[simple simon]

ok, it has been making me sick seeing how some people drool all over Danica Patrick

also how some want to say she is breaking so many barriers and such

id like this thread to educate people about women in racing

especially the women that came years ago

[simple simon]

Janet Guthrie

Janet Guthrie is the first woman to earn a starting spot in the Indianapolis 500 (1977) and the Daytona 500 (1977), where she was Top Rookie. Her ninth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 (197, with a team she formed and managed herself, was the best by a woman until 2005. She set fastest time of day at Indianapolis on May 7 and May 22, 1977.

In her brief career at the top levels of racing, she earned top-ten starting positions and posted top-ten finishes in both Indy-car Championship racing and in NASCAR Winston Cup (now Nextel Cup). Her fifth-place Indy-car finish at Milwaukee in 1979 was the best by a woman for 21 years. Her sixth-place Winston Cup finish at Bristol in 1977 remains the best by a woman in NASCAR’s superspeedway era. She is the only woman to lead a Winston Cup race. She was Top Rookie in five Winston Cup races.

[simple simon]

Shirley Muldowney

Her willingness to buck the system would change the sport forever in 1965, as she was successfully licensed that year to compete in the supercharged gasoline dragster category by drag racings largest organization the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The upper Gas divisions were professional categories, and no other women had ever been permitted this qualification up to that time. She proved it was no passing thing by match racing (exhibitions for a guaranteed fee) throughout the East and Midwest for the next four years, as well as making selected national event appearances on both NHRA and rival AHRA (American Hot Rod Association) sanctioning bodies.

However, in 1971, NHRA decided to eliminate the Top Gas category due to the introduction of new divisions, and Shirley chose to move into the popular new "funny car" category. There is nothing funny about funny cars. The car makes several thousand violent horsepower running on nitro methane fuel, and can be very difficult to drive. Undaunted, Muldowney stepped right up to the plate, posting a win on her first time out at a match race in Lebanon Valley, New York.

There is only one category above funny cars, Top Fuel. These are the kings of the sport, machines created with only one purpose in mind-go from point A to point B in the least possible time. Though also fueled by "nitro," in top fuel dragsters, the engine is mounted behind the driver. In 1973, only men drove them, but once again Shirley was not going to let that stand in her way. She had already made the required licensing qualifications, driving a dragster owned by Poncho Rendon of Detroit, with noted Top Fuel drivers Conrad "Connie" Kalitta, Don Garlits and Tommy Ivo approving her ability in writing, thus becoming the first woman ever to license in the NHRA top fuel category.

Shirley Muldowney returned to the U.S. National the following year in 1974, posting the top speed of the meet at 241.58 mph using her own car and race team, with Kalitta doing the engine tuning. She also scored a Semi-final finish at the PRO-backed National event in Long Island, N.Y., posting elapsed time as quick as 6.09 seconds.

http://www.muldowney.com/bio1.html

[simple simon]

Lyn St James




Lyn St. James Indy Racing Career Achievements:

1992 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year (only woman to ever win)

Seven Indianapolis 500 starts in nine years, including six consecutive starts (1992 - 1997)

Qualified sixth for 1994 Indy 500 (highest ever for a woman at Indy)Best finish at Indy was eleventh in 1992.

Set world record on closed-course for women reaching 225.722 mph during the 1995 Indy 500 qualification weekend.

Oldest driver in the field (53) of the 2000 Indy 500 Raced in 15 Indy Racing races including Fed-X CART Championship and Indy Racing Northern Light Series. Scored 2 Top-10 qualifying spots; 1 Top-10 finish

Holds 31 international and national closed circuit speed records over a 20-year career. Raced twice ('89, '91) in the Biggest Endurance race in the world; The 24 Hours of Le Mans (France) The 24 Hours of Daytona (won GTO Team Drive Class in '87 & '91) Also raced (9 times) in the famous 12 Hours of Sebring Endurance race (won GTO Team driver Class in '91) Raced in 53 SCCA Trans-Am races with 7 Top-5 finishes and raced in 62 IMSA GT races with 6 wins and 17 Top-5 and 37 Top-10 finishes. Only woman to have ever won an IMSA GT race driving solo. 2 time racer at Historic Goodwood Revival

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by simple simon

ok, it has been making me sick seeing how some people drool all over Danica Patrickalso how some want to say she is breaking so many barriers and such like this thread to educate people about women in racing especially the women that came years ago

I agree with all you wrote, IRT Janet, Cha-Cha, and Lyn (you could have added Shirley "The Dragon Lady" Sheehan, too). However, they came along many years after two females competed in NASCAR and other short tracks around the country. Namely Louise Smith and Sara Christain. If you look it up, you'll find Sara drove in the first race NASCAR ran.

[Smoke842]

Hi, Simple Simon, thanks! This is a cool thread. I recognized everyone but Lyn St James. I didn't know Janet Guthrie was in Nascar. If Danica was ugly I wonder if she would get all the attention.

[3829]

I too also didnt know that Janet drove in Nascar. Thanks Simion for educating me on the other women that have raced.

[stephanie]

women dont bother me in the sport but i think it bothers Richard Petty LOL