Caitlyn Jenner made history after winning the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, and now she’s making history again by becoming the team principal of her very own W Series team, named Jenner Racing, the series reports.
The W Series, if you’re not familiar, is an all-female open-wheel racing series that’s free to enter once for the drivers that are selected. The $500,000 prize for the champion of the series is designed to help women find their footing in the racing world at large, and the fact that the W Series is now solely serving as the opening act for Formula One events means these drivers will be able to race in front of the people who could change their careers. The series has also received a fair bit of criticism for the fact that it segregates female drivers and does not support them in their bid to compete with men on equal terms.
Jenner’s participation is reportedly the result of her desire for “fair competition.”
Her full quote reads as follows:
“As a believer in fair competition, a lover of motor racing, and a supporter of all women in sport from the grassroots to elite level, W Series ticks every box for me and is a fusion of the different aspects of my career. A championship dedicated to inspiring young girls and giving women the chance to succeed in roles throughout what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, W Series is changing the face of motorsport. As the series continues its rapid expansion with a truly international cast of drivers and races, this was the perfect time to come on board. W Series had a global reach of more than half a billion viewers in 2021, and I am going out to the market to acquire sponsors that align with mine and W Series’ joint missions.
“I watched on with great excitement last year when W Series made its American debut in Austin, Texas, USA, where its drivers entertained 400,000 fans over the weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. In May, I will be beaming with pride when my Jenner Racing team starts its bid for W Series glory on motor racing’s greatest stage at the first race of season three in Miami, USA, in support of Formula 1. As has always been the case, I’m in it to win it.”
Last week, 15 international drivers took part in a test session at the Inde Motorsports Ranch in Arizona. The final driver selection for the 2022 running of the W Series has not been announced; once that’s done, we’ll know more about who’s running for Jenner Racing.
Jenner has made headlines for quite a few different reasons in recent years, but let’s not forget her history in racing. She took victory at the 1979 running of the famed celebrity race in Long Beach, California before moving into endurance racing. Jenner was a Ford factory driver for Jack Roush for six years.
Does her team principal position absolve her of her various and sundry sins, such as accidentally killing a person in a multi-car crash, representing the worst aspects of the Republican party, or being critical of pretty much any other trans person who doesn’t subscribe to her politics? No. But Jenner’s profile will definitely raise the profile of the W Series. Whether or not that’s a good thing remains to be seen.