July, 2006, Cruise News

STORY LINE:  A GOOD WOMAN. ACTUALLY, MANY GOOD CAR WOMEN

I like my mom. She is the very first woman that I had ever met and it was love at first sight, and it has remained the same ever since. Mom is 89 years young, handles my feisty father, the house, the food supplies, the money, the grandkids, dad’s allowance (what can you spend at 91, I say) … I guess just about everything. Nope, ain’t never met a woman I didn’t like … ohhheeeww, and then thar is my X-wives. If only they would have appreciated steel, zoom and the fine dining at the local Big Boy Drive-In.

A while back I was on my way over to Dana’s CRUISNEWS lair to drop some photos for one of my stories when my newly acquired ’56 Ford Victoria - that I bought for the VIXSTER for Valentine’s Day, has the old ‘Bird’s name on it you know - when it ran out of gas, not steam, petrol. Now I had put a three gallon tank in the trunk for just such an occasion not knowing if the fuel gauge was functioning … it was but just not the way it was supposed to. Wouldn’t you just know it … I forgot to put fuel in that three gallon tank. Well, as it was about a mile back two smiling ladies were liking this ’56 Victoria and smiled on me twice, once as I had passed them and again when these fine specimens stopped to offer assistance to this gentlemen (me) in distress. A ride in their Pearl White Lexus SUV to the nearest petrol facility to fill that empty three gallon jug and back to the Ford, alleviated the problem. Thank the god’s for women that love beautiful automobiles!!!

And so it is that it brings me to this point. I have been in the company of many a fair maiden that has her joys deepened in the spirits of gasoline and grease- and a delight it is for me to see a car loving lady.

Roberta Vasilow, an engineer in the employ of GM who is famous for her gregarious smile as much as for her prowess guiding a 4-speed Buick Gran Sport down the 1320. I have written of her exploits on many occasions. Michelle Burrows, also with GM as a graduate engineer who loves high performance and has had her hands on any number of high performance projects within GM … including a Bonneville Salt Flats corporate/school project. Holly Bedsole, the former Buick Manager-Special Vehicles, who knows her way around pretty much any kind of performance vehicle, and is way involved with the MHRA(Michigan Hot Rod Association) and Autorama.

While attending press week at the NAIAS last January (Cobo Hall), I had met Jeri B. Ward, Ford Edge Marketing Manager, who holds a mechanical engineering degree from GMI Engineering & Management Institute and, has earned both her master’s of business administration  and master’s of engineering management degrees from the Kellogg School of Management and Robert McKormick school of Engineering at Northwestern University … at the same time! Jeri Ward had been in the employ of GM and worked with the small block V6-V8 programs, alloy GEN II and III Chevrolet V8, ST trucks, Camaro, Firebird and Corvette and Delphi.  Jeri left GM in the fall of 1999 and joined Ford in the summer of 2001 working with product marketing and developing the product launch of the 04/05 Focus and 07 Edge. Communications to the dealer networks is a whole lot easier when the marketing people have someone with a real hands on experience of building an automobile like Jeri B.Ward. This lady is also right at home behind the wheel of her passion … a 28-foot Sunsation powerboat filled with 496CID of ‘Big Block’. 

Another lady that I have had the wonderful chance to meet and get to know is Dr. Audrey Zavodsky who understands the meaning of a checkered flag and is a full time corporate nurse with the clinical operations of the Ford Motor Company, holds a Ph.D. in human and organization systems as well as a masters degree in administration and a bachelors degree in nursing. Dr. Audrey has made history by winning the inaugural race of the Women’s Global GT Series and is now in her 10^th season of auto racing. Some of her racing highlights include; Finished 3^rd in 2002/2003 American Lemans Panoz GT PRO Series, First woman to lead GT PRO series during the 2002 year & GT series in 2003, Panoz GT PRO & GT wins at Mosport Canada & Sebring Florida, Finished 2^nd  in 2002 & 3^rd in 2003 in Panoz GT Series and SCCA Spec Racer Ford(SRF) Central Division Region IV & V Champion-2001. Dr. Audrey has driven/raced; SVT Mustang Cobra, Panoz Esperante GT/GTS, TRANS-AM Mustang, Mosler MT 900, Corvette Z06, Cadillac CTS, Mach 1 Mustang, Spec Racer Ford, Toyota MR2, Datsun 240Z, BMW M3, Mazda RX-7, Formula Ford, Formula Dodge, Formula Mazda, MGB-GT, Datson 510. She has flown an F16 aircraft with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and promotes the Air Force opportunities available to young people. Dr. Audrey has also  been a feature guest speaker  for Super Bowl’s XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, and XXXVIII, and has participated in the NFL,s “Cheerleader of Life” program as a positive female role model stressing education, a drug-free life and the achievement of one’s dreams. You can follow Dr. Audrey’s racing season   www.zavodsky.com 

So the next time your hearing a lady speak of steel and zoom … pay attention, you just might learn something. My mom told me so.

It is noted in Biblical history that an inexperienced old man built the Ark. History also notes … that a group of scientific engineers built the Titanic.