Hot on her wheels

YOU'D think that in 2016 – when feminism is heavily discussed, and there's a looming possibility that the US will have its first female president – we'd have retired beauty pageants alongside the adjective "male-dominated". The latter, unfortunately, is still a valid descriptor for many industries – technology, politics, and sports being a few of the notorious ones.
So when Geraldine Darlene Read earned a spot in the all-female Red Bull Rookies team in 2014, it's no surprise that haters chose to link her pretty face to the breakthrough, over the fact that she beat 300 other participants to it. Not that being genetically gifted matters either, Read has even been told to her face that women simply can't drive.
She recounted, "My friends and I were chatting after I did my first race. Then a friend of theirs joined in the conversation and he went, 'What, you race? But women can't race – all they know is to crash cars!'"
The ignorant comment left a bad taste in her mouth, but Read was not a bit shaken.
"I ignored him. He doesn't matter what. When you put on a helmet, you're the driver. The car doesn't know that you're male or female," said the Kuching native.
If anything, it fuelled her desire to prove that women can do and achieve great things too.
DRIVING FORCES
Today, Read would be gearing up for her third Sepang 1,000km Endurance Race (S1K) – a feat that runs for nine hours, by the way – after clocking her second round of the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) just last month. Although she only made her MCS debut this year, Read is determined to check the whole series off her bucket list for 2016 by finishing the remaining two rounds.
All this adrenaline rush is happening while Read juggles a desk-bound job as a quality assurance executive in the oil and gas industry. Judging from my facial reaction, she assured that it remains a shocker to many that most racers have a day job.
"The biggest misconception is that racing is a job in itself, and that racers get paid to do so. There aren't many racers who get a salary for driving cars.
"In actual fact, as with any sport, nobody's going to sponsor you until you've proven that you're good. It's more of a passion for all of us," she highlighted.
Like golf and horseback riding, racing is a rich man's sport that requires capital just for the player to practise his or her craft. Costs for testing at the racetrack starts at RM318 per hour, and this does not cover towing, tyres, fuel and crew which will add RM1,000 to RM2,000 to the bill for the day. A race weekend, Read revealed, demands a lot more – from RM15,000 to RM25,000 per car – as it involves practice, a qualifying round, as well as race day itself.
"Funding is the biggest challenge for anybody in motorsport. Without funding, you can't practise – and if you can't practise, how are you going to get good at it?
She added matter-of-factly, "It's not like a game of badminton or squash where you buy a racquet, wear your shoes, go to the court and you're ready to play. In motorsport, there are so many things involved that make it expensive."
Hence, every practice session is precious for Read to learn the racing line and familiarise herself with the car, as well as improve her timing and manoeuvres. To enhance her performance, she does high-intensity interval training (HIIT) twice a week at the gym to keep fit.
"When you're in the car you need to be 100% focused on driving. You're going at the fastest speeds, and your body needs to be able to handle the heat, otherwise you get tired very quickly," she explained.
SHIFTING GEARS
Her girl-next-door guise and Eurasian features may have many fooled over, but having grown up playing squash on behalf of the country – "Nicol David beat my ass at my first Sukma Games!" she laughed – Read admitted she is as ambitious as ever.
"I'm naturally very competitive, and I bring that across to racing – in anything that I do, basically. To me, if you want to do something, you have to do it properly and go all out lah.
"When I'm out there on the track, there is no time to think of anything else apart from my driving right then and there. My everyday troubles disappear, and I challenge myself to perform the best of my abilities with every second that I have," the 35-year-old elaborated.
Contrary to popular belief, Read – like many other racers – isn't aiming to be an F1 driver. Her interest lies in what she's doing at the moment: touring car racing (heavily modified road-going cars versus sports cars à la F1). Without a doubt however, she dreams of standing on the podium one day, but Read's game plan is to take one step after another.
"Now I'm in the 1,600cc category. When I've gained enough experience to go up to the 2,000cc category, maybe I can join touring car races overseas. Hopefully I get the chance next year," she quipped.
FAST FACTS
Pre-race ritual: Listen to I Believe by Yolanda Adams.
Coffee or tea: Water!
Inspiration: Datuk Nicol Ann David.
Phobia: Acrophobia (fear of heights).
Beauty rules:
1. Get enough sleep.
2. Drink enough water.
3. Put on all your skincare.
4. Don't wear make-up to sleep.
5. Don't stress yourself too much – be happy!