Ward's Dealer Business, an industry publiciation, recently published a good article on women-owned dealerships. Here's an excerpt:

"Women bring a different approach and style to something that has been a man's world," [Deborah Dorman, president of ENYCAR, Inc., the Eastern New York Coalition of Automotive Retailers] says. "And what they bring helps the industry to prosper because of some of the old traditional methods and styles commonly used in auto retailing today are not effective for today's workforce."

 Few women dealers woke up one morning and decided to buy a dealership. Most women dealers became dealers because their fathers were dealers before them or their husbands were.

They learned the business the traditional way in many cases, learning through family need: filing, working the customer service desk, filling in the parts and service departments and otherwise helping out where needed.

Today women own a mere 8% of U.S. dealerships, but that should change as more women become aware of the opportunities.

To read the whole article, click here.

Sarah Fisher and Hillary Clinton have a certain amount in common. They are both groundbreakers, advancing women's position in areas strongly dominated by men. So it wasn't unfitting that Fisher decided to endorse Clinton.

Today the AP reported on Clinton's visit to Fisher's garage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Fisher gave Clinton a team helmet and introduced her around. Of course, today is the Indiana Democratic primary, so we'll see if Clinton needs that helmet (crash and burn?) or if she'll be crossing the finish line first.

For photo, see here. For more information on these pioneering women, see Sarah Fisher's Web site or Hillary Clinton's Web site.

(And please, even if you don't like Clinton, restrain your comments to something relevant.)

In professional drag racing, cars don't just launch down any old street. They need a 1,320-foot strip that is carefully prepared to handle 2,000 pounds of nitromethane-fueled vehicle reaching over 300 mph in mere seconds.

Enter the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Safety Safari. It provides crash rescue and emergency medical assistance if needed, but is also responsible for orchestrating racing competitions and grooming the track.

Robin Crosby has been working national-level events on the Safety Safari since 2000. During the NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, I asked about her responsibilities:

"Anything that has to do with track preparation, anything that has to do with the safety of the drivers, racers, crew and our own [NHRA] staff," said Robin. "I [first] started out in the staging lanes....I used to pair up cars, make sure that drivers were in, that [competitive] pairs were correct, that they had all their safety gear on. Gear depends on which classes [of car] are running. Some require gloves, helmets, 5-point harnesses. Others require fire suits; tops and bottoms. Some vehicles require arm restraints, or window nets, or HANS devices [Head And Neck Support]...."

How does she remember all of the rules?

She laughed, "Well, to be totally honest with you, in the wintertime when the Rule Book comes out, (around the first of the year, before [race teams start] testing and tuning in the middle of January) I sit in the bathroom and read a chapter at a time."

The Safety Safari also prepares the track for an NHRA event. A good starting line launch is key to a good drag race, and racing tires are slick, with little grip of their own. Robin and her crew make a sticky track ahead of time with glue-like adhesive and the "tire dragging machine."

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Drive a smart fortwo in NYC and you can instantly achieve rock star status. Sounds like an advertisement? But it's true. Everywhere I went people gave me the thumbs up for 'driving green', let me pass if I wanted (unheard of in the city), asked me for a ride or asked me where to get one. In other words, I got respect!

Who would ever think that a smart fortwo could garner as much praise as other flashier, more upscale and expensive models I've driven in the city.

All the right ingredients:
It's great looking, eco-conscious, inexpensive and new to the US. And it's tiny-tiny enough to create it's own lane, to park anywhere and skittle between cars like a bicycle. But deceptively enough, the interior is very spacious with cargo space big enough to contain 10 bags of groceries with room to spare! Upfront there's plenty of head and elbow room. My 6' teen was comfortable enough to ask me if I'd buy one for him!

Driving the smart fortwo is a blast:
In the city, the car was so quiet that everyone was asking if it was electric. And it's so nimble that I was able to skirt around pot holes, tuck into half parking spaces and hustle down narrow streets.

The engine:
The 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder engine puts out 70 hp, 33/40 miles to the gallon and was given the ULEV for low exhaust emissions.

When you try to get some juice in automatic the gearing is jumpy  but once you get it up to speed on a highway this guy rocks. I found that driving in manual (with paddles or the shifter)is much smoother and more responsive than in automatic.  If  you're not manual savvy an arrow in the console lets you know which direction to shift.

As safe as a brick:
The smart fortwo was designed by the Mercedes engineer of the S-class, who confirms that this is just as safe. For instance, the metal body is reinforced at strategic points with high-strength steel, the high-seating position gives the passenger and driver advantages in frontal and side impact crashes, the engine and starter battery are housed in impact protection zones. The smart fortwo also comes standard with two head/neck side airbags, a seat occupancy sensor and kneepads, ESP and ABS.

The price:
The smart car comes in three versions; Fortwopure starts at $11,590; Fortwopassioncoupe starts at $13,590 and the Passion cabriolet starts at $16,590.

There has been a lot of Top Gun quoting around the office here lately. “You can be my wingman anytime.” “That’s right, Iceman. I am dangerous.” “Because I was inverted…” It’s at epidemic proportions, really. But I’m not complaining. As a child of the ‘80s, Top Gun quotes are near and dear to my heart. So you’ll have to forgive me for getting all nostalgic again, but that movie brings back yet another car-related memory from my youth. This time, it’s station wagon-related.

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Each year the Automotive News Pace Awards reward innovation in the automotive supply chain.

This year, three of the 12 awards focused on parking and backing up. 

