NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ahead of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, the Nashville Sports Council and PNC Bank presented a Women in Motorsports panel to highlight the significant impact women are making in the motorsports industry.

The panel, aptly named “A Conversation with Women in Motorsportspresented by PNC,” offered insights from nearly every angle of an INDYCAR
operation.

Chip Ganassi Racing gearbox mechanic Anna Chattendiscussed her experience keeping a high-performance racecar up to speed in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES – and shared how throughout her 20-year career she has changed her mindset to focus less on her identity as a woman participating in a male-dominated industry and more on being a key contributor to the success of a major racing team. Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon and the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda went on to win the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Aug. 7.

Chatten is one of four women featured in Women InMotorsports Powered by PNC Bank with Chip Ganassi Racing, a campaign launched earlier this year to showcase women industry leaders and accelerate career pathways in motorsports for women.

“While women continue to make advances in traditionallymale-dominated industries, such as motorsports, tech and finance, we recognize
there’s still work to be done to empower women in the workplace,” said Mike Johnson, PNC regional president for Tennessee. “The Women In Motorsports campaign is designed to drive awareness and support for gender equality and economic inclusion, and all of us at PNC are grateful to the panelists for sharing their unique perspectives with the Nashville business community.”

Beth Paretta, owner of Paretta Autosport, and her driver,Simona de Silvestro, discussed their respective journeys to becoming industry leaders for women, while Nashville Sports Council Women in Sports Initiative committee member Rose Grindstaff – who was integral to making the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix experience a reality in Nashville as a member of the race’s Advisory Board – talked about making an impact in male-dominated boardrooms in business.

The panel, moderated by WKRN’s Danielle Breezy, was held incollaboration with the Nashville Sports Council’s Women in Sports Initiative, the mission of which is to increase awareness, engagement and promotion of women in sports through events and community involvement.

“We are extremely grateful for PNC’s partnership andsupport not just for this panel, but also for our Women in Sports Initiative as a whole,” said Scott Ramsey, President & CEO of the Nashville Sports Council. “This panel helped kick off a weekend of racing by shining a light on the impact women have made on INDYCAR and motor racing. We look forward to collaborating on additional projects with PNC centered around the mission of amplifying the awareness of women in sports.”

Paretta also enjoyed sharing her career arc, from startingout working at dealerships to becoming the owner of a woman-led race team.

“The Women in Motorsports panel was a good platform to share ourrespective journeys in motorsports and how we seek to put a spotlight on the
many roles for women in our sport and in automotive careers as well,” said Beth Paretta, team owner, Paretta Autosport. “By being out there in numbers on the
race track we hope to inspire young girls and women with the adage, ‘if you see it, you can be it’.”

For more information on the Nashville Sports Council andits Women in Sports Initiative, visit www.NashvilleSports.com/Women-In-Sports.For more information on PNC, visit www.PNC.com. 

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