She managed to grab the 55th position in the race, making her a solid contender to watch out for. Fisher was the first female driver to take a pole position in a significant American open-wheel race in 2002. In a little over a decade, more than 60 of NASCAR's women and minority drivers have come through the Drive for Diversity program, he said. Danica Patricks 2013 Daytona 500 pole award is on display in Heritage Speedway at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 5. The following year, Guthrie became the first female racer to qualify for the Daytona 500, where she finished 12th, and the Indianapolis 500. These women have made history in their field and continue to do so. On Monday, just ahead of the Daytona 500, Busch Light announced the creation of the Busch Light Accelerate Her Program, a $10 million commitment to sponsor every female driver 21 years or older . She retired from full-time stock car racing after the 2018 Daytona 500.[25]. In 2013, Patrick became the first female driver to win a pole in a Cup Series race when she qualified No. Erin Mary Crocker Evernham gave birth to a daughter, Cate Susan Evernham, on July 25, 2015. She was listed as one of the drivers for the #15 truck for Billy Ballew Motorsports as a teammate to Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck. After no female raced in a decade, Janet Guthrie became the first woman driver to race in a superspeedway when she started the 1976 World 600, finishing in 15th place and ahead of Dale Earnhardt. Jennifer Jo Cobb. #10-Danica Patrick made NASCAR history today during Coors Light Pole qualifying for the Daytona 500, becoming the first female driver to win a pole at NASCAR's top level - the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 15 for Rick Ware Racing and becoming the first female driver to race in the series since Patrick's retirement. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Career Indianapolis 500 laps led: 29. Based on NASCAR's own data, provided to The Associated Press, 25% of fans identify as multicultural, only 9% as Black. After a 7th place finish in Martinsville a year later, Patrick tied Guthrie for most Top 10 finishes by a female NASCAR driver. In 2013, The New York Times ran an article that effectively shut down any chance Tia Norfleet had at a NASCAR career. Patrick's racing career began with go-karts in her hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin, at age 10. Although Erin never competed in the Sprint Cup, she made history as the top Female NASCAR Driver of all time. However, due to the race not having practice and qualifying, NASCAR would not approve Cobb to compete in it with her lack of prior Cup Series experience. In addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. Patricia Moise-Sawyer was a NASCAR driver in the past. Deegans triumph was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Shawna Robinson three decades back. 23", "Jennifer Jo Cobb to make Cup debut at Talladega with Rick Ware Racing UPDATE", "NASCAR still searching for its Danica Patrick Racing", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Janet Guthrie", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Danica Patrick NEWS", "Patrick Follows in the Footsteps of Pioneers", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Erin Crocker", "Canadian driver, model set for Nationwide debut - Aug 17, 2011 - NASCAR.COM", "NASCAR Nationwide Team Charlotte Auto Fair", "Mara Reyes at Driver Database | Motorsport", "Gabi DiCarlo to Make Truck Series Debut at Fontana", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Alli Owens", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Deborah Renshaw", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Michelle Theriault", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Angie Wilson", "NASCAR acquires ARCA, reaffirms commitment to growth | NASCAR.com", "UNOH Grad Following Her Heart into NASCAR", "Nascar Driver Kristin Bumbera Signs With Hamilton Racing", "NASCAR Female Driver Toni Marie McCray To Take On The Boys At The Showdown At Toyota Speedway", "Catalanos Making It A True Family Night at Stafford", "Open Division Championship Season 2012 Final", "Dexwet-df1 Racing with title ambitions in all divisions in 2019", "Racing-Total presents an international lineup", "NWES 2019 ELITE-Club final results after Hockenheim", D-BOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_female_NASCAR_drivers&oldid=1124996170, Articles with dead external links from December 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 December 2022, at 17:19. She competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. The first female to compete in a NASCAR superspeedway race, Guthrie finished 15th in the 1976 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Her last race was back in 1998, and she is now happily retired, leaving her legacy behind. Ann Slaasted (1 / 1950) Auto racing has been around for over 100 years, and the sport has been consistently dominated by men. A blonde among these female NASCAR drivers, she is famous for being the younger sister of Ashley Force Hood which I just mentioned. She began drag racing and hitting the short track circuit for late model racing, with several top-15 finishes to her name. Starting with her love for go-karting at the tender age of 8, she later progressed to competing in legends cars. Interestingly enough, the press had a field day confirming that she has never competed in a NASCAR nationwide touring or ARCA-sanctioned event. Similarly, her determination to become a NASCAR racer built up since she was a kid and racing behind the wheels of a go-kart. With a resume full of firsts, Janet Guthrie truly broke barriers in her racing career. In 2017, Brehanna Daniels, an alum of the Drive for