While I have used a lot of the new technology for parking, I have yet to see anything this comprehensive. But, I admit, I feel a bit worried about the future of my teenagers. With all this hi-tech stuff will they be able to park in a pinch, I asked Dr. Bill Sharfman, Director of Judging for the Pace Awards.

 “There is no substitute for learning how to operate your car properly,” he stressed. 
However, he explained that these innovations will lead to a safer, less anxiety provoking and more confident driving experience.

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When I visited Aruba last week, I had no idea that I would be taking an off-road adventure. I was psyched for swimming, snorkeling, biking, sailing  and chillin' out with a bottle of Balashi, the local beer. Then Sjeidy, my hip host from the Aruba Tourism Authority, asked if I wanted to trek over some sand dunes in a Tomcar with Aruba Off-Road. I was in!



My first impression was that we were getting into  a Tonka Toy with harnesses. Our two-seater version had a roof but no doors, a windshield (that makes it street legal), a high ground clearance of  14.5" and 3 gears: drive, neutral and reverse. With bright yellow suspension coils, fat tires and lights that stuck out like bugs eyes, the vehicle looked cute enough to pet. But, it proved to be a serious off-roader that could do 35 miles per hour while running through sand, climbing boulders and descending into stream beds. In one gear! I was impressed.

Our tour started at a country stable only minutes from the Arikok National Park. We were on fabulous rutty roads within minutes moving up to high rises where we could view the entire island (and beyond to Venezuela on a clear day).  From there we cut through desert dotted with people-sized cactus to a series of caves with original Indian drawings and up the coast to a natural rock bridge that recently collapsed into the ocean. Our last stop of the day was Baby Beach... milky turquoise waters and a soft white sandy stretch. Could I have gotten all of these places in a Toyota Rav4? Sure thing. But, the Tomcar was a fabulous way to go behind the scenes on this exquisite island.

When I returned to my hotel that afternoon, I started researching the roots of the Tomcar and came up with some fascinating information. Turns out, the Tomcar is tough enough to take on bullets and boulders.

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A few weeks ago, racing and sport seat specialist, Recaro, sent us two of its latest child safety seats to try. While Bryn's toddler has been spending time in the Como Convertible toddler seat, my 45-pound, seven-year-old daughter is the perfect size to road-test Recaro's Vivo high-back booster.

The Vivo, designed for children 3-12 years, 30-100 lbs, retails for $99.99, and provides ultra-thick side bolstering and head protection wings, as well as a height-adjustable back and washable micro-fiber and velveteen cover.

We plan to try the Recaro Vivo in a variety of test cars and monitor its ease of installation, along with comfort commentary from the Peanut Gallery.

It appears Emma is looking forward to the test. Maybe next time she'll actually allow us to install the seat in the car before she hops in.

Time to take your car in for service? Before you call to make an appointment, check out this super useful tool we have on Edmunds.com. I was recently reminded of its existence in the Tips & Advice section after one of our editors posted about taking our long-term Hyundai Veracruz in for service this week. I wish I had known of its existence before I took my car to the dealer the last time (which was before I worked here).

It’s a great resource for estimating how much a visit to your dealership’s service department should cost you. You get a customized estimate for your vehicle’s exact year, make, model, trim level, engine and transmission, mileage and zip code. No generic country-wide figures here! Plus you can see info about any recalls and technical service bulletins that have been issued for your car. And we’ve got information for cars as far back as 1990.

So fear not the hidden, confusing fees! Go forth to yonder service desk, armed with a realistic idea of what that 15,000 mile service should really cost you, thanks to our handy little tool.

"Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Racing?" "Oprah Winfrey/Harpo Productions Racing?"

Maybe someday we'll see those names in a NASCAR garage, if more women decide to get involved in the business side of racing.  There are already a few owners; Teresa Earnhardt at DEI, Beth Ann Morgenthau at BAM Racing and DeLana Harvick at Kevin Harvick, Inc. are the most prominent. 

The Driving Woman spent a few minutes recently at Texas Motor Speedway with another owner; Lori Morgan, co-owner of the Gaffney, South Carolina-based JD Motorsports team that currently races in the Nationwide (formerly Busch) series.

Unlike many in the sport who grew up with their families at the track, Lori is relatively new to stock car racing.

"I was a farm girl from northeastern Ohio -- Rootstown," she said. "I'd never been to a NASCAR race, didn't really know what it was all about, had no idea what they did.  I was an engineer for Eaton Corporation, a hydraulic engineer, and then a warehouse manager with U.S. Foods and PFG. My kids are all raised and married, I've got six grandchildren; was ready to retire, and then I met Johnny [Davis, the other JD Motorsports owner.]"

Now Lori is immersed in the daily details of running the RaceGirl Chevrolet team that features Johnny's son Kertus Davis as the driver.  

"I work in the office, I keep all the books, I do all the accounting, set up the travel arrangements for everybody," she said. "I'm more of a Mom figure. If they need something, they come to me....for advice, or if they're hungry, it's 'what's Lori cooking?'"

It may not be as splashy and glamorous as the top-tier Sprint Cup, but Lori likes the homier atmosphere in the smaller-scale Nationwide race series.

"I really feel that this garage is more of a family, and I don't know if we'll ever go to that [Sprint] Cup level," she said. "We like it here; there are good people on this side....this seems that it's still got a little bit of the old-time racing. Johnny was a crew chief [for some of the earlier drivers] so we're old-school, and it seems like the old school is still here, and that's what makes racing fun; no matter the sweat and pressures and worries, these people are like family."

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