THUNDERSPORT GB has announced that it will launch Britain's first national women's championship in 2013. Women have had a presence in the generally male-dominated world of motorcycle racing for years, but never before has there been an exclusive competition.  The decision to establish a formal national championship is a natural one. Thundersport boss Dave Stewart said: 'There are more females racing bike in this country than you might actually think and they all pit their wits on equal terms against their male counterparts in championships across the UK, albeit their numbers are somewhat scattered.' 'Don't think for a moment these girls are in any way uncompetitive, their effort, grit and determination is so great, they race these intercontinental ballistic missiles faster than most men could even dream of.' The competition will be sponsored by Buff, and will allow competitors to gain points whichever championship they choose to race in at Thundersport GB including Aprilia Superteens, Aprilia RRV450GP, Supertwins, Thundersport 500, Formula & Superstock 600's, up to GP1. The question is - do women need their own championship? Or should they demand to compete on equal terms?                                                                                                                                                                               

The problem is that there is not enough ladies racing to have ladies only races so i think its a brilliant idea to have a ladies championship within the men race, because if they compete in a championship they probable wont win points but the fact that they could score in a ladies championship will gives them something to build on and will encourage them to compete and try to get points to beat a friend in the championship, i think they should still be allowed to compete with the men in a championship and score in it if they are good enough as well

Hope you can understand my point here

Always wondered about this...know I'd be wanting to compete if I'd ever mastered 2 wheels!!!

Certainly a handicapping system works in other sports where everyone competes together  eg marathon running where individual time tags are worn. 

I don't know enough to comment on why women don't compete alongside men....does it compare with horse racing or am I being really stupid here ???!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

 Jackie, reading what you've posted,  'they' will continue to compete 'on equal terms', its just a paper championship/ranking based on points they accrue on track in whichever series they compete in... well thats how i've read it..?
                                                                                                                                                                             

I don't wish to be controversial here but ladies are never going to be able to compete on equal terms with men.  Men are physically stronger and that makes a big difference when racing.  You only have to look at the likes of Jenny Tindale who is an amazing racer but will never stand a chance of winning BSB.  It's about time that women had something where they are competing on a level playing field.

hmmm well  'bike racing, especially at the highest levels, requires a high level of fitness, but not ultimate strength so not sure thats really the deciding factor.. look at the Moto GP and Moto2 riders, yes they're fit but not big 'bruisers' in the main...  as well as general fitness, I think endurance/stamina is pretty important which i think is an area in which women have the advantage?   possibly its a mental/conditioning thing with the blokes finding it easier to switch off the brain, take risks and be more agressive as and when required.. ? Alice mentioned horse racing.. not sure why there arent more succesful women jockeys in a sport where lightness/compactness is seen as an advantage? do we have any ladies on here who compete? be interesting to hear their comments.                                                                                                                                                                             

Maybe you're right Neil but for whatever reason, women seem to be at a disadvantage against men.  I'm not sure that it's a mental thing but who knows?                                                                                                                                                                             

What's the name of the lass that races TT??  
There is already a lass or two that race with the boys in the BSB support races - dunno if maybe its just like with footie it take a while for lasses to get the same chances and trainin etc??   ~There must be loadsa lases want to race...                                                                                                                                                                             

  Well Suzi, I'll probably get "shot down in flames" but for what it's worth here's my take on it   Unlike a lot of other "competitive" sports, motorcycle road racing is not encouraged at an early enough age   There are "minimum" age limits to most "official" events which require licences and insurance etc. which severely limits the gaining of "early years" experience for both boys and girls   Parents too are often swayed by the negative antisocial stereotype images of motorcycles and are not keen to let their daughters mix with the biking fraternity   True there are those who are enlightened enough to see past the prejudices but they are sadly all too few   In my experience, and from memory (so don't quote me) I think there are many more girls involved in "off road" bike racing like moto cross and trials at the younger ages    Even in Go Kart racing there are a lot more girls these days than there have ever been   But with the age restrictions, Road Racing isn't available as an option for any girl who is keen to get onto the track   It may well be that there are a lot of girls who would love the chance to get on the track and compete with the boys but there doesn't seem to be the infrastructure to allow them access at an early enough age to get the experience   As you know there are many more female riders on the road these days and their numbers increase with every year that passes   A situation which I heartily endorse and have actively encouraged for over 40 years   But unless and until, we set up entry level competitions for younger girls ( some of the girls in "off road" events are as young as 7 or 8 ) we won't see many girls out on the tracks mixing it with the boys   I do hope the situation changes in the near future   Before Road Racing gets beyond the pockets of average income people, which it is in danger of becoming, as bikes become more specialized   I think there is a "gap" here which could well be filled by some enterprising promoter if they can get the backing of circuit owners/operators and the various licensing authorities   Maybe a "mini moto" series just for girls ?   Well that's my two pennorth for what it's worth                                                                                                                                                                                   

