SOUTHSIDE – One of the year’s biggest races returns to Southside this weekend at VIRrginia International Raceway (VIR). The IMSA Weathertech Championship kicks off Friday.
Raceway Co-Owner & CEO Connie Nyholm says it’s an adrenaline-fueled weekend for the whole family.
“I’d be shocked if there wasn’t over 30,000 people this weekend,” said Nyholm. “Here it’s all about up close and personal. So it’s fun. If you come once, you’ll come back.”
Maja Zuber just graduated from Virginia Tech. Now she’s interning at VIR, living out her love of racing.
“I grew up playing a lot of sports. So I’ve always been very interested in, you know, athletics and everything. But then for some reason when I was trying to really watch and follow a sport, it just never ever clicked,” said Zuber. “But then as soon as I started watching Formula 1 racing, it just clicked. And I just knew all the drivers within like a week and I was following them and now I’m like a huge fan and I watch them as much as I can.
This weekend Zuber is meeting other women just like her at a Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA) workshop. It’s a chance for college students from across the country to network with female mechanics, pit crew, coaches, drivers and other women in the industry.
“In a male-leading industry, it’s a little hard to kind of feel backtracked or lost or fe[el] unseen, especially,” said Zuber. “Sometimes you can feel a little disrespected or something like that. But then, like knowing that there is a backing of women in motorsports really makes you feel better. And you can really be raw and be yourself because you know that they’re going through the same thing as you.”
“It’s really just about the community,” she said.
In a male-dominated sport, Nyholm said that the only thing that should matter is the need for speed.
“In my opinion, gender should never be an issue. But unfortunately, sometimes it is. And you just need to get past that to show your worth,” said Nyholm.