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Thankfully, few sports these days remain male-only domains. New Zealand women athletes are breaking down barriers in rugby, kayaking, BMX, boxing and rowing; they’re claiming titles, awards and medals, and, most importantly, inspiring a generation of young girls and women.
Kristin Vermeulen is one such trail blazer. Not only has she picked a male-dominated sport to compete in, the young Tauranga real estate agent competes directly against men to win. She races Super Saloon cars, and out of more than 80 New Zealand drivers in this class, she is the only woman competitor.
For the uninitiated, Kristin’s super saloon is a chassis that weighs approximately 1.2 tonnes, powered by a 411 Chev V8 engine and runs on methanol fuel. This means she can burn a lap in around 17.5 seconds on Baypark speedway’s 451m long track. Kristin, 24, has been racing these since she was 16 and she’s doing amazingly well, considering the field of experienced blokes she’s pitted against. In the 2014/15 season she won the Baypark Super Saloon club points for the highest points overall, and in the Burger King Pro Dirt series – which comprises the top 25 cars in the North Island – she has previously placed 3rd, 5th, 6th and 9th overall.
“There’s a high calibre of drivers in the Burger King Pro Dirt series so I know I’m doing well if I’m in the top 10 each season. That is always my goal, and winning it would be even better.”
Winning the Burger King Pro Dirt series isn’t the only goal on her mind. Last year Kristin also began racing in the Late Model class in Victoria, Australia and during the current October to April racing season, she’s racing every weekend except Christmas and ten of those are in Australia. With Late Models being an international class, she would also love to race in the US – more goals to keep her focused.
“I absolutely love it. I like going fast and I go out to win, and I also enjoy competing against the other drivers and love interacting with all the fans. There’s a real social atmosphere at the speedway. On the technical side, I love analysing everything when I’m on the track – what the other drivers are doing, the best positioning, when to make my move. I’m making adjustments for different conditions when I’m driving, and then we work out as a team how we’re going to do the set-up for the next race. Changes to the track means we compensate with changes to the car, so every race is different.”
It sounds like a round-the-clock commitment, but Kristin has managed to fit her passion for car racing alongside her full-time role as a real estate agent for Greerton’s Crockford Real Estate, which is her main sponsor. After completing her Honours degree in Social Science, majoring in psychology and human development, at the University of Waikato, and later a certificate in life coaching, she had plans to become a school counsellor, but last year jumped at the chance to join Crockfords as an agent. She’s worked hard during the past year to build up a portfolio, make connections and get out there to make a name for herself.
“I love what I do because I’m interacting with people all day and I’m passionate about helping people achieve their objectives. It feels great to work alongside a client to help them find their dream home.”
Focus on what you want in life
With her life coaching cap on, Kristin loves to inspire young people to realise they can do whatever they put their mind to. She often speaks to school groups and would like to incorporate more motivational speaking into her working week.
“Many people are surprised about what I do, and being the only women in the super saloon class, but I’m not treated any differently. To the other competitors I’m just another one of the drivers, especially with my helmet on! Women have different attributes to men and make equally good drivers, and there are other women racing different classes of cars. We are just as competitive as men.
“You’ve got to put in 100 per cent to follow your passion. If someone says you can’t do it, just go for it even harder.”
Coming from a racing family, Kristin got involved in cars and competing as a young girl. At age 11 she started racing mini stocks at Baypark and at 16 moved into the senior super saloon class. The racing scene continues to be a friends and family affair, with Dad Willie Vermeulen, as crew mechanic, and mum Karen supporting Kristin at every race meet. Friends frequently join in to crew or cheer her on from the sidelines, and the family’s 12-metre bus, which carries her race car, has room for all her supporters.
And those speeds? Accidents do happen but she’s never been put off racing. Fortunately plenty of safety gear prevents too many injuries. “You just have to get back out there,” she says.
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