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LATEST SNIPPET
Anna will be the sixth woman over the wall
at the 2010 Indy 500, assuming the 5 racers
qualify. 
Anna started in go-karts and then did the Skip
Barber Racing School. Follow-up, Anna worked with
the racing school before joining a race crew
leading to her work with Team Australia where she
worked over-the-wall during the races.
Interview
Anna
Sixth Woman Over the Wall at the 2010 Indy
500
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Interview
GC: Where did you get started in
racing?
Anna: My dad. He was a motorcycle
racer and I had a bunch of sisters, no brothers.**
I got into go-kart racing. He wasn't too gung-ho
about it at first but he came around.
Later, I went to Russell Racing School. And
after that I worked for Skip Barber and Champ Cars
Then I joined Team Australia. I do the work on the
gear box and on Sunday I'll do pit stops.
GC: So, you're over the wall.
Anna: Yep. I jack the car up
GC: What advice would you give to
girls wanting to explore the area of racing?
Anna: I guess just get down and do
it. You might have to work a little harder than the
next person but do it. That's the way I see it. And
now, very rarely do I run into any problems from
guys. The guys I work with here are a great bunch
of guys. I wouldn't trade them for the world. It
does make a difference. I have worked with some
people who are not.
Note: The interview was
conducted during a race so much of it was lost to
the cars in the background. We hope to add to this
interview at a future race and clarify the
following information we received from Tim
Bradshaw.
** Hi.. my name is Tim Bradshaw.
I am Anna Chatten's big brother (same mom,
different dad). I am 16 years older than Anna. When
she was a toddler, I left to serve in the Navy. She
says she has a "bunch of sisters" and no brothers.
I do consider myself to be her big brother... I
wasn't there when she was growing up.. so maybe
that is how the website has misquoted her. Thanks
for the website!!!!! Tim Bradshaw ,
E-Mail.
Anna
Sixth Woman Over the Wall at the 2010 Indy 500
Girl power is the name of the game, or in this case
the race.
There are a record five female drivers entered
in the Indianapolis 500, and a handful of women
work behind the scenes for teams and manufacturers
in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Anna Chatten, a gearbox technician for KV Racing
Technology, is one with occasionally greasy
hands.
On May 30, she’ll also have the honor of
being the second female as part of an over-the-wall
crew in the Indianapolis 500. She’s the
airjack operator for the No. 32 car driven by Mario
Moraes. The first woman to work over the wall was
Anita Millican, who held the vent hose for driver
Larry Dickson in the 1981 and 1982 Indianapolis 500
Mile Races.
Chatten, of Peoria, Ill., relayed that she
entered this male-dominated sport mainly due to her
father’s influence.
“When I was a little girl, he went go-cart
racing and I’m sure my mom said take her with
you because she’s in my way for the day,”
Chatten said as she assembled the multitude of
parts into a gearbox for Paul Tracy’s car.
“I saw all the little boys doing it and I
thought, ‘Well, that looks fun. I’d like
to try it.’
“When I turned 18 I realized I wanted to
have a job I liked so I decided to give this a
shot. I went to a mechanic school in northern
California, spent two years doing that and worked
my way up through the ranks.”
I thought being one of the few women to work in
such a challenging and demanding environment was
inspiring, but Chatten said: “I’ve been
here 10 years, I don’t really think too much
on it. I’ve never done anything but this. But
I don’t think I’d be happy doing anything
else.”
Source: blog.indycar.com/2010/05/20/girl-power/#more-399
Over
the Wall - 2006
Photos: Grand Prix of
Portland, June 17-18, 2006. Gordon Clay
Photos: Streets of San
Jose, July 28-30, 2006. Gordon Clay
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