Twenty-five year-old Julia Landauer is "one of the most promising young drivers in America, and almost certainly the best who isn’t male," and being a female is "part of her pitch" to potential sponsors, according to Josh Dean of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Danica Patrick is the only female currently on either the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series or Xfinity Series, but Landauer’s approach is "different" from Patrick's. Landauer "plans to be outspoken" about her gender "throughout her career, as both a political and social platform and as a brand extension." Women make up 40% of the NASCAR fan base and Landauer asks, "Why are cosmetic companies not into it? Why are pharmacy brands? Feminine hygiene! That’s what we’re working on. I’d love to have a tampon on the side of my car." Dean noted Landauer had the "partial backing" of a team with Toyota and NAPA sponsorship last year in the K&N Pro Series West. She is racing this year for a Ford team, and the team owner, who has a dealership in California, is "partially subsidizing the costs." She "hopes to join" the Camping World Truck Series next year, but getting there will "require an invitation from a team, which Landauer is unlikely to get unless she attracts a lot more money." Landauer last year signed with a manager, Chris Gough, which "allowed her to hand off day-to-day business stuff." Gough has "focused exclusively on major national sponsors, any one of which would open the door for a move to trucks." There, he thinks, Landauer’s profile could "quickly rise to the point where larger sponsors come onboard, and at that point, provided she’s still competitive, it would be hard for big Cup-level teams not to get interested" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/30).
