Women's Day In Racing, powered by Ford

(Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

We also got a glimpse of some upcoming Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Among them, the Lincoln MKS concept was on display, which has been given the green light for production. Also on display were a '07 Navigator and a MKX, as well as the new Ford Edge and the mighty GT500 Mustang.

Katherine Legge caught up with us, and talked a little about her ascension to Champ Car. The 25 year-old woman ranked third in the Atlantic series last year, winning three races. She's currently driving for the PKV team in the Champ Car World Series. Katherine admitted that

(Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

racing with men is physically challenging, and she hits the gym twice a day to stay in the best of shape. Mentally, though, she's more than up for the challenge. She had a lot of trouble getting taken seriously by potential sponsors, but hard work (and talent, of course) got her all the way up to Champ Car.

The curtain call of the day was an opportunity to drive around the track behind the wheel of a Ford Fusion SEL V6. While not exactly the car of choice for barrelling down the circuit, the drive did remind me of how well the Fusion handles and accelerates. If you're shopping for a mid-size sedan and have the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in mind, you should check out Ford's Fusion.

Now, what have we learned from this day? Clearly, women can and should choose the career of their dreams, even if it's in a world dominated by men. Women can drive and race as well as men, that's for sure. Women

(Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

can fix and maintain a car as well as men can. And that philosophy goes for any career choice. Ladies, don't be afraid to show us what you can do.

Hey, for a guy, even getting punched in the face by Paul Tracy is better than getting beaten on a track by a girl...