For the many years that the SCCA Runoffs called Road Atlanta its home, the second most harrowing experience was coming out from under the bridge at full speed and launching down the hill. That was the second most harrowing experience. The most harrowing experience was having to go in front of the Chief Steward. Some guys thought they might have it easy, because they’d heard that the Chief Steward was a woman. Boy, were they in for a surprise!
Sue Roethel is one of only two members who have earned three of the top awards in SCCA. The Barnato, the Morrell, and McGill Awards. Now, she's also a member of the SCCA Hall of Fame. She served as a regional leader, then a divisional leader, as SCCA Runoffs Chief Steward, and finally as a National Office staff member in the Member and Regional Relations Department.
The following is an excerpt from the December, 1989 issue of SportsCar Magazine:
This past October Sue Roethel staked a claim to SCCA Fame: She became the first female chief steward in Valvoline Runoffs history.
But she doesn’t feel like a pioneer.
“I’m not a feminist,” she says. “I have a lot of experience in region management and operations, as diverse a background as anyone. To me, it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female; the work is going to be done. Females operate the same way and make the same decisions (as males do).”
The appointment came after she had served as assistant chief steward at the Runoffs for four years. Prior to that Roethel served as regional executive for Washington, D.C., Region on three separate occasions and also put in time as a National registrar, chief of emergency services, Regional competition chair and head of the D.C. Region’s stewards. Licensed in every specialty except tech, Roethel also competed for a year in regional racing (“I can’t recall the class,” she says, “but it was in a VW.”).
Working as competition chair was good preparation for the chief steward position. “On Monday (at the Runoffs) it was more like being an event chair, getting to know the various specialties,” she says.
A year ago Roethel was Chief Steward for the SCCA Racetruck series, and two years prior to that she held the same position in the Pro Sports Renault series. Roethel notes that at pro races, she had the power to levy a penalty without a Stewards of the Meet hearing, but as chief steward at the Runoffs, she could levy more penalties than at other races. “It was kind of an unknown quantity (at Atlanta)—I didn’t know what to expect—but it was a great learning experience,” she says.
Looking Back
As she has moved up in the ranks as a race official Roethel hasn’t noticed much “good ol’ boy” reaction from drivers or from other race officials. After all, she’s been through some of this “first woman” stuff before.
“When I was R.E. I was close to being the first woman R.E.,” she says. “The first may have been in the Hawaii Region. When I got involved in the stewards program it took me twice as long to get a license as anyone else, but I decided I’d stay involved as long as necessary. For the most part I think the drivers have respected my decisions because I take the time to discuss them.”
She has been a member of SCCA for more than 25 years, having worked races prior to that as a guest of her then-husband who already belonged to the club.
“The club was absolutely male dominated when I joined, but there are still the same problems and programs they’re just more sophisticated and complex. There’s more to work with now. For instance, when I was first a pit steward my only job was to tell the racers when theirs was the next race. Each person was assigned to ‘X’ number of cars. They do a lot more than that now!
“Today there are more women in key positions in the race organization, though not in all of them. It may be because they are willing to devote more time to it than men.”
SportsCar article by Julie Nichols
Photo Courtesy of the SCCA Archives
