Lack of support at lower level hurts female drivers (cont'd)

"We just need help. We have the ability but I know more and more people are starting to pay attention to female drivers," she said.

A powerful influence taking notice is NASCAR president Mike Helton, who used the luncheon as an opportunity to scout out and familiarize himself with several of the young women looking to be the first, truly competitive females in the Cup Series.

"Events like this help us figure out what we might need to do to adjust our ongoing efforts, because many female athletes want to be a player in our sport and it reminds us of our responsibility to make that happen," Helton said. "Seeing a female in Victory Lane is something NASCAR looks forward to."

Evernham Motorsports ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Erin Crocker, who has competed in the Busch and Truck series, wants to be the first to find her way to the Cup Series.

While she acknowledges the added struggles that females face in motorsports, competition is really the problem. She said for every 10 women failing to make it in NASCAR's elite series, 100 men fail right alongside of them. Every weekend, NASCAR is sending drivers home because the sport is so competitive.

"That's why you see more women in the Indy Racing League -- the IRL doesn't have a full field," she said. "But you just have to keep fighting. If you really want it, you're the only person that can make a change. No one is just going to hand it to you."

After competing in NASCAR last season and not achieving the results she had anticipated, Crocker is taking a step back and rebuilding in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and now posting positive results.

This is something Owens is taking note of because she said too many times female drivers are rushed by marketers to become the next "big thing" and aren't given enough time to develop their skills.

NASCAR Busch Series team co-owner Doug Stringer of Braun Racing is taking his time with driver Gabriele DiCarlo, 22, of Phoenix who is competing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series this season. He said it will be at least another year before she moves to a Busch Series ride.

When she does, Stringer said it will bring a much-needed level of versatility to the sport.

"You need that to attract new sponsors and fans," he said. "We need a broader talent pool and there are plenty of women out there."

St. James said she has reconciled with the fact that it is going take a lot longer than she thought it would before NASCAR fields a competitive female at the Cup level.

"We may have to go back another generation and look at the girls that are 13 and 14 years old right now," she said. "We may have to wait for another generation. It takes time, and unfortunately the years go by."