WEC announces end to grid girls

[SVP Skins]

Wants to be a part of Motorsport is fine, I just fail to see what in the term "motorsport" that 'requires' a pretty girl in the front. Start driving, start study something that'll help you, contact people to get "inside" access. And while it might "take away" the jobs on the grid, you surely can't mean that the girls won't be able to get another modelling gig instead. After all, they are quite good looking.

Think you fail to understand that when a Grid Girl works for a racing team, she is part of that Team. that is being part of Motorsport. She's not just some random person that that turns up looking pretty, shes a valued member of the team. if you understand what i mean.

Yes they can get other Gigs but again you fail to understand, WEC cutting Grid Girls is one less job, one less pay check, one less chance of doing something they love doing and your comment "start study something that'll help you" i must make you aware, 99% of Grid Girls are extremely smart and have 1 or more high end qualifications in some form or another. alot in nursing, Business studies, i even know one girl whos studying to be a banker. so forgive me when i say you seem small minded when it comes to judging Girls that do Grid Work. there not air heads, there extremely business savy.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I'll split this in two.

Think you fail to understand that when a Grid Girl works for a racing team, she is part of that Team. that is being part of Motorsport. She's not just some random person that that turns up looking pretty, shes a valued member of the team. if you understand what i mean.

I don't think I've seen that a Grid Girl have been around on all WEC races. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Grid Girls something hired from the country they are racing in?
Again, we are talking about WEC Grid Girls here, not Team-Affiliated Babes.
Though, I don't see how a Team-Affiliated Babe contributes to anything either.

Yes they can get other Gigs but again you fail to understand, WEC cutting Grid Girls is one less job, one less pay check, one less chance of doing something they love doing and your comment "start study something that'll help you" i must make you aware, 99% of Grid Girls are extremely smart and have 1 or more high end qualifications in some form or another. alot in nursing, Business studies, i even know one girl whos studying to be a banker. so forgive me when i say you seem small minded when it comes to judging Girls that do Grid Work. there not air heads, there extremely business savy.

That is one weekend a year, where they quite easily can get other modelling jobs.

And you are way off with your remarks about me as well. I'll quote what I wrote: Start driving, start study something that'll help you, contact people to get "inside" access.
In that context, it should be fairly obvious that "something that'll help you" is related to motorsport. After all, that is what we are discussing? I have not once claimed that Grid Girls is Dumb&Pretty.
But if a job in Motorsport is what they want. Then they have to be a good driving talent, with some luck, have the right contacts, or study something that'll help them achieve it. It is that "simple".
Study PR&Marketing, try to get extremely lucky that way (Sauber might need some...), engineering, mechanics or whatever that can be angled towards motorsport.

 

[Rob]

That's the thing, afaik, the first time girls on the grid was used was in 1983. Ironically at Le Mans. It's not something that has been used since the start of motorsport.

What a coincidence. That's about the time that motorsport really made huge leaps and bounds in popularity. Anymore points that help our case to reinstate grid girls in the infant WEC? Let's do a poll!

 

[SVP Skins]

I'll split this in two.
I don't think I've seen that a Grid Girl have been around on all WEC races. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't Grid Girls something hired from the country they are racing in?
Again, we are talking about WEC Grid Girls here, not Team-Affiliated Babes.
Though, I don't see how a Team-Affiliated Babe contributes to anything either.

some do some dont. most dont but again your comment "I don't see how a Team-Affiliated Babe contributes to anything either" just shows how small mind you are

 

[Shawdad]

To be honest, I never really noticed the grid girls anyways...

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

some do some dont. most dont but again your comment "I don't see how a Team-Affiliated Babe contributes to anything either" just shows how small mind you are

Source for that (or pictures)?

But again, you seem very keen to go after me, as a person.
And, no, I do not see how a Team-Affiliated Babe, who have the job to look pretty, contributes to anything when it comes to racing and motorsport. The racing isn't better because of her. The car doesn't go faster. There is no contribution other than looks. And that you can get in a magazine as well.

If the arguments are "The girls need a job" "Political Correctness!!" then... I still don't see what pretty girls showing body have to do with racing. I thought the point of watching racing was the cars, the amazing overtakes, the two-wide into Eau Rouge. The last corner accident at Indy, making Dan Wheldon the winner. The close finale at Bathurst 1000, the 4 hundreds of a second separating 1 and 2 at Brands Hatch BTCC today. The 4 wide coming to the finish line at Daytona. The 200 km/h+ over the jumps in Finland, the amazing handling of the MotoGP bikes in over 360 km/h, having 4-5 riders within a second. I thought that was why we are fans of motorsport. I though that is the reason we are willing to pay TV-Channels to cover it. To pay tickets to go watch it live. Not Grid Girls.

