As that sure was a long, long time ago…
Author’s Note
Yeah, once again, I've neglected unveiling the
winner in a timely fashion, which was definitely compounded by the Nightmarish
winDOUGHS 10 Operating Ha-Ha, not! Confuzer' system I was attempting to Upgrade
to since Gory February, 2020. Lasting thru October that year before my new
Confuzer was functional. When this story got high-centered in the driftwood and
totally forgotten.
Thus, turning 20 years old this September, I
thought I’d celebrate with a few stories languishing in Thy cavernous No
Fenders story vault…
WINNER
Tatiana
Calderón (Age: 33)
Born: March 10, 1993
Birthplace: Bogota, Columbia
2018 Results
FIA GP3 Series; 7
races, scored 11 points – finishing 16th overall. Appointed Sauber f1 test
driver, and Test drove Sauber C37 and Sauber C32 Formula 1 racecars. Tested
Techeeta DS E-TENSE FE19 Electric racecar.
Post 2018 Racing Series
Alfa Romeo Racing
F1 test driver: 2019-2021; 2019 Formula 2 championship; 2019 Porsche Supercup;
2020-2021 Super formula; 2019-20 F3 Asian Championship; 2020 Rolex 24 IMSA GTD;
2020, 2023 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP2 category; 2020 24 Heurs du Mans;
2021 FIA World Endurance Championship; 2022 NTT IndyCar Series; 2024 IMSA
SportsCar Championship; 2026 NASCAR Brasil Series.
Championships
2005 EasyKart National championship; 2006 Rotax
Junior division Columbia Kart Championship; 2008 Snap-On-Stars of Karting JICA
Eastern Division and IAME International Challenge Series; 2010 columbian Rotax
Championship.
Tatiana Calderon Moguera has most definitely
been a Femme Fatale Trailblazer, setting multiple “firsts” as a female racing
driver.
She first took to the steering wheel at the
precocious age of four, sitting on Her Papa’s lap driving the family vehicle on
the streets of Bogota.
After trying football, (soccer) tennis and
horse riding, she settled upon motor racing at age nine. Before deciding she
might be able to make a racing career at age ten.
Now being over six years ago when I made this
choice, I really cannot remember what my reason was? Assumedly after having
become a Sauber F1 test driver…
After Tatiana began winning Kartin races, Boys
began ramming Her frequently with no effect! Goin on to become the first female
to win a Columbian national Karting championship in 2005.
In 2006 She was third in the Stars of Karting
ESTE Division, won the Rotax Junior Division Columbian Cup and finished
runner-up in the EasyKart National Championship.
In 2008 She became the first woman to win the Snap-on
Stars of Karting Divisional Championship and the IAME International Challenge
Series. Her Snap-On Karting title making Her the first female winner of a
national American Karting series.
At age 14, She raced Her first car, a Kia
Picanto with Her older sister Paula. The made Her Sports Car debut in 2009 in
Radical cup. Finishing Vice Champion (runner-up) with one win, ten podiums in
that year’s European Master series – SR5. Then graduated to single seaters at
age 17, competing in Star Mazda for Juncos Racing; finishing 10th overall.
Calderon remained in Star Mazda for 2011 with
Juncos. Scoring two third place finishes at Barber Motorsports Park and
Canadian tire Motorsports Park made Tatiana the first female to stand atop the
podium in Star Mazda. She finished sixth overall, before moving onto the
European F3 Open Championship.
One aspect of Tatiana’s that I thoroughly
enjoyed was Her choosing the GP3 Series for 2016 over the World Series by
Renault Formula V8 3.5 series because the GP3 cars were faster!
Tatiana
Calderon Opens Up about Her Career, challenges and the future of Women in
Motorsports
Calderon was introduced to Sauber F1 team
principal Monisha Kaltenborn in late 2016, and began working as a Sauber
development driver. The following year She drove a Sauber C37 during a
promotional day outing at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. And a 2013 Sauber C32
during a two-day test outing at Fiorano as part of Her Sauber test driver
duties.
Tatiana graduated to formula 2 for 2019 and
became the series first female racer, driving for BWT Arden. In the Baku
Feature race, Calderon became the first woman in series history to lead a lap.
With Arden being purchased by HWA for 2020 and choosing different drivers,
Tatiana moved onto the Super Formula championship with Drago Corse. Which I’ll
admit I didn’t pay Attenzione to.
Calderon joined Katherin Legge and Cristina
Nielsen’s brand-new full season 100% Femme Fatales effort under the Girls
Empowered Around Racing (GEAR) Banner. With Calderon and Rahel Frey co-driving the No. 19 GEAR
Racing Lamborghini GT3 in the 2020 Rolex 24.
Calderon
also contested that year’s European Le Mans Series (ELMS) in another all-female
LMP2 Richard Mille Racing entry with Sophia Florsch.
I also
noticed Tatiana’s name when doing my ritual 24 Heurs du Mans preview tat
September, being moved due to COVID-19.
As
Calderon and Florsch were joined by Beitske Visser Richard Mille Racing Oreca,
with the Le Femmes trio finishing ninth in the LMP2 class and 13th overall.
In 2021,
Tatiana tested Sebastien Bourdais’s A.J. Foyt Enterprises IndyCar at Mid-Ohio,
and impressed the team during Her 87-lap outing.
Calderon
was announced as the team’s No. 11 Twisties’ “specialist” for the 2022 season.
Sharing the ride with J.R. Hildebrand on the Ovals, before Her ROCKiT
sponsorship failed to show-up during Her rookie IndyCar campaign. Bringing an
unceremonious end to Her seven race IndyCar career!
MP1295:
Catching Up with Tatiana Calderon
Lastly,
I notice Calderon’s name as part of Gradient Racing’s 2024 IMSA GTD Michelin
Endurance Cup (five rounds) No. 66 Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 entry. Teaming once
again with Legge, along with Sheena Monk and Stevan McAleer.
Having
just learned that Tatiana now races in NASCAR Brasila for SG28 Racing, driving
a Ford Mustang. As I had zero clue about a NASCAR Brasil racing series.
Tatiana
has worked with the likes of Derek Daly, Andy Soucek, Emilio de Villota,
Monisha Kaltenborn, Anthony Davidson and Susie Wolff during Her racing career.
Having shown great potential to compete in all disciplines of motor racing, she
simply hasn’t had the desired results perhaps expected from Her?
With Her
career best Open wheel Racing results being runner-up to Pietro Fittipaldi in
the 2015-16 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship; claiming one win at the
Dubai Autodrome.
EuroNIFStar
Winners
2018: Tatiana Calderon
2017: Pietro Fittipaldi
2016: Tom Dillmann
2015: Alexander Rossi
2014: Dean Stoneman
For the 2017
EuroNifStar Trophy Winner, please visit the following No fenders link below.
