WEC announces end to grid girls

[Shane Butler]

Won't somebody think of all the unemployed grid girls.

I saw someone else make this point - I’d be amazed if any of these girls’ only source of income was earned through standing by a fast car a couple of times a year. It’s not exactly a full-time job is it?

 

[Tim Lundy]

Well, if you could try to not include anything about me in the answers, that would certainly be of good help.

And I'll ask you a simple, straight up question as well.

In what sense, at a motorsport event, does a Grid Girl add to the actual racing?

Does drinking beer add to the actual racing? Maybe we should ban beer from all racing events.

Not everything needs to exist for some logical, practical, provable, justifiable purpose. Believe it or not, we do some things in life just for the pleasure of it, like drinking beer and watching Grid Girls.

 

[James Cook]

I saw someone else make this point - I’d be amazed if any of these girls’ only source of income was earned through standing by a fast car a couple of times a year. It’s not exactly a full-time job is it?

It was a joke.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Does drinking beer add to the actual racing? Maybe we should ban beer from all racing events.

Not everything needs to exist for some logical, practical, provable, justifiable purpose. Believe it or not, we do some things in life just for the pleasure of it, like drinking beer and watching Grid Girls.

Well, do you see the officials drinking beer? Do you see anyone working drinking beer?
You cannot compare what spectators do, to what the officials are using money on.

Anyway, when it comes to alcohol I am absolutely not neutral at all. I have way too many alcoholics in my family, for me to be able to keep it neutral when it comes to that.

 

[Rob]

I'm British so I'm biased

Yes, you are....
I can name the best drivers in the world from about the late 70s onward through the early 90s. Care to guess how many jumped ship to IndyCar? Care to guess how many never cared to race in F1? With all due respect, F1 was a regional sport until the last couple of decades, for the most part. It may be hard for those in Europe to digest that, I realize.

 

[jimortality]

I want to see more women with less on.

 

[MoerasGrizzly]

Does drinking beer add to the actual racing? Maybe we should ban beer from all racing events.

Mabye we should *enforce* beer at all racing events? Think of how much fun F1 would be when the entire team should drink 4 pints on the grid!

 

[thierry.le.hingrat]

Really interesting comments and also amazing reactions !
I am convinced that the motto here is similar to other - non mechanic - events like boxing, dart, dance, etc....but also automotive/tuning meetings or exhibitions ! It's called : SEX SELLS !
For sure, it's much more exciting for men to see nice looking and young women presenting any kind of commercial and profit-based show instead of an old and unshaved farting buddy in a wheelchair ! It's a kind of fascination what men cannot resist....and acting as a kind of unconscious motivation to be a part of it, to follow, to look at...and finally to buy !
I have no knowledge or even no clue about the real reasons for grid girls to be there, but I know some nice looking hostesses who are highly interested in been hired for various exhibitions and the reason is : MONEY !
So, basically, male and female interests seem to be the same....
Never mind : I don't believe that it will have negative consequences - except for the medal ceremony : who is carrying the cups, flowers and bottles ???

 

[MoerasGrizzly]

I think those women stay, it's just the girls standing idly on the grid that go.

 

[SVP Skins]

Ehem...

Case closed.

that means nothing plus she was a sponsor grid girl not the teams grid girl.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Yes, you are....
I can name the best drivers in the world from about the late 70s onward through the early 90s. Care to guess how many jumped ship to IndyCar? Care to guess how many never cared to race in F1? With all due respect, F1 was a regional sport until the last couple of decades, for the most part. It may be hard for those in Europe to digest that, I realize.

Completely off topic!

that means nothing plus she was a sponsor grid girl not the teams grid girl.

Isn't all grid girls (the ones holding the stick with the number on) from the series/hired from the promoter? (in series that does have some status at least)

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I saw someone else make this point - I’d be amazed if any of these girls’ only source of income was earned through standing by a fast car a couple of times a year. It’s not exactly a full-time job is it?

That depends whether the racing car they are standing next to is parked full-time on the grid I think.

 

[Grand Tourist]

Won't somebody think of all the unemployed grid girls.

You can hardly call this a job!!

 

[Grand Tourist]

These Girls enjoy doing this and other girls enjoy seeing them enjoying doing this so why are you gonna take these girls moment away from them. Doing away with them is more sexist then having them.

They put themselves in a sexistic position as their only purpose is standing there like a beauty doll trying to get the looks of men. I never understood WHY this custom has been taken up in motorsports racing, I always thaught these models were disturbing the screens while I was trying to view the REAL BEAUTY = the race car.
These girls are sooooooooooooo fake and screaming for attention, I am always so disappointed in men when they actually think this is beautiful. Professional racing requires intelligent people doing innovative and technical complicated jobs in order to create wonderful driving capacities of the race car, no model standing next to the car will contribute anyhing that has something to do with racing but distracting the men from what really counts.
I have always felt like this, regardless of any sport. Dump those "women" in any sport I say and watch the sport for the sport. This trend will set itself further in other race divisions and sports, I am sure of that.

 

[Andy_J]

I want to see more women with less on.

^^^^^ This ^^^^^

More girls, less clothes. Any bloke got a problem with that?

Getting rid of grid girls is PC rubbish to please femminists. Another nail in the coffin for normal life.

 

[Andy_J]

Yes, you are....
I can name the best drivers in the world from about the late 70s onward through the early 90s. Care to guess how many jumped ship to IndyCar? Care to guess how many never cared to race in F1? With all due respect, F1 was a regional sport until the last couple of decades, for the most part. It may be hard for those in Europe to digest that, I realize.

Nige Mansell kicked arse in F1 and then wupped American ass in Indycar.

How about American world series sports that only have ............events in the USA?

 

[Andy_J]

These Girls enjoy doing this and other girls enjoy seeing them enjoying doing this so why are you gonna take these girls moment away from them. Doing away with them is more sexist then having them.

Agreed. It's like taking the poles out of pole dancing init?

Seriously, we'll be getting rid of the topless birds on page 3 of the Sun next.

 

[James Cook]

You can hardly call this a job!!

A job is a job. They get paid to stand there and look pretty. Who's exploiting who in this situation? Easy money.

For the record I agree with @Mid-pack Jack .....this decision is just politically correct feminist nonsense.

 

[daww]

I imagine is that for the organizers of the event (especially F1), the event first and foremost is a show, where the racing is just a tool to get people to watch/pay for tickets. Grid girls are an easy tool to get more attention from your audience, which means more (ad) revenue.

This does not mean that I agree with the usage of grid girls, from a business side there are some arguments for using them though.

 

[Birddogg66]

They put themselves in a sexistic position as their only purpose is standing there like a beauty doll trying to get the looks of men. I never understood WHY this custom has been taken up in motorsports racing, I always thaught these models were disturbing the screens while I was trying to view the REAL BEAUTY = the race car.
These girls are sooooooooooooo fake and screaming for attention, I am always so disappointed in men when they actually think this is beautiful. Professional racing requires intelligent people doing innovative and technical complicated jobs in order to create wonderful driving capacities of the race car, no model standing next to the car will contribute anyhing that has something to do with racing but distracting the men from what really counts.
I have always felt like this, regardless of any sport. Dump those "women" in any sport I say and watch the sport for the sport. This trend will set itself further in other race divisions and sports, I am sure of that.

There's more to life then just racing. I know Europe is quite serious about racing but to have no place for beautiful Women to help support it? Boy I'm glad I'm American where Beauty Girls and Car Shows(races included) go together like two peas in a pod.