Saturday, May 1, is the 15th annual International Female Ride Day (IFRD). As a returning partner, Polaris Slingshot is proud to support its mission to inspire more women to get out and ride. As part of this celebration, Slingshot announced its ‘Women Behind the Wheel’ initiative, an experiential program designed to create an inviting space for like-minded women who share the same passion and enthusiasm for driving.
Kicking off in Houston, Slingshot’s Women Behind the Wheel initiative will welcome women and aspiring riders to a full day of driving. The one-day event will focus on bringing women together and get them out on the road behind the wheel of a Slingshot. Guests will have the opportunity to demo the 2021 Slingshot lineup, ask questions during product walkarounds, and meet female Slingshot owners. For those interested in testing a manual transmission or Slingshot’s new paddle shifters, professional racer Loni Unser will be onsite offering special guidance. Following Houston’s IFRD event on May 1, Slingshot’s Women Behind the Wheel program will activate once per quarter in different cities around the country.
“We proudly celebrate the female riding community. As more and more women are turning to powersports as a recreational hobby, we want to empower those aspiring riders and welcome them to the Slingshot community,” said Collett Mazula, senior marketing manager for Polaris Slingshot. “Over the last several years, we have seen a steady increase of women buying and driving Slingshots. Women have always been driving, but gone are the days where the perception is that they’re only passengers. Now, the driver’s seat calls her name, as she cruises scenic roads, turns heads downtown, and customizes it to her style.”
With its open-air cockpit, side-by-side sport bucket seats, the three-wheel Slingshot has been widely accepted by women around the country. In fact, when comparing 2019 to 2020, Slingshot saw a 43% increase of female customers. Contributing to the increase, was the introduction of Slingshot’s first automatic-like offering, the new AutoDrive transmission. With no clutch pedal or stick shift, drivers can operate a Slingshot like any automatic vehicle.
With a growing community of female riders, Polaris is a proud supporter of International Female Ride Day. Founded by Vicki Gray of MOTORESS.com, the day is a call-to-action for women to “Just Ride!” motorcycles. And along with support from companies like Polaris, IFRD has evolved into a celebration of female powersports riders, no matter what they ride. From two to three-wheel motorcycles, to ATVs, UTVs, side-by-sides and more, IFRD recognizes and encourages women to get out and “Just Ride!”
Slingshot’s Women Behind the Wheel event in Houston will take place from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. CT at Team Mancuso Powersports Gulf Freeway. Demos will be available throughout, while product walk-arounds will be held at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., with a group ride at 5:30 p.m. For more information on IFRD visit https://motoress.com/international-female-ride-day.
Link: Polaris
