Drifting Pretty

Last updated April 21st, 2010

When Nadine started racing in 2000, she noticed the big absence of women racers.  Over the years, she would invite the women watching the races out to drive with her.  None obliged.  Most were intimidated by this male-dominated sport.  Nadine received numerous emails from women all over the world that were fans of her website, Nadine180.com.  They praised her racing efforts and often shared with her their dreams of one day being able to race too.

In 2003, as she twirreled away on the skid pad doing her “doughnuts” [360’s] alone, the idea popped into her head.  She thought about the countless emails from female fans and all the women sitting in the passenger seats as their boyfriends skidded along the drift track.  What they all had in common was one thing: a genuine interest in cars, but no drive to do something about it.  She thought, maybe she could help ease the women onto the race track, come up with a welcome wagon…to make entering into motorsports a fun thing, rather than an intimidating thing.

Nadine went home, made a list of potential names, sketched some logos out and wrote the agenda for the first meeting of Drifting Pretty.  The rest, we’ll say, is history.  14 women were in attendance at Drifting Pretty’s first meeting.  All 14 ladies drove at the track the following year.

Class of 2009

Nadine has coined Drifting Pretty as the first all-woman Drifting school in America.  Drifting Pretty, Nadine hoped, would make not only drifting, but racing period, more accessible to women all across the nation.  Drifting Pretty is responsible for bringing almost 100 curious woman racers to the United States’ drift tracks in just the 7 years it has been in operation.

Nadine has since put together a volunteer staff of 9 to assist in running this organization.   Drifting Pretty holds tech workshops, which show students how to do anything from change their oil to pulling out their engine.  They go on industry field trips and tour local shops to learn about anything from alignments to tire selection.  In addition, they drive not only drifting events together, but also road races, gymkhana events, autox and go-karting.  Of course, the annual awards banquet & ladies night out are popular activities with the ladies of Drifting Pretty as well.

This hybrid organization of talented, diverse women has truly set the bar in the motorsports industry.  Drifting Pretty takes pride in helping women break the barriers down and level the playing field.

Nadine aspires to open up chapters of Drifting Pretty across the nation, then internationally.  Right now, Drifting Pretty operates their home chapter in Southern California as well as a pilot chapter in Northern California.