Going back a few comments, I agree with Neil in that general physical fitness is far more important in bike racing than outright strength. As for the horse racing comparisons, I reckon the lack of female riders out on the race courses is more of a 'cultural' thing within the very conservative horse racing industry. If you look at all the other equestrian sports, dressage, show jumping, cross country (which is a particularly tough and dangerous sport) etc men and women compete side by side on a equal footing. There are no separate classes for the different sexes, teams are usually mixed sex with members chosen purely on ability and women compete in all these sports just as successfully as men, which indicates there is something odd concerning the lack of women jockeys on the racing scene.                                                                                                                                                                              

Anything that helps fill the grids up , has gotta be good .                                                                                                                                                                             

I totally agree Emz  - you put it better and more detailed than me  an i agree wi Cent tooooo   let's jus hope us lasses get the same chances / opportunities / encouragement for a change....                                                                                                                                                                             

  I think you ladies should start to make some noise   Let the "powers that be" know how dissatisfied you are   With the lack of opportunities for girls to get into Road Racing   More girls are taking to the track on "Track Days"   Maybe this will get some interested in getting into "competetive" riding   Moving onto riding at "club" level meetings might just convert more riders from pleasure to competition                                                                                                                                                                                 

sorry i dont see what barriers there are to 'girls' starting (at whatever age) compared to boys... apart from as mentioned previously the mindset that its something that 'girl dont do'... although again as mentioned previously they do compete at a young age in off road stuff..normally see them at the sand racing and flat track event we go to.

  Well Neil, I wasn't going to mention it specifically   But in my opinion it's the ACU who are the main barrier   They have the control of the racing licence system in the UK   So are therefore responsible for setting minimum and maximum age limits for competitors   I acknowledge that the age for competition licences is the same for boys and girls   Whilst that fact in itself, is not directly responsible for the lack of female competitors on the racetrack, it is a contributory factor. Because if the ACU were to sanction and/or organize Road Race events for younger age groups I think we would see more girls joining in.   Particularly now we have a generation of more enlightened parents who will actively support and encourage their kids, regardless of gender, to take part in competitive sports    Boys will get on track earlier than girls (usually 16 ) due to getting riding experience earlier   This is often due to parents being a bit more protective of girls in general and less likely to encourage them to ride bikes (in any way)   Boys will generally (in my experience) get to ride bikes at a much younger age than girls, in both supervised and unsupervised environments, because the parents of boys are much more likely to "let" them experiment without being over protective   Whereas parents of girls will generally look for "organized" or "official" sessions if their offspring expresses an interest in bikes so this is where controlling bodies such as the ACU can make a difference   Just my opinion you understand, feel free to disagree                                                                                                                                                                                 

Well I dont mind saying it. Females will never get to the top in motorsport becuse the males dont want them to and the teams will not upset the applecart                                                                                                                                                                              

  I agree with you JP, regarding the international top flight motor sports   But that shouldn't stop ladies getting into the "club" level events at an earlier age   Or is it, that by making it inaccessible or discouraging them from competing, that the controlling bodies effectively barr ladies from getting on the "ladder"   There are a lot of ladies in car motor sport, rallying is one that springs to mind, who don't seem to get the "exposure" they deserve   It comes down to sponsorship in the end and unfortunately misogyny is still prevalent where the "big bucks" come from   In my opinion ladies aren't encouraged enough to go further than the minor Formulas in either 4 or 2 wheel track racing                                                                                                                                                                               

hiya im big into motocross and competed in my first orkney beach race two yeras ago at the age of 42 it was a gruelling 3hr non stop race. ididnt come in last and got loads of respect from all the young guys that competed. i am the only woman to have ever completed it, a few have tryed it but didnt finish. i just wish there was more encouragement from a young age for woman to compete in any bike racing, i certainly would have been racing if i had the encouragement but SOME men dont see it as a womans sport. (please excuse my spelling its crap lol) 

there are quite a few ladies racing in ireland some are more successful than others. the TT lady someone mentioned is Jenny Tinmouth ( whos currently the fastest lady round the mountain) there have been quite a few others in varying classes, Maria Costello, Anita Buxton (who won a 400 class at the Ulster GP), carolynn Sells (mainly 125/250's) all these ladies race roads!!! there are a few coming through on the circuits now too.   Having said that, reaching the pinacle is a mental thing and not so much a physical one. Women, generally speaking, think too much, and are much more aware of consequence, which makes us more cautious.   BTW EM the minimum age for a race licence both ACU and MCUI is 12 years old male & female (younger than that for off roading - think it is now 7 years old in ireland!) and to my knowledge there is no maximum age i know of at least 2 competitors still with licences in their late 70's.   with regard to Mini moto there were quite a lot of girls running VERY successfully against the boys when my son raced in it which was 7 years ago some of those girls are now racing 125's and above at club level and one is running in nationals in ireland - and running top 5 week in week out!                                                                                                                                                                             

good post Kwakgirl