Bumgarner making noise in auto racing
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E-mail CNTV, July 24, 2014
A Filipina-American driver is turning heads as she turns corners. Michele Bumgarner is bringing in new crowds as she pursues her passion to becoming a first-class driver. Bumgarner was in Houston Texas for the Mazda Pro Cup where she met with our Ginger Vaughn.
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Michele Bumgarner is bringing in new crowds as she pursues her passion to becoming a first-class driver. |
Persistence on and off the track is what it takes to be successful says Mazda Pro Cup race car driver Michele Bumgarner.
"...recut new incue(1:30-1:40) being passionate and being considered a role model at the same time bout is really great, I want to tell girls and women that they can do whatever they want to do (2:05-2:10)," Michele Bumgarner said.
As the first Filipino female in car racing, the 24 year- old has overcome a lot of challenges. Bumgarner started out like most young racers, breaking international records in go-kart races, but had to wait nearly five years until she was picked up by Mazda Philippines who now sponsor her training- which can cost up to half-a-million dollars per season.
Born and raised in the Philippines, Bumgarner lives in Indianapolis like many drivers during training season, which is the home of the prestigious Indianapolis 500 - a five-hundred mile, or 800 kilometer (805 km) car race that's considered to be the largest single-day sporting event in the world. It's one of the oldest auto racing events with a nearly 100-year history, with cash prizes totaling over $12 million dollars in 2013. Bumgarner is still in training but has her sights set for competing in the INDY-500 in the future.
Racing is growing worldwide in popularity. Nascar runs on U.S. tracks while indy-car races are expanding internationally- both require a minimum of a few million dollars per team per season. Formula One, which holds races internationally, and costs hundreds of millions of dollars per team.
Takumi Sato was the first Japanese driver to win an Indy race last year in California, putting the spotlight back on Asian drivers who are few in numbers. Bumgarner wants to boost interest in racing across Asia as she proves herself in the Mazda Pro Cup series, a development program that seeks the best drivers and prepares them for bigger races.
"Recut new incue it became more international (00:25-35) with Takuma Sato being on as an Asian driver, we've got Michele representing the Filipino American community and the Filipino community, they both have the power to leverage Indy car," Motorsports marketing strategist Leeann Nash said.
A new contest in Mazda Philippines showrooms dares, "Can you Beat Michelle Bumgarner in a Mazda-3."
The winner of the contest gets an all -expense paid trip to see Michele Bumgarner compete in the last round of the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship in Sonoma, California this August.
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