If the arguments are "They are pretty girls" "It adds to the beauty". Then you have magazines, videos for that, heck even girls watching the race might have little clothing and looking good (depending on the weather). But it's not motorsport you are wathcing then?

It's not a problem for me that there are Grid Girls in F1, MotoGP, WTCC, DTM etc. But likewise, i cannot understand the problem in removing them. For me, the racing is the key. Not human skin and bodies. I can see enough of that whenever I want!

 

[SVP Skins]

Source for that (or pictures)?

But again, you seem very keen to go after me, as a person.
And, no, I do not see how a Team-Affiliated Babe, who have the job to look pretty, contributes to anything when it comes to racing and motorsport. The racing isn't better because of her. The car doesn't go faster. There is no contribution other than looks. And that you can get in a magazine as well.

If the arguments are "The girls need a job" "Political Correctness!!" then... I still don't see what pretty girls showing body have to do with racing. I thought the point of watching racing was the cars, the amazing overtakes, the two-wide into Eau Rouge. The last corner accident at Indy, making Dan Wheldon the winner. The close finale at Bathurst 1000, the 4 hundreds of a second separating 1 and 2 at Brands Hatch BTCC today. The 4 wide coming to the finish line at Daytona. The 200 km/h+ over the jumps in Finland, the amazing handling of the MotoGP bikes in over 360 km/h, having 4-5 riders within a second. I thought that was why we are fans of motorsport. I though that is the reason we are willing to pay TV-Channels to cover it. To pay tickets to go watch it live. Not Grid Girls.

If the arguments are "They are pretty girls" "It adds to the beauty". Then you have magazines, videos for that, heck even girls watching the race might have little clothing and looking good (depending on the weather). But it's not motorsport you are wathcing then?

It's not a problem for me that there are Grid Girls in F1, MotoGP, WTCC, DTM etc. But likewise, i cannot understand the problem in removing them. For me, the racing is the key. Not human skin and bodies. I can see enough of that whenever I want!

I've nothing more to say. you're to ignorant to make you understand.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I've nothing more to say. you're to ignorant to make you understand.

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?

 

[SVP Skins]

I'll give you an even simpler answer. Support

 

[Celtic Pharaoh]

Ehem...

Case closed.

 

[Steve Bird]

BORING!

Eye candy has always been part of Motorsport ffs.

That doesn't make it right though.

Don't get me wrong, I like pretty girls as much as the next guy but the practice of grid girls embodies two broken notions: that women exist purely for the pleasure of men, and that motor racing needs the mysterious fascination of attractive women as part of its appeal.

As beautiful as some of the grid girls may be, we don't watch Motorsport for them, we watch it for racing. So what does it matter if the grid girls are no longer there?

Kind of disturbed by some of the comments on this thread :/


In the end, this is a fantastic move by the WEC, and have yet again beaten Formula One to the punch on another issue.

I agree in some respects. However, these girls will now be unemployed due to warped modernistic views on sexism being the so called 'modern' way of thinking. Amazingly, being a heterosexual middle aged man I don't think that women are here just for the pleasure of men, but at least it gives the racing a bit of glamour rather than having to look at the sweaty, whinging, overpaid, showboys that are the modern day 'pilots' of today.

And you're correct. I personally don't watch Motorsport for the pit girls but I'm sure they would rather be paid for doing the job they do rather than drawing benefits because nobody is interested in their assets anymore. I suppose they could do leaflet handouts for nightclubs in future......

Anyway, on a different not, I like Ole Marius Myrvold idea of letting up and coming youngsters do it. Fantastic idea.

 

[Chris]

The whole "You can't ban them, because then they'll be unemployed" is a non-argument.
I didn't realise being a grid girl was a full time job. It's barely a side-activity.

 

[Steve Bird]

The whole "You can't ban them, because then they'll be unemployed" is a non-argument.
I didn't realise being a grid girl was a full time job. It's barely a side-activity.

That's not the point really is it? If the girls enjoy the job they do then where is the harm? Oh wait a minute, it's what the PC brigade think is best for young girls of today. Excuse me but I'm tired of the whole PC chibang deciding what is acceptable for the populace of this planet. I'm happy with your argument but you have to understand that we all don't have the same view on matters and your view on this subject is the opposite of mine. Does that make me wrong?
/rant_over.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I'll give you an even simpler answer. Support

Support? Do they support the motorsport industry? Is it support from them (economical as a job)?
Do they support the racing by being there? That is possible to do by buying a ticket as well.

