It's time for teenagers to fire up their video cameras and get their creative juices flowing. The 2008 Safety Scholars Video Contest, presented by Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC, has begun start accepting student-made, safety-themed videos once again.

  As a continuation of its extremely successful annual campaign, the company is again turning to America's teens to offer creative media solutions to help make roads safer for everyone. This year, the Safety Scholars Video Contest will also include a chance for young video producers to have their auto safety videos broadcast as a public service commercial.  The 2008 contest will award three $5,000 college scholarships for the most compelling and effective videos that drive home life-saving messages on auto and tire safety.  The top 10 filmmakers will also receive a new set of Bridgestone tires.

"Because car crashes claim the lives of more 16- to 21-year-olds than any other cause, we feel safety education is a priority," said Christine Karbowiak, Vice President of Public Affairs, Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.  "After challenging young people last year to create their own videos about auto and tire safety, we were extremely impressed with the talent, skill and passion of our nation's youth. We are proud to continue Safety Scholars as a contest for teens created by teens."

We've been watching gas prices hovering just under $4 a gallon for over a month now, and at last (in my neighborhood, at least), the price of regular unleaded finally jumped a dime to $4.09.  It's enough to make a commuter cry.  An increase of a dollar a gallon in the last year means each tank is costing $15 to $20 more, or $60 to $80 per month if you fill up weekly.

Sales of trucks and SUVs have already slowed, and small cars hybrids are selling faster than hotcakes. In fact, many hybrids now commanding a premium over the suggested retail price. It only seems natural that drivers are considering trading in their larger gas-guzzling models for something smaller with better fuel economy.

Well, according to a report at Consumer Reports that might not be the best action! In fact, their study shows that it might not pay to downsize if you've only owned your vehicle for three years or less. Pointing out that the hidden costs of car ownership might be the factors owners are least likely to focus on when driven to downsize, Consumer Reports reminds drivers that those hidden costs can have a major effect on your finances down the road. Two important factors to consider when trading in for a new car: your finance charges and the cars' depreciation.

Audi invited me to join them and a group of women and a few male journalists for a weekend of fun, networking and the best part: to test drive the Audi A4 for a long country drive through wine country in Northern California and at Infineon Raceway. The weekend included a stay at the St Regis in San Francisco, Yoga lessons, wine tasting, and a visit to Solage, a top-rated spa and a chaffered tour of Napa Valley through the picturesque countryside dotted with California wineries. (Celeste Atkinson, Entertainment and Lifestyle Manager with Audi and Jody DeVere, CEO/President of AskPatty.com pictured).

The weekend included private screening of the new movie "Iron Man" starring Robert Downey Jr who plays Tony Stark – the title character in the film, including our choice of flavored popcorns and cocktails. Iron Man's superpowers are the result of the highly versatile and indestructible high-tech armor that he developed himself. When he is without his suit, the technically-adept billionaire relies on the Audi R8. Iron Man also stars Oscar® winner Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar® nominees Terrence Howard,  Jeff Bridges, and Shaun Toub. “Iron Man“is directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway. The film is produced by Avi Arad and Kevin Feige. The executive producers are Louis D’Esposito, Peter Billingsley, Jon Favreau, Ari Arad, Stan Lee and David Maisel.

AskPatty's very own President Jody DeVere will be part of the "Queens of the Web" panel at the "Ladies Who Launch LIVE" event in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 31.

About Jody:
We know that many women love cars, love the excitement of GETTING a new car, love the new car smell, and love driving that car off the lot. But what many women HATE is everything that has to be done to get to that point, which is where Jody becomes our hero. As the CEO, president, and co-founder of AskPatty.com, Jody helped AskPatty.com become a Web site geared toward helping women with everything automotive.

About the Day:
Put your power suits and briefcases in the closet and get ready for a reality-altering day. Honor yourself by exploring your feminine entrepreneurial and creative potential at "Ladies Who Launch LIVE!" The event will be held on Saturday, May 31, from 9am to 4pm at Dermalogica, 1535 Beachey Place, Carson, CA 90746. The cost is $165.00 to pre-register (must be reserved by May 31, 2008) or $200.00 at the door. To make your reservation, send an email to kmudrick@ladieswholaunch.com right away!! There will be plenty of free parking at the venue.

