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published: 2019-03-14 19:37:54 (6960) Author:

Silvia Pietroforte - International Women of RC

Few have started in the hobby as young as today's International Woman of RC, who has driven RC cars since being a toddler! Now at the age of 20 and still as engaged with the sport as ever, let's say hello to Silvia Pietroforte!
Hi Silvia! how did you get started in RC?
I actually cannot say when I got started in RC, for my father had this passion since he was very young and both my brother and I "followed " him. So I would better say I was born in RC.
Racing cars is traditionally a male dominated activity - did you find RC a welcoming environment to join?
I started going to tracks when I couldn't even walk so i would say it was and kinda still is my second home. People that you see today know me since I was a baby and most of them have seen me growing up! At first I went to races for my brother was a driver and we took the race week as a holiday, today I work on races but I still feel like home.

Would you like to see more women in the sport?
RC has been -as many racing sports- mostly a male sport. In my life I have seen very few girls driving, yet I would say there has never been a restriction about it. I mean, there is no rule against a girl racing. I started taking a radio in my hands when I was 2, now that I am 20, I still do it with the same freedom I had when I was young. I see it is something people do not expect, for a girl that may be used to doing something else at the weekend instead of breathing rubber and nitro. It is up to you, and what you like to do. In my own track there once entered a family that said, "We have a problem. Our daughter loves cars!" today she is one of the best drivers we have at my track. I think that RC is more about passion than genders.
What would you say to any women reading this considering getting involved?
As I previously said, I live on track ( literally ahaha! ) so for me racing is really "life". I have grown up by racing on weekends, studying on Saturday or Sunday between two rounds of qualifying... So when I had to choose about my career, I chose of course something about Racing. I have started in automotive engineering so I suppose it is almost clear what kind of girl I am. I feel free to say, for me racing and cars have never been just little machines, but I have always believed there is something beyond it. So whether boy or girl, young or old, I think we should all follow what makes our heat beat in a different way.