I still don't see what it adds to the actual racing. On track.

 

[Chris]

That's not the point really is it? If the girls enjoy the job they do then where is the harm? Oh wait a minute, it's what the PC brigade think is best for young girls of today. Excuse me but I'm tired of the whole PC chibang deciding what is acceptable for the populace of this planet. I'm happy with your argument but you have to understand that we all don't have the same view on matters and your view on this subject is the opposite of mine. Does that make me wrong?
/rant_over.

Don't get me wrong, I like grid girls. I'm not opposed to them at all, and if being a grid girl makes them happy, then I'm all for it!

I don't like an overly PC-regulated anything, and I'm not trying to argue in favour of political correctness, I'm just saying that I personally don't see the point of having grid girls when their sole purpose is to look pretty (nothing wrong with it). And if that's their only purpose in Motorsport, then what difference does it make if they're not there anymore? Naught. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Zero.

However, let's not beat about the bush by acting like grid girls have got some deep-rooted and integral function in Motorsport with rich heritage, because they don't. Grid girls exist purely to look pretty and dress provocatively for the gratification of men, so that guys like us can say "Oooh she's hot!". That's it. End of.

 

[SVP Skins]

Support? Do they support the motorsport industry? Is it support from them (economical as a job)?
Do they support the racing by being there? That is possible to do by buying a ticket as well.

I still don't see what it adds to the actual racing. On track.

Well that's up to you to figer out

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Well that's up to you to figer out

Me again? Think that's enough for me quite frankly.

Figure*

 

[Pär Öqvist]

I don´t think there is such a thing as a professional grid girl that is able to tour around and make every bigger motorsport event and make a living out of it. It´s just a side activity that the hosters get for as low cost as possible of course. Also I think it´s unfair to all the professional grid boys out there that the professional grid girls get all the spots.

 

[Steve Bird]

Don't get me wrong, I like grid girls. I'm not opposed to them at all, and if being a grid girl makes them happy, then I'm all for it!

I don't like an overly PC-regulated anything, and I'm not trying to argue in favour of political correctness, I'm just saying that I personally don't see the point of having grid girls when their sole purpose is to look pretty (nothing wrong with it). And if that's their only purpose in Motorsport, then what difference does it make if they're not there anymore? Naught. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Zero.

However, let's not beat about the bush by acting like grid girls have got some deep-rooted and integral function in Motorsport with rich heritage, because they don't. Grid girls exist purely to look pretty and dress provocatively for the gratification of men, so that guys like us can say "Oooh she's hot!". That's it. End of.

No problems with your comments at all Chris.

 

[Dan Allen]

No big loss. WEC will die a slow death like F1 unless it changes format. I know it's all the rage right now, so yea, that's not going to be a popular statement.

Anyway, this makes me think of how well the WTCC promotes their races with hot chicks. Well done WTCC. Now where can I get a feed over here in the U.S.? We used to get these. I may have to go rogue. lol.

Next up on the FIA docket: making sure adult entertainment is produced in equal amounts of M/F, M/M, and F/F.

I don't understand anything you just said. WEC is a totally different format anyway, it's endurance racing. F1 is going down the pan for a totally different reason. And that is the finances, or lack of. Not only that, the WEC has only been running for 2 years, bit early to start placing bets on when it starts going downhill when it's barely got on it's feet.

If you get rid of grid girls, the FIA *save* money, not piss it away on something which really doesn't have much to do with the racing itself. Money which could very well go back into the teams.

If grid girls are the be-all-and-end-all of motorsport for you, I think you're watching racing for all the wrong reasons. You need Pornhub.

What a coincidence. That's about the time that motorsport really made huge leaps and bounds in popularity. Anymore points that help our case to reinstate grid girls in the infant WEC? Let's do a poll!

Again, not sure about this. F1 has been popular for many many years. Britain went F1 mad back in the mid to late 70's with people like James Hunt. What about people like Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Jim Clark even further back in the 60's when there were no grid girls. And that's only the British drivers (I'm British so I'm biased). Juan Manuel Fangio, Jochen Rindt, Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham were probably household names in their respective countries too. My point is, the only people responsible for the popularity of motorsport are the drivers.

Saying that, grid girls probably came about BECAUSE OF James Hunt...