Diversity program, became the first Black female over-the-wall tire changer in NASCAR's history. [31] Cobb planned on making her Cup Series debut in the spring Talladega race, driving the No. Although the series has existed since 1953, the series was not officially affiliated with NASCAR until its buyout on April 27, 2018. Then, keep on reading our list of best female NASCAR drivers. Her skills on the court were an easy fit for the fast-paced needs in a NASCAR pit crew. Paris Berelc is suiting up for an adult role in the new Netflix NASCAR-inspired comedy series The Crew as up-and-coming race car driver Jessie de la Cruz, who is trying to bump Jake Martin . Tina Gordon On Her Phone (Source: Briefly News). Since then, only 15 pit crew members have been women, according to . In 1978, Guthrie finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500, while in 1980, she was 11th in the Daytona 500. Historically, NASCAR hasn't been a welcoming space for black people. Get to Know These Top Female Drivers. She has competed in one NASCAR-sanctioned event. She drove an Audi R8 LMS in the 2012 Super GT season, becoming the first female driver in the series. In 2017, Patrick became the first female NASCAR driver to lead the prestigious Coca Cola 600. "Especially, you know, a little black girl like myself at that time. In 2016, she became a NASCAR Drive for Diversity team member and got awarded a Young Racer category prize. Toni Breidinger says that when she sat behind the wheel of a go-kart at age 9, she knew she would become a race car driver. A portion of the commitment will also be reserved for up-and-coming talent, the company said. [5], NASCAR has seen varying levels of participation by female drivers throughout its ranks since the sanctioning body's inception in 1949. 82 truck. Danica Patrick. [3], 2021 saw a number of milestones for female drivers. "People were like, 'oh, she sucks,' 'what does it matter that she's Black?' "It is very low. [6] In the second official race, at Daytona Beach and Road Course, Christian was joined by Ethel Mobley and Louise Smith, with Mobley finishing first out of the 3, in 11th. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. She was also invited to NASCARs 2019 Drive for Diversity. Since the 20th Century, female drivers have been leaving their mark on NASCAR history. In 2018, Hailee started driving full-time and won the West Series Championship, making history. Over the years, some of NASCAR's drivers have also been embroiled in controversies about race. Named for the type of gasoline her father used in his taxi, Ethel Flock Mobley competed in more than 100 Modified stock car races in her career. At 29 years of age, Amber has successfully utilized her racing platform to be one of motorsport's largest female influencers - Inspiring and motivating others to pursue their dreams . So, Courtney, of course, feels advantages of having a sister as a champion of Funny Car division and father, John Force. Stereotypically, womens driving skills are a standing joke, among others. Dominique Van Wieringen is a Canadian stock car racer racing part-time at the ARCA Menards for Rette Jones. Only three have been women of color. Since 2004, NASCAR has worked to develop female and ethnically diverse drivers through its Drive for Diversity Program. Born and raised in Iowa, now retired, Robinson started her career for the Spring Cup Series in 1995. First Female to win Pole Position at Daytona 500: Danica Patrick: In 2013 Danica Patrick put in the fastest qualification lap to win pole position at the Daytona 500. However, Patrick would finish the race at 38th place after figuring in a crash. [18], In 2011, Snowball Derby winner Johanna Long entered the Camping World Truck Series at 19 years of age, being the youngest female driver to race in the series. Patty Moise has a record of 133 starts for the XFINITY series from 1986-1998. In 1988, Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series (later the Goody's Dash Series) driver Shawna Robinson became the first woman to win a NASCAR Touring Series event, also earning "Rookie of the Year" and "Most Popular Driver" honors. "Girl, you are crazy" she told ABC News about what the person she was at 17 would think about her now, a NASCAR pit crew member. With NASCAR looking to boost the exposure of female racers, Brittney Zamora is one of the first to stand out. You Can Also Read About Romain Grosjean Bio: Crash, Wife, IndyCar & Net Worth>>. Still, young girls, especially those who have not come from privileged white backgrounds, look up to Tia Norfleet. But it was in 2016 she changed her tracks towards asphalt races and made her asphalt professional beginning in 2017. Deegan debuted in 2018 through NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and has 18 races in her bag in just under three years. Twelve years later, Breidinger has become the first Arab American female . She's continuing to break barriers in the historically white, male-dominated sport as a tire changer on . She led 19 laps of the race, becoming the first woman ever to . Ann Bunselmeyer (1 / 1950) Danica Sue Patrick is an American retired professional racing driver, model, actress, and singer who is considered the most successful female racecar driver in the history of American open-wheel racing. In 2005, she also raced in the Camping World Truck, where she made 29 starts in conclusion. The Last American Hero. Janet Guthrie (33 / 1976-1980) In that first race at Charlotte in 1949, she became the first female driver to compete in NASCARs top division, qualifying 13th and finishing 14th in a Ford owned by her husband, Frank. In the male-dominated sport of car racing, some women have chosen this sport as their career, proved they can compete, and even won the pole position. The