You're invited to a day to connect with other inspiring women to grow dreams, businesses, and creative projects and to reignite any idea that has taken a back seat. Learn from our experts about launching a business, starting from scratch, pitching the press, balancing a busy life, creating rewarding relationships, and living the life you want.

Danica might be getting the most attention as a woman in auto racing, but Janet Guthrie is the true pioneer of the sport. 

"I was shocked at the level of antagonism but most of those had never had the experience of running against a woman and they were sure they weren't going to like it," said Guthrie. "The presumption was that since I was a female I had no driver skill. They soon found out I was a good clean driver and could give them some good competition and so the attitude changed."



Marilyn Toal joins Zelda Reakes as a co-recipient of the seventh annual Gater Racing News "Outstanding Woman in Racing" award during the 2008 Northeast Modified Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies Sunday, May 25 on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds held in conjunction with the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series event at the adjacent speedway.

This special award was initiated in 2002 to recognize outstanding contributions made by women in auto racing during a customary time of tribute to the legendary male drivers in our sport.

It may seem somewhat strange that a person synonymous with asphalt racing and the Race of Champions Modified title event would be recognized by the Northeast Modified Hall of Fame. Marilyn Toal began her ride with auto racing in 1958 yet as fate would have it she attended her first Race of Champions at Langhorne (Pa.) Int’l Motor Speedway the last year (1964) it ran on dirt.

“My job at Kodak in Rochester (NY) allowed me the opportunity to be involved with a sports boosters club,” Marilyn stated. “Through this club we organized trips to sporting events and made tickets available to members and (promoter) Joe Gerber allowed me to sell tickets for his Race of Champions event. This plan proved to be so successful I became known as the person in Upstate New York to get your RoC tickets from.”


Kristin Bumbera, 20, can see herself on Victory Lane, too. In NASCAR, it's only a matter of time before a female driver becomes a regular on the Sprint Cup circuit, and she's among the leading candidates.

"Danica won a race; that definitely means a whole lot to us as women drivers," said Bumbera, who pilots the No. 00 Chevrolet in the NASCAR late-model division for Golden State Racing at All American Speedway. "I admire her for going out there and proving a girl can do it. It's giving everybody hope, from people like me to 7-year-old girls starting out in karts."



Pro Stock driver Erica Enders has taken control of her racing future by assuming the responsibilities of vice president of marketing of Master Formula Xtreme Polishes, Waxes, Cleaners, and Sealers. The agreement will allow the most successful female Pro Stock racer of all-time to resume her driving career in an Allen Johnson-powered Stratus R/T.

Enders plans to use her unique familiarity with millions of race fans and the business community to bolster the Southern California-based company’s bottom line.

“We are delighted to associate ourselves with a proven professional like Erica,” said Clarence Larkins, CEO and Founder of Master Formula. “After meeting with Erica and her father Gregg, along with their team of business and marketing professionals, we’re confident Enders Racing can help us take our company to the next level very quickly.

“For 20 years we’ve sold our products directly to our consumers. We’ve had some small distributors but nothing to the scale of the Erica and her group have created. Their connections in motorsports, and in the business world in general, will put our great products into the top distribution channels nationwide. It’s very exciting.”

Because of her accident during the Indy 500, Sarah Fisher said she isn't sure if she will have enough money to race Aug. 9 at Kentucky Speedway.

"It was just a terrible day," she said. "It just wasn't our day. The guys worked so hard this month to put together such a good race car. It was great on the track. We just messed up the start, messed up the parade lap."

She spent the month struggling financially after one of her sponsors, ResQ energy drink, failed to deliver. Fisher and husband/chief mechanic Andy O'Gara put their life savings into starting Sarah Fisher Racing.

Fisher got a primary sponsorship from text4cars .com, a car buying Web site, late last week. She also received assistance from friends and fans from around the world.

