These women are creating community at the Grand Prix of Long Beach

Before the drivers stand atop a championship podium, before the engines roar to life — even before some 200,000 fans flock to downtown Long Beach — there are myriad folks who have worked around the clock to bring the “200-mph beach party” to life.

Their goal is not only to put on the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach but also to create a community. And often, it’s women who are working to foster that community — for other women, as well as those new to the sport.

“I grew up in motorsports,” said Taylor Bedell, the marketing communications manager for SRO Motorsports, which runs several racing series. “I love the sport so much — it’s such a close-knit family. It’s a really small community. Everybody is so kind and open; plus, it’s an adrenaline high.”

Bedell, 27, is an evangelist of sorts for the sport and SRO. She coordinates SRO’s message and branding, working with media and event organizers to “introduce our drivers to the world and … educate lots of people on this fun new sport that continues to grow.”

It’s that growth, that innovation within the racing world, that excites Bedell the most.

“My favorite part is definitely how quickly it evolves,” said Bedell, who is based in Columbus, Ohio. “It’s the only sport that’s on the pulse, on the cutting edge. We are constantly changing and listening to our audience. We are just able to pivot at a rate that’s much quicker than other sports and welcome these innovations.”

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Bedell’s path to a career in racing was almost inevitable, since both of her parents worked in sports car racing. Her dad has worked as a crew chief and team manager; her mother is on the logistics and hospitality side.

She sought an engineering degree from the University of Utah, but a marketing internship changed her trajectory of just what she wanted to do within the racing realm — how she wanted to promote the sport.

And she’s not the only one who has taken on this “ambassador” role for the Grand Prix and motorsports.

Karen Pasion wasn’t always interested in racing — but she was looking for ways to give back to her Long Beach community.

After some cajoling from friends, Pasion joined the nonprofit Committee of 300 as a volunteer a few years ago. Now, she’s the group’s president-elect — and knows a bit more about the drivers and teams, too.

The Committee of 300 has staged, planned and promoted the Grand Prix since 1975. With many donning red jackets, the nonprofit’s members watch over the grandstand seating, helping racing revelers find their seats, breaking up altercations and rendering assistance as needed.

“We’re considered the ambassadors of the grandstands,” Pasion said.

For her, the Grand Prix isn’t just about the race — albeit, that is a big part. But it’s an opportunity to foster community.

There are food and beverage vendors, sure, but also exotic cars, racing simulators and competitions, and play areas for kids. There are opportunities to meet the drivers and meet the cars.

That’s exactly the mission that drives Zandara Kennedy, a stunt performer and Formula Drift ProSpec driver: getting an insider’s look at the sport.

During the Formula Drift competition — held the weekend before the Grand Prix — Kennedy hosted multiple events introducing women to drift racing and the women working in so many roles in the sport, from demo driver to mechanic, team manager to rig driver. But Kennedy also wants to introduce others to the sport.

“It was important to me,” Kennedy said, “to provide a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ fans and neophytes alike to be able to experience the thrill of drifting.”

It cost Kennedy “literally everything I earned in 20 years,” she said, to break into drift racing — and that’s not realistic. And that’s why Kennedy wants to make the sport more accessible, but also enlighten women on the various other jobs that go into the sport.

“Becoming a race car driver shouldn’t be the only way for women to be involved in motorsports,” said Kennedy, who splits her time between Vancouver and Los Angeles.

The gender disparity in the pits of Formula Drift is more evident, Kennedy said: “It’s not because women aren’t welcome; it’s because young women don’t see the path to create that opportunity.”

And so that’s what she’s set out to change — one race at a time.

Source: Orange County Register