Reigning Gold Coast Miss Supercars ambassador says competition axing is bad for women in motorsport
The reigning Miss V8 Supercars winner says she is shocked by the competition’s axing, believing some simple changes could have seen it continue.
Gold Coast
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THE reigning Miss V8 Supercars winner has spoken out about the competition’s shock axing, claiming it has left a hole for women in motorsport.
Gabbie Bottarelli, the 2018-2019 Supercars Ambassador, shared a photo wearing the “last ever” sash on Instagram and said it was a “badge of honour” to hold the title of the final Miss Supercars.
Ms Bottarelli revealed she “sensed” the end was near for the competition, which had been a staple of the GC600 weekend and its predecessor Indy for decades.
“I’m not going to pretend I didn’t sense and see this coming, but the shock is still there,” she said in an Instagram post.
“I’m sad but honoured.”
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The contest, formerly Miss Indy, first started back in 1992 before morphing into Miss Supercars for the GC600 weekend.
It launched the likes of Jennifer Hawkins, a Miss Indy 2002 finalist before she went on to be crowned Miss Universe. Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke’s wife Kyly Clarke won it in 1999.
Ms Bottarelli said she believed the competition still had plenty to offer and did not need to be cancelled.
“I understand we are moving forward and taking a new direction, but it’s a shame that there is less and less a place for females in motorsport,” she said.
“The women before me have landed excellent positions and gained serious credibility from this comp and I believe it could have continued in a very positive, empowering way for women and taken a new direction.”
The Bulletin revealed the competition was on the skids before Supercars chief operating officer Shane Howard confirmed this week it would be replaced by a junior development program.
Former competitors have also spoken out about their disappointment.
2017 first runner up Michaela Arnott said she was “thankful” for her time in Miss Supercars.
“(I’m) so thankful I got to be a part of history and for the wonderful memories,” she told the Bulletin.
Gold Coast winner Charlotte Cush, the co-ordinator of Gold Coast University Hospital’s cancer ward, said it had been an iconic part of the GC600. “There’s going to be a gap in the whole exciting realm of Supercars,” she said.
The 2015 winner Katie Stevens, a Miss Supercars Ambassador, said despite being “on the cards” with talks ongoing for a year the axing was still “a surprise”.
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