While breaking ETS’s 1/4 mile record was a monumental accomplishment, comments from rude men overshadowed the announcement.
Earlier last week, a day before the eve of International Women’s Day, Emelia Hartford proudly announced her team accomplished a monumental achievement, not only did her twin-turbocharged C8 Corvette break into the 9’s, she drove it into the record books by breaking the overall C8 Corvette World Record.
After months of trials & tribulations including a re-built engine, a new tuning philosophy to overcome GM’s notoriously hard-to-tune ECU, and a mission to come back harder and faster than ever, Hartford achieved a C8 milestone.
Yet, amidst a deluge of positive comments, congratulations, and recognition from the motoring press, sprinkled into thousands of comments was a sizeable chunk of what Hartford called “overtly sexist” comments and plain ol’ “talking s***” on her comments sections and personal DMs.
And sure enough, sort any of her most recent Youtube video comments by new and, after a dozen positive comments, there’s at least one other comment playing down her team’s accomplishment just because she’s a girl.
Sexist comments seem to thrive in the anonymity.
I will not repost those comments verbatim but most follow a similar, asinine logic that Hartford somehow “has it easier” and can drum up that Youtube revenue for fun projects like this just because she’s easier on the eyes. Or that, because Hartford has “all this money” and “sponsors” it’s not only inevitable to go this fast, she should’ve, somehow, gone even faster.
The other, lesser comments compare Hartford’s C8 to other, high-horsepower builds with no knowledge of the work done on this LT2, or just fine of a needle Hartford’s E-Team had to thread to get the proverbial “perfect run.”
You can read more about her build on LSX Mag’s feature linked here.
I can only imagine what popped up in her DMs.
Here’s what Hartford had to say,
“I’m seeing a lot of people talking ****/ being overtly sexist towards me. Those people have clearly not watched any of the videos, seen the 18+ hour days that have gone into this, the sacrifices, the risks, and are not aware of the challenges people in the community are faced when it comes to modifying an uncrackable ECU.”
“How about just being happy for another human being? If it doesn’t effect you then don’t slide in my DMs or comments talking shit because you’ll get blocked. I’m happy your mustang can do 9’s or your uncle could do better. I’ll continue to do me ?“
It’s sad she had to post this on International Women’s Day, too.
Feature C8 builds will stand on Hartford’s shoulders
While ETS’s C8, the first C8 into the 9s, chose a proprietary workaround to up boost using the stock ECU, Hartford is the first one to incorporate a Holly’s Dominator electronic fuel injection and manifold system and push it this hard, arguably as a proof of concept.
Within this era of C8 tuning before someone’s successfully cracked GM’s ECU for tuning (or before they release an ECU kit), C8’s wanting to go faster will, more than likely, reference Hartford’s build, picking what works for their own build.
Tweaking Issac Newton’s famous quote, If C8 owners have gone faster, it is by standing on the shoulders of other faster owners (Hartford included.)
Just ask yourself…
If it was your friend bragging about this accomplishment or, to bring it closer to home, an as equally successful guy, would you comment the same, female-centered, spiteful comment?
Probably not.
In that case, either refrain from commenting something meanspirited or, I don’t know, not…comment?
Hartford will continue to do what she does best (pursue her automotive passions) and other women will do likewise.
All the while, you’ll still be seething in your mom’s basement, wiping cookie crumbs off your T-shirt after your Hungryman Chicken Pot Pie, thinking you’ve one-upped her with your “masterful keystrokes.”
Who’s the real winner?
So is it sexist when a man is told he “has it easier” or “is more privileged” because he’s a man?
Is it racist to call him privileged because he is white?
This whole argument falls in on itself quickly.