"It's just amazing support that the fans have given us," Fisher said. "Between the checks that everybody have sent, I think we cleared nearly $30,000. They were in fact an associate sponsor."

Danica Patrick was itching for a fight after being wrecked out of the Indy 500.

Patrick exited her car and strutted down pit lane, looking for Ryan Briscoe - the culprit who had taken her out of the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500.

"It's probably a better idea that I didn't make it all the way down there anyway," Patrick said. "Because, well, as you guys know, I'm a little emotional.

"If he doesn't come to me within a certain amount of time, rest assured I'll talk to him about it," Patrick said.

Welcome to the AskPatty Blog Carnival, where we provide a refreshing assortment of female friendly news and interesting automotive tidbits from around the blogosphere. Now that gas prices are up over $4 a gallon, we've been bombarded with stories suggesting ways to save gas and money. Since I just paid $4.19 for regular self serve, and drove past another station pricing it at $4.29 (!) I thought I would share these valuable tips here. Email Ask Patty at info@askpatty.com to include your own blog bits in next week's carnival!


We all know hybrid vehicles are specially equipped to save fuel, thanks to their lightweight design and efficient fuel system. IWantBetterGasMileage has posted an article with tricks to help hybrid drivers get maximum output out of every gallon of gasoline, though the tips there will benefit drivers of every vehicle. And as long as you're on the site, check out this article that shares additional tips to help save gas.

In a world where SUVs are seen as the villain fighting against a greener environment, Mercedes has jumped into the ring to change consumers' way of thinking. Instead of marketing yet another SUV that does more harm than good, Mercedes has changed the mold to wonderful results: According to this blog at TheGreenMotorist.com Mercedes has managed to outdo themselves by combining both BlueTEC technology and a hybrid system to give consumers the best of both worlds.

As the cost of airfares continue to skyrocket, many travelers are choosing to drive to their vacation destinations. However, depending on the condition of your car, you may want to consider renting a car for your vacation instead of driving your own vehicle. TravelGlobeBlog.com has posted an article to help you weigh your automotive travel options.

Gas prices are getting so high that some pumps can't even handle the numbers, so even if you haven't been thinking about fuel efficiency, you'll probably will soon.  Using less fuel is good for your wallet and the environment, so Allie's Green Answers offers  a few green ways to cut your consumption.

With gasoline prices racing past the $4-per-gallon barrier, we're all feeling the pinch at the pump. TipDiva offers ten ways to save, including making more effective trips, adjusting work times to avoid traffic, and using public transportation.

In an article that tends to go against a common opinion, CarOfTheDay.com  pointed us towards this article at carspace.com that says that most vehicles can go 5,000, 7,000 or even 10,000 miles without an oil change depending on driving habits and conditions. What does your owner's manual say?

When you're in the market to purchase a used vehicle, preferably one that's dependable, reliable, and can get you from point A to point B without problem, it's best to ask yourself a few questions first. This article at CarsForGirls.com lists 10 questions to ask at the onset of your search to help give you the power to resist an impulse buy later.

Even though the blogger at MoneyBlueBook.com relies on public transportation for his work-related commute,  his recognizes that buying a hybrid requires a sizable upfront investment that may not be suitable for many at this time. His article is focused on helping drivers who own plain old fossil fuel gas guzzlers, saying "Regular drivers who jet around in old-fashioned gas-powered vehicles will appreciate these five tips to save at the gas station." And while you're there, be sure to peruse the informative  list of the best gas credit card rebates and cash back rewards.

Are you a do-it-yourself kind of car chick? Tracee at Blogfabulous  certainly is, because, she says, "Sometimes it's easier to fix something myself than to get it to the top of my husband's list." In this blog, this handywoman shares tips on now to charge your air conditioning, boasting "Being competent makes me feel like a bad ass."  We love that she also encourages her daughter and includes her in the repairs, saying "that all girls should be empowered and parents are in the best position to empower them."  Way to go, awesome autogirls!!


Finally, if you've decided to just give up your car and rely on the good old 'footmobile,' consider donating your car.  The blogger over at Sensible Self Improvements shares a valuable story with list of great organizations as well as information on how you can donate your car and really help out someone less fortunate than yourself.