last time a woman drove in the Daytona 500 -- the kickoff to the premier racing series -- was 2018, with trailblazer Danica Patrick. In that first Strictly Stock season of 1949, Christian competed in six of the eight races. France (Class of 2010), Wood set a female speed record at the newly opened Daytona International Speedway, where she ran a lap of more than 130 mph in a Pontiac. Janet Guthries World 600 qualifying plaque is on display in Heritage Speedway at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Lella Lombardi (1 / 1977) One of the most talented female race drivers, Ashley is the daughter of former national drag . The first Daytona 500 was held in 1959. There's so many obstacles.". Hailie Deegan, born and raised in Temecula, California, is a 21 years old female NASCAR driver to have dominated the scene. Finding sponsors as one of the only African-American racers proved incredibly difficult, and Norfleet found himself working harder than his peers to maintain positive relationships within motorsports. Tony stands out among the male-dominated sports, being just one of the four women to star in the Auto Menard Series this year. (WKMG 2021) In 2019, she became the . Yet, if she had not pursued her passion, she would not see her days when she had bagged numerous wins and awards. Christina Nielsen started racing as a teenager and now, at just 28 years old, she is the first female driver to win the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series. [10] In 1977, Janet Guthrie would become the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series race under caution, at Ontario Speedway. Born and raised in Georgia, Tammy started as a racer in the Xfinity series in 2003. Some of her other awards are the 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie and the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Betty Skelton Erde wasn't technically a NASCAR driver, but she drove the pace car at Daytona in 1954, and was clocked at a speed of 105.88mph (170.40km/h) on the sand, setting a stock car speed record for women. At Michigan she became the first woman to lead under green on a non-restrictor plate track. This season, there's a new face on the racetrack, and she's creating history. She finished 28th even though she started 42nd. In 2011, she delivered the commencement speech for the graduating class of Unidad of Miami Beach & the New Generation Leadership and Workforce Institute's (NGLWI). Tia established the "Driven to Read" literacy program, and participated in a variety of racing and charity events, including becoming a proud representative for the National African American Drug Policy Coalition and the Motorsports Institute, Inc. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? One of her most impressive performances came in September at the challenging Langhorne Speedway, a circular 1-mile track outside of Philadelphia. Born in Massachusetts, Erin started in the NASCAR field in 2005, where she created ten starts and received the 67th best finish the following year. [2] Trotter won a race in the renamed ARCA Menards Series West in 2020, becoming the second female winner in the West Series, as well as the first winner in the series under the ARCA banner. . Due to her good looks and style, she is also a . Her racing career started as a spectator and transformed into 38 wins in various NASCAR formats including sportsman, late models, midgets, and modified. Two year later, Patrick would earn the pole at the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300, becoming the first female driver since Shawna Robinson to clinch it. [3], Six female drivers: Deegan, Kirk, Patrick, Robinson, Mara Reyes, and Brittney Zamora have won poles. In 2019, Kobayashi won in her one and only start in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (in the Elite Club Division). [8], No woman had raced NASCAR in a decade when Janet Guthrie started the 1976 World 600,[9] finishing 15th, ahead of Dale Earnhardt. Jennifer In Driven 2 Honor Program (Source: U.S. Army). Learn how your comment data is processed. The first "Strictly Stock" race was held in 1949. 20 Toyota, owned by her family. She won in her debut in Whelen Euro Series Elite Club Division by lapping just 0.001 seconds from the reference time. Before starting her career as a racer, she was a principal of a Louisiana Middle School, where she ended her tenure in 2004, leading to her first race in 2004 at Aarons 312. Catching Up With Shawna", "A FIRST IN EURO NASCAR HISTORY: MANAMI KOBAYASHI WINS IN ELITE CLUB DEBUT", "Gracie Trotter Makes History With Las Vegas Victory", "Trucks: Hailie Deegan returns to DGR for 2022 season - NBC Sports", "Toni Breidinger Announces Major Plans for 2022", "Motorsports pioneer Betty Skelton Erde dies at age 85", "HowStuffWorks "1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Chronology", "Patty Moise News, Stats and Info About the Racing Driver", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Shawna Robinson", "Robinson team to feature first all-female pit crew Thursday May 29, 2003 10:11 AM", "Drive for diversity: NASCAR's push to develop minority drivers moving slowly NASCAR Sporting News", "Danica Patrick wins pole position for Daytona Nationwide race", "Unofficial Results | NASCAR Nationwide Series", "NASCAR Danica Patrick to NASCAR a win-win", "TRUCKS: Johanna Long Wins Snowball Derby", "Johanna Long bests Danica Patrick at 2012 Daytona Nationwide Series race NASCAR News | FOX Sports on MSN", "Danica Patrick finishes eighth in Daytona 500", "NASCAR driver Danica Patrick will retire from the track to become a full-time entrepreneur", "Whelen Euro Series News & Notes: Valencia", "Hailie Deegan makes history with K&N Pro Series West win", "Rising NASCAR star Hailie Deegan wins