Car Chix Celebrates 7 Years of Promoting Women in Motorsports

Car Chix, the premier motorsports organization for women, celebrates 7 years!  Organized in 2010 by Jeanette DesJardins, Car Chix has come a long way from a small forum for a small town of women automotive enthusiasts.  In honor of the 7th anniversary, we will take a stroll down memory lane…
Car Chix Founder and President, Jeanette DesJardins always had a passion for motorsports and the automotive industry.  She began automotive school when she was only 16 years old at Milwaukee Area Technical College while she opted to drop out of public high school and begin online homeschooling.  From the age of 15 to 22, she worked at a number of automotive shops — beginning at small quick lubes to small automotive repair shops to large american car dealerships as an automotive technician.  

By the age of 17, Jeanette DesJardins was dreaming of opening her own garage.  It would be an all female operated garage called, Car Chix.  At the young age of 17, with no funding for a shop, she did the next best thing and bought the domain name www.carchix.com.  It wasn’t until years later that CarChix.com turned into a website for women motorsports enthuasists.

Understanding the importance of education, Jeanette set her eyes on Business Management and Marketing shortly after graduating high school a year before her class.  During her time at the Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Jeanette began volunteering for a program to encourage kids to race on the track and not the street, known as Real Street Drags which ultimately resulted in her landing a job at the oldest operating drag strip in the country, Great Lakes Dragaway.
In 2009, Jeanette had met a number of women racers at Great Lakes Dragaway and decided to launch CarChix.com temporarily as a forum where the local women racers could share photos of their cars, E/T Times, etc.  A few days after the launch of the website, it crashed due to high traffic volumes.  It was time to get organized…. After a few sleepless nights, Car Chix was back and better than ever as a worldwide forum for women in motorsports.
August of 2010, Car Chix had the opportunity to host their first event at Great Lakes Dragaway, called Racing for a Cure a Quarter Mile at a Time.  It was a drag racing fundraiser for breast cancer that ended up breaking attendance records!  

“After the first Racing for a Cure a Quarter Mile at a Time event, we figured the sky was the limit and took it on the road,” Jeanette DesJardins explained.  

 

The Racing for a Cure a Quarter Mile at a Time Breast Cancer Fundraiser was held at Byron Dragway and Great Lakes Dragway, until finding it’s home at Cordova International Raceway for 5 consecutive years during the World Series of Drag Racing, the world’s longest operating drag racing event. In 2016, the breast cancer fundraiser was moved to Byron Dragway after the World Series of Drag Racing moved to Memphis International Raceway.  Since the first fundraiser in 2010,  Car Chix has helped to raise over $50,000+ for charitable causes such as breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, 4H Foundation and more.
This event is still operational today under the name, ‘Drag Racing for Life.’  In 2017, the Drag Racing for Life Breast Cancer Fundraiser will be hosted at Byron Dragway along with the Car Chix Ladies Only Drag Race on August 19th.  
In 2011, Car Chix was asked to come on board with IMSM for their annual Heels & Wheels Race.  The race was originally intended for the wives of the drag racing group to participate in a ‘Powder Puff’ type bracket race.  It was known as the race for the purse as the winner would win a Coach Purse that was donated to the group.  A short time after, IMSM shut down race operations.
The following year, Car Chix decided to host their own race, the “Car Chix Ladies Only Drag Race.”  The race would run as an official bracket race – no powdered puff anything.  Winners of the event would win trophies, cash and prizes.  It would also hold separate awards for categories such as Best Burnouts, Hottest Rides, Best Dressed Backup Boys and more.

The first Car Chix Ladies Only Drag Race debuted at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois as ‘Car Chix at 66’ in 2012.  Since then, the Car Chix Ladies Only Drag Race has become one of Car Chix’s hottest events and has been featured at multiple race tracks, including Byron Dragway, Sikeston Raceway and Memphis International Raceway.  Every year, the event gets bigger and bigger and is only expected to continue to grow and prosper.
Car Chix held it’s first ‘Women of Motorsports Contest’ in 2011 to celebrate women in motorsports and the automotive industry.  What started off as a fun little local contest eventually took off to become a global phenomenon as women across the world began competing to become Official Car Chix Members and earn a spot in the Car Chix Calendar. In 2015, the contest reached over 30 million people on Facebook, resulting in a 2-hour lock down as Facebook reviewed to see if the Car Chix Facebook Page was hacked.  The 2016 Women of Motorsports Contest was moved to the CarChix.com website to avoid conflicts with Facebook and 85,000+ people visited the Car Chix website to vote over a 7 day period.  

In 2015, Car Chix had a plaque placed at the Genesis Center for Breast Health and Silvis Hospital in their honor.  The Genesis Center for Breast Health was the benefactor of the Car Chix Drag Racing for Life Breast Cancer Fundraisers held at Cordova International Raceway during the World Series of Drag Racing for 5 consecutive years.
Last year, 2016, was a big year for Car Chix, the premier motorsports organization for women. Car Chix partnered up with Teresa’s Garage Radio Show.  Jeanette DesJardins become a co-host on the worldwide radio show with radio host, Teresa Aquila as they teamed up to further the mission of promoting women in motorsports.  For a year, the two talked racing, car tips and shared many laughs.  Bringing in the 2017 new year, Car Chix Members, Staci Segura and Nikkita Martino took over as co-hosts on the international car talk radio show as Jeanette DesJardins was pulled away for other women in motorsports projects.
 

January of 2016, Car Chix was honored with the President’s Award from Cordova International Raceway.  Stephanie Kiel, Car Chix Member and 2016 Women of Motorsports Contest Winner, accepted the award on our behalf after delivering a powerful heartfelt speech that touched everyone in the audience.
August of 2016, Car Chix received an award from Memphis International Raceway for ‘Outstanding Leadership in Women’s Motorsports’ during the award ceremony for the Car Chix Ladies Only Drag Race.

December of 2016, Car Chix Founder & President, Jeanette DesJardins, had the honor of sharing the stage with Lynn St. James, Jennifer LaFever and Jessi Combs during the debut of the ‘Women in Motorsports’ Seminar at the Performance Racing Industry Show.  The event was a hit and truly an inspiration for the standing room only crowd of men and women in motorsports.
And now, here we are today… 7 years later.  

“These past 7 years have been some of the most amazing and at the same time, some of the most challenging.  Car Chix has grown into something beyond what anyone ever imagined it would be.  It is fascinating.  Were there struggles? Absolutely, but that is what makes it so rewarding,” Jeanette DesJardins, President & Founder of Car Chix, explains, “Car Chix started off as a dream.  Slowly, but surely that dream become a reality.  Success doesn’t happen overnight.  It’s hard work, but if you work hard you can do and be anything you want to be.  If you really want something or really want to do something, you give it your all.  Half-ass effort only gives half-assed results. Go out there and light the world on fire.”  

Car Chix is forever grateful for all the people that have helped us along the way.  Without the support of our friends, family and loved ones none of what we do would be possible.  In addition, if it wasn’t for the women that continue to strive everyday in motorsports and the automotive industries, we wouldn’t exist.  We thank you all for your love, dedication and support as we continue this journey together!

*Cheers* Here is to the future of women in motorsports! The sky’s the limit ladies!