We've run several articles lately about the many contributions that Toyota has made to environmental concerns. Well, here's another: Toyota has promised to make a $5 million contribution to support five National Parks as well as a National Park Foundation that works to enhance environmental leadership and educational programs at parks around the country. Toyota also will donate 23 vehicles to the National Parks. Cool.

"For more than a century, the National Parks have been a treasure across the United States," said Dian Ogilvie, senior vice president of Toyota Motor North America.  "We are proud to support these excellent programs for young people at the National Parks that are helping to develop the environmental leaders of tomorrow."

Some of the funds may be used by the local fundraising partners such as Everglades National Parks for matching Federal funds as part of the National Park Centennial Challenge program highlighting the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016.

Here at AskPatty, we're well aware of the purchasing power we women hold in our purses. With women controlling over 85% of all consumer purchasing across every brand category, understanding why women buy is vital to a brand's success. We know that women spend more than five trillion dollars annually, that our input is integral to the purchase of 65% of all cars, 92% of vacations, and 61% of all electronics sold, and we know how passionate you can be about your cars and preferred brands. In fact, one study showed the average woman spends nearly 400 hours shopping each year, which adds up to nearly nine years of retail therapy over a lifetime.

We recently attended the 4th Annual M2W-The Marketing To Women Conference, where we spent two days learning more about how passionate women are about their favorite products. It was quite an eye-opening experience - here in AskPatty's automotive world, we're surrounded by men, and spend much of our time trying to convince them how we gals view cars (ad car buying) differently from the guys. At the M2W conference, we were surrounded by hundreds of women who already understood how they were different from men, in a wide variety of industries, from marketing, milk, and motorcycles, to social networking and nutrition, electronics and athletics.

For just the second time in its 92 year history, three women started the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday Coming off Danica Patrick’s groundbreaking win at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan last month, never have more eyes been on women racing at motorsports top levels. 

Some thirty years after top fuel dragster diva Shirley Muldowney broke into the “old boys club” in the NHRA, women are still unfamiliar faces in most of auto racing’s premium divisions. While the NHRA is perhaps the best at promoting diversity, Ashley Force and Melanie Troxel both recently scored wins in NHRA Funny Car events.

NASCAR remains the only top auto racing series that has failed to put a women in a race car full time in their premium series -- the Sprint Cup.

Shawna Robinson is the last female driver in NASCAR to give running the Cup series a try.  She attempted four Cup races in 2001 in the No. 84 car; however, Robinson made just the race at Michigan, where she finished 36th. Her sponsor, Tropicana pulled out, and Robinson signed to drive 24 races for BAM Racing in 2002. Her best finish was 24th at Daytona -- she was released.  In 2003, she ran three races in the #49 Aaron's Chevrolet Silverado with an all-female pit crew. Her best finish was 18th at Texas Motor Speedway.

Carlana Stone, author of the acclaimed book “Never Give In, Never Give Up”, was paralyzed in a car accident at age 17. In the blink of an eye, Carlana went from cheerleader and gymnast to paraplegic. Not adhering to the stigma and physical restraints of her injury, Carlana forged ahead.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Carlana has chosen to embrace her wheelchair as a force, rather than a hindrance. In stark contrast to the stereotypes placed on the physically disabled, since her accident Carlana has become a certified scuba diver, learned to pilot airplanes, and enjoys sky diving, sailing and skiing.

Using her “chair” as a “platform” for social change, Carlana has become a strong voice in support of stem cell research. “The possibilities are limitless,” Stone says. “Stem cell research will impact millions of lives. I’m committed to doing all I can to make this promise a reality.”

And she’s not all talk. Carlana’s get-up-and-go philosophy has turned many of her dreams into realities. At 25, Carlana became the first wheelchair-bound reporter for ABC in Miami, featured 5 days a week on the evening news. As the station’s dynamic human-interest reporter, viewers could not help but be influenced by Carlana’s infectious enthusiasm and genuine concern for the people behind the stories she shared during her 2-year tenure on WPLG-TV.