sandy builds his engines.
Chris Fox builds her FP Healey Sprite and is one of the people I regularly put
in the "Who Will Win" predictions in SPORTS CAR for the Runoffs.  I know Lynn
St. James...fastest woman at the Indianapolis 500, before it went IRL!  Tess
herself joined the Digest a few years ago after she had bought a Spider that
needed some work.  She has learned how to repair that car and has done a
number of things I wouldn't have tried.  She and a friend have built a Porsche
911 for her to run in time trials, and she has done much of the work.

So, when it comes to generalizations like the quote Tess had in her post, I
remind everyone of what Jim Hayes puts at the end of each of his emails..."All
generalizations, except possibly this one, are false."

And Tess did in fact drive John Smallwood's rally car.  It was in Oregon near
Mount Hood during the Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Motor Rallye.  It was
after the car had competed in the London to Mexico Rally and before the Shield
of Africa Rally.

Ciao,

Mike from Mississippi

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