This article first appeared in the January, 2016 edition of SportsCar Magazine. SCCA members can read the current and past editions of SportCar digitally here after logging into their account; To become an SCCA member and get SportsCar mailed to your home address monthly in addition to the digital editions, click here.

Autocroser Angela Carlascio offers her tips for women finding automotive answers online

Remember last month when I said that just because a man is a man working on a mechanical item, it doesn’t mean he knows everything there is about fixing, replacing, or upgrading it? As I noted then, Googling “How do I blah blah blah on such and such a car” will quickly show frustrations, regardless of whether you’re male or female. Really, the Internet would be complete awesomeness if it were the end all, be all of getting the answers you need on the first click, but it’s not. And, as you weed through ridiculous responses to get to that one glorious answer, you grow frustrated and question any prior knowledge. Again, if you’re a woman in motorsports, know that you’re not alone when it comes to mechanical frustrations. In fact, frustration knows no gender – but sadly, those on web forums do.

So, as a woman, how do you get answers on forums? When you decide to stop lurking, do yourself a huge favor by not creating a screenname that screams you’re a girl. Why? Well, as a former administrator on TampaRacing.com, I’ve seen that women tend to spend 99.9 percent of their time dodging males hitting on them and 0.1 percent being taken seriously. Because of this, consider your image when you create your screenname. Yeah, double standard, I know, but that’s the Internet for you. On forums, I go by “chi town brat.” Does that scream female to you? Maybe? That’s OK because when I ask or respond to a question, I usually receive helpful information. In other words, I’m treated like the rest, so the name works. If you find your screen name doesn’t work, perhaps change it and try again – don’t give up!

Next, research comes first. Try Google, and then use the search function within the various forums. Compare responses and, most of all, make sure what you’re looking at is for the year, make, and model of your car or part. There are variances in everything, and sometimes there are even midyear manufacturing changes. Once you find what you need, ask someone you know what they think, or if they’ve experienced the same. Remember, guys make those calls too. In this instance, you didn’t even need to use that screen name because you never posted anything.

Still can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Then start your own forum thread and, when you do, be yourself. Some tips are to show your knowledge (even if limited) on what you’re trying to fix, stay on target, and post pictures of what you’re looking at – like in math class, show your work! And, finally, don’t get dragged into drama. Respond to the literate and let the illegitimate dig their grave. Also, remember that there’s another option on forums: private messaging. Shoot a message to someone who posted a helpful thread or post. Introduce yourself, let them know what you’re working on and ask questions.

I’ve made great friends (and some enemies) throughout the years on forums. It’s the e-life. But in my experience, men respect women who are seriously pursuing something, especially when it comes to motorsports. When they don’t, show ’em the delete key.

Words by Angela Carlascio
Image by iStockPhoot.com/Diverstudio