In a world full of people with a passion for motorsport, there are few who have tasted as much success as Jamie Chadwick and Myles Rowe, and yet both of them are at a career crossroads, not by design or choice...
Racing is a funny old thing, because unlike most sports, it's not really possible for most of its fans to replicate it in their own lives. Take basketball, baseball, golf, anything, really: yes, the professionals will always be better than most, but at the end of the day, I can go to the local golf course and play, no problem. Motorsport isn't so simple. To do it at all requires commitment and an investment of both time and money that few have and/or are willing to make. While doing it is one thing, it's a whole other world when it comes to forging a career out of it and making your way to the top. This requires, in addition to incredible talent, the need for quite a lot of money.
Now, this money can either come from within your own family's means (take arguably the most famous modern example in Lance Stroll), or through sponsorship from third parties (take the Red Bull Junior Team, as an example). Neither one is an absolute indicator of outright talent, but both serve the same purpose of propelling a driver's career forwards (or at least sustaining it). So perhaps the most confusing situation in all of motorsport is that of a driver who clearly has success but does not have any backing; at the risk of ending or at least severely stalling the driver's career. But that is exactly the situation that both Jamie Chadwick and Myles Rowe find themselves in this season.
Jamie Chadwick
Women are severely under-represented within motorsport, in terms of both on-track and off-track, compared with the general population. This is an indisputable fact, as highlighted by the Hamilton Commission report. For one reason or another, traditional single-seater racing has arguably been the worst offender in this over the years, with only one or two ever making an appearance on the entry list in, say, FIA F3 or F2 in the past handful of years. Hence the creation of W Series, which is composed of all women in identical, F3-type cars. The goal of this series is to provide a platform for women to make a name for themselves, and to be used as a stepping stone to bigger series, such as FIA F3 or F2, with the ultimate goal eventually leading to F1 or another top-line series.
As the series was supposed to be a stepping stone and a showcase for new talent, the original idea was the same as F2, wherein the champion would be barred from competing in the following seasons, in order to ensure that new talent would continually be showcased. In the series' first year, well-known British driver Jamie Chadwick won the championship after scoring a handful of poles, wins, and podiums in what was a decent first season for the series. Then in 2020, COVID scrapped the whole season (and most of the world's plans), which led to a hiatus until 2021. In the second season, however, it was a surprise to learn that Chadwick would be back on the grid again, as the champion's rule was dropped.
Why? Because despite a main goal of the series being to promote drivers' careers, Chadwick was left without any full-time seat in any other series for 2021. So, W Series brought her back to defend her title, which would add more name recognition to the series' lineup, as well as giving Chadwick another chance to prove she was capable. And she did, as again she won the title. So, going into 2022, she surely will get a chance to race in at least FIA F3, right? No. Here we are again, and she's back in the series for the third season, and already won the first two races, so chances of another title are high.
Clearly, she's not lacking talent, as she has shown herself to be more than capable, and given the equipment, she is maximizing her opportunity. So why isn't there more backing behind her in order to get herself onto another grid? In 2020/21, COVID provided a decent excuse, as most forms of motorsport suffered greatly and plans were cancelled or changed for many, many drivers. But 2022 sees no real excuse, and it's not like it's Jamie's fault, as by all accounts she's very likeable and is clearly talented.
So where will she go next? I don't know, but it's crazy to me that some team, be it in F1, F2, or F3, won't pick her up and put her on the grid somewhere. Technically she is a Williams Academy driver, but up to now we have seen no real tangible reward for that alliance, and I think that's sad.
Myles Rowe
If you think Jamie's situation is sad, then get your tissues out for Myles Rowe. Like women, racial minorities are also a severely under-represented within motorsport, in terms of both on-track and off-track, compared with the general population. Again, the Hamilton Commission confirms this. A young Black driver from Atlanta, Myles Rowe currently competes in the USF2000 series, which is sort of the Indycar equivalent of F3 (if we take Indy Lights to be the F2 equivalent). Last year, he contested a number of races for the Force Indy team as a member of Indycar's expanded diversity push, and did a respectable job, winning a race. As a result of this promise, he was picked up to compete this year again on a part-time basis for Pabst Racing; essentially competing on a limited budget until the funding ran out, by which time he and the team were hoping for a new sponsor.
After the first handful of races, he has two wins and currently sits first in the championship. And yet for some reason, he is staring at the very real possibility that the next race will be his last in the series for the foreseeable future, because the funding is about to run out. The idea that someone who has clearly shown promise (and success) both previously and currently, and yet is about to have to stop because nobody is supporting him, is borderline unfathomable. If he had run around in the back of the field or even the midfield but hadn't left a real impression, then it would be slightly more understandable, albeit harsh. But this is so bizarre. But more than that, it's just plain sad, and it's through no fault of his own.
The Slightly Uncomfortable Question
Why are both Jamie and Myles struggling to find backers? Well through the power of observation; we can see that in their respective fields they come from severely under-represented backgrounds. Is this a correlation-vs-causation argument? Maybe, but it's probably worth having the argument.
Now for me personally, I don't know if it is specifically down to their gender or race, but it seems like another component might be their age. I know, they are both young (Chadwick is 23, Rowe is 21), but for some reason the leading teams prefer drivers which are 17-19 when they are competing at the same levels as these two. So regardless of their appearance, time is already not on their side.
The Very Uncomfortable Context
From a different perspective, let's look at this with a more cynical eye; one which looks more to marketing and promotion. Many different entities, be it companies, sports organizations, or any other large group, have recently been much more vocal about the push for diversity, with various leading figures continually emphasizing the importance for a continued push for change and acceptance. When you put this in context, it makes even less sense as to why these two would be left without a drive elsewhere.
In Jamie, we have statistically the most successful female single-seater driver of the last decade, maybe ever. She's won multiple championships, and has done everything asked of her. She should be the template for success for the W Series and women in single-seater racing. What's the hangup? She would instantly generate interest in whichever series she raced in, both for her previous competitive accomplishments and the fact that more likely than not she would be the only woman in the field. What do sponsors want? Interest. What do racing series want? Interest. It seems like a no-brainer to me.
In Myles, we have a young, successful Black driver, making his way up the U.S. single-seater ladder. That's a PR dream. To be crystal clear, I think his performances alone merit investment, I don't care if he's blue and comes from Mars; as long as he can drive a race car fast, that's how it should work. Look at NASCAR; you'd be hard-pressed to find any promotional material that doesn't include Bubba Wallace in it, despite the fact that he is statistically less successful than many others on the grid. But, he's definitely a capable driver, who has an established personality and can appeal to a wider audience. Myles could do the same for Indycar; like Wallace, he has won races in the feeder series already, so all that's left is the funding to ensure he has the chance to continue his dream.
In Summary
Out of context, a two-time series champion of an international single-seater racing series, and the points leader for the feeder series of one of America's fastest growing motorsports should have ample confidence that their immediate future is secured. Adding the context only further adds to the confusion as to why both are lacking the assurances that many would assume they should be afforded.
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