SCCA Women on Track (WoT), a part of the SCCA Foundation, is honoring one woman in our SCCA ranks from across our RoadRally, Solo, RallyCross, Racing-Club and Pro, and Track events – be they Navigators, Drivers, Administrators, Competitors, Crew or Enthusiasts each day of March 2023!
Well share the three women honored to represent Rally here, yet each day in March, you can view the most recent post on the SCCA Women on Track Facebook page and the weekly digest is available on the SCCA website.
Savera D’Souza • Northern New Jersey Region • Road Rally
On March 4th, Savera D’Souza, an 8-year member of the Northern New Jersey Region, was recognized. We want to acknowledge the role Satish Gopalkrishnan, her husband, played in surprising her by asking questions in general conversations and submitting them to our Committee. We are grateful he rose to our “…want to work on a spy mission” message!
Savera got into Time-Speed-Distance rallying to escape making up a foursome for tennis at the YMCA. Thirteen years later she has absolutely no regrets. Driven, literally and figuratively, by husband Satish, she won multiple rallies in India, including the Indian National TSD Rally Championship in 2012. She moved to the U.S. in 2014 and quickly became active, running SCCA RoadRally events all over the Northeast and later National SCCA events across the country. Savera has won the National Course Rally championship twice and National Tour Rally championship three times. “Rallying has made me travel to places I would otherwise have never visited,” Savera said. “I have also met incredible people passionate about the sport they love. To me, SCCA has been an avenue of new opportunities and adventures. I am glad SCCA is at the forefront of promoting TSD rallying in the US.”
Fay Teal • South Jersey Region • Stage Rally and Road Rally, and Race and Autocross too!
For #InternationalWomensDay, March 8th, we wanted to highlight someone who has truly paved the way for women in motorsports. Fay Teal was a 44-year member of the South Jersey Region.
Fay shared her father’s passion for cars and motorsports, and as soon as her children were grown, she set out to realize her dream of becoming a racecar driver. She joined the South Jersey Region in 1978, following in her father’s footsteps and quickly became active in road racing, autocross, and road rallies both as a volunteer and a competitor. Fay met her soon-to-be-husband David Teal while both were serving as volunteer race officials in the SCCA.
Just as she realized her dream of earning a competition license after attending Drivers Schools at Pocono Raceway, Fay was diagnosed in 1981 with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Fay was never one to let her 40+ year battle with a progressive and ultimately fully disabling disease overcome her adventurous spirit and love of motorsports.
Fay founded Laps to Conquer MS (LCMS) in 1989 to raise awareness of MS and do fundraising for research into treatments to help those suffering with MS. LCMS competed for 25 consecutive years in the grueling Cannonball One Lap of America road rally, logging over 195,000 interstate miles and raising over $250,000 for MS research. LCMS also competed in – and won – the Nevada Open Road Challenge, and was the event charity for numerous SCCA races over the years. Fay was featured in Car and Driver Magazine, and earned many awards and recognitions for her work and accomplishments with LCMS.
Fay’s love of motorsports and its people will continue to inspire all of us for years to come.
Alison Lee • Detroit Region • Road Rally Competitor and Rallymaster, Autocross, too!
On March 17th, Alison Lee, 5-year Member from the Detroit Region was recognized. Alison started participating in SCCA events by coming to autocross with Sawyer Stone and riding along. After one event, she wanted to get behind the wheel and drive too. After a year of autocrossing together, the pair started competing in RoadRallies with Sawyer navigating and Alison driving, but the fierce competitor in Alison wanted to win, so she traded seats. After switching, their scores dropped, and she was hooked. Two years after her first rally, Alison navigated her way to the 2020 RoadRally National Championship in Stock class, and USRRC wins in 2020 and 2022. Alison has also taken on the role of co-chair for Son of Sno*Drift, carrying on one of the longest-running rallies in the Detroit Region.
“I’ve always been interested in cars and competition, but never found an outlet for it,” Alison said. “SCCA introduced me to new ways to have #funwithcars and have fun with so many great people.”
Amongst the women who represented SCCA RoadRally in 2022, SCCA RoadRally was presented by Jeanne English of CalClub Region, Tracey Contreras Kretch of the San Diego Region, Ruth Nixon from our SCCA Hall of Fame, Cheryl Babbe from the Arctic Alaska Region, and Misty Wiseley hailing from the Texas Region!
As a member serving on the SCCA Foundation’s Women on Track, it was a delight to work with Satish and Sawyer, the husbands of Savera and Alison, who kept the honor a surprise until the day they were honored on the SCCA Women on Track Facebook page! ~ CL
