Full Throttle

International karting competitor Michele Bumgarner of the Philippines was in Gasoline Alley with high hopes of landing a ride in the Firestone Indy Lights race, the Firestone Freedom 100 on May 22 at the Speedway.

Bumgarner is making her second visit to the Speedway. She was here as a spectator in 2007.

In answer to the title’s question: Fat Chance, or so it would seem.

Bumgarner, 19, is a nine-year veteran of karting. She has raced throughout Asia, Italy and France in the Open Masters class. She was born in Manila and moved to nearby Avon, Ind., in October 2008.

Michelle Bumgarner: “The whole Danica Patrick thing is opening up doors. She gives me hope that someday I will race here.”

EDITOR’S NOTES: As expected from someone living in the Philippines I have been following Bumgarner’s career fairly closely. Fact is she’s been an absolute genius at the wheel of a kart both here and abroad.

Michelle has won Philippine National and Asian Intercontinental Junior class and Open Class Karting Championships. Bumgarner became the first female champion of the prestigious Rock Island Grand Prix in New York last fall and was very competitive in Italy during the annual Margutti Cup.

She had a short look at the Asian F3 Series but a near complete lack of local sponsorship doomed her efforts from the start despite her obvious promise.

All of which brings me to the present. Last fall, and with great fanfare, Walker Racing and NexGen announced they had signed Michelle to a five year development contract with the goal of entering the Firestone Indy Lights Series this year.

Here’s the video of her test session that led to her signing, note the high praise given.

Naturally when the Indy Lights 2009 entry list was published in late March I checked it. Walker Racing wasn’t on the list. The first of April I emailed Walker Racing asking the status of the team and Michele Bumgarner.

What I got was nothing, the dirtbags Walker Racing failed to respond, twice.

Given the current list of teams and drivers shows Stefan Wilson, younger brother of IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson, as Walker’s Indy Lights driver for this month’s event at Indy a third email to the dirtbags Walker Racing will be winging its way shortly.

People question why so few female drivers make it to the top levels of the sport and this may be a prime example of why. This a pure speculation on my part but it sure looks like a sibling of an IRL driver - and a possible larger sponsorship cash drawer - was chosen over the less well known but capable female driver.