again with last-lap move", "Toni Breidinger to make Truck debut with Young's Motorsports", "Natalie Decker Signs with RSS Racing for Partial Schedule in Reaume-assisted No. [17] In 2012, Patrick would eventually race part-time in the Sprint Cup Series. The full-time Camping World Truck Series driver was vying to make her first Cup Series start and become the first female to compete in the series since Danica Patrick retired from NASCAR in 2018 . Patricia Moise-Sawyer is a former NASCAR driver born on 29 December, 1960 and is married to a former fellow NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer. As of 2023, Tammy is happily retired, makes her living as a motorcycle dealer, and has a net worth of $1.5 million. Larson, a NASCAR cup series driver and an alumni of the Drive for Diversity program, found himself in the pit fire and was suspended after using a racial slur at a virtual race last year. Her first race in this series was in the 2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) and her last was in the 2020 Vankor 350 (Texas). In September, Trotter became the 4th woman to win a late model race at Hickory Motor Speedway. In four of the six races, she finished in the top 15. "I could not be more proud of what she's accomplished both as an athlete, but she's been amazing with her brand and social media and creating awareness and really getting people excited about the fact that if she can do it, there are other people that can do it," Siegel told ABC News. AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series, AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series, AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series, List of female 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers, "Where Are They Now? So how come you never hear of the women drivers or see them race on TV? Patrick is best known for winning the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and becoming the first woman to win in an IndyCar Series race. To this day, she remains the only female driver to post a top five in the Cup Series. From driving go-karts as a child to making history in US motor racing, Toni Breidinger has become the first Arab-American female to participate in Nascar stock car racing. Earning the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500 was a history-making event for Danica Patrick and her Stewart-Haas Racing team. A handful of women (such as Mackena Bell and Kenzie Ruston) have raced with the help of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program since its creation in 2004. Moving forward in her career, after concluding the 2016 NASCAR K&N, she debuted at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Robinson and NASCAR Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb competed in the 16th installment of The Amazing Race but did not win the contest. In her career in the NASCAR Xfinity series, she appeared in 15 races in just a year and 32 races in the Camping World Truck. Patricia Moise-Sawyer, A Former NASCAR Driver (Source: Twitter). Female NASCAR Driver Stats across the three national series The three national series are: NASCAR Cup, XFINITY and Truck Series . Although diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Robinson underwent several treatments and finally became cancer-free in 2015. Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCARS Drive for Diversity. "NASCAR racing is one of the only sports nationally where men and women can compete at the exact same level," Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing for Busch Family Brands, Anheuser-Busch InBev, told ABC News. Cope made her beginning in this field through the Xfinity Series back in 2011. This post was originally published on July 9, 2021. Brian Cleary/NASCAR via Getty Images, FILE, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Brehanna Daniels is breaking down barriers in NASCAR. If NASCAR fans didn't know the name Hailie Deegan before Saturday night, they do now. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images. "There was a time where when you think about race and sport, NASCAR would be on the not-so-positive end of the spectrum," Armstrong said. [29] Trotter moved up from the West Series to the main ARCA Menards Series, where she would remain in Toyota's driver development program and drive part-time for Venturini Motorsports in the team's No. Aaron Fike, Jeremy Mayfield, Junior Johnson, and Travis Kvapil all come to mind as racers with less than squeaky clean records. Marie-Claude Charmasson. The Busch Light Accelerate Her Program, which is being announced timed to the Daytona 500 this Sunday, marks a $10 million commitment from the brand to sponsor every female driver in NASCAR ages 21 and up over the next three years. Sara Christian was a participant in the inaugural NASCAR race at the Charlotte Speedway. A Professional Stock Car Racer, Johanna Robbins (Source: AL.com). Though she competed in just seven races over the course of her career, she opened the door to racing for generations of women to come. Tammy Jo Kirk NASCAR Racer (Source: Wikimedia). "It's really difficult to gain respect, be trusted and for someone to really understand that you know what you're doing. However, her biggest accomplishment, she told ABC News, was earning her sponsorship with RV product manufacturer ICON Direct last year. Hailing from the iconic Wallace family, Chrissy Wallace is the nice of NASCAR legends Rusty Wallace and Kenny Wallace.Her father Mike Wallace was a veteran lower series driver. "I think it's really becoming more intentional in addressing its past, its racist past and things that they can do better to respond to this multicultural generation in this multicultural market in which it operates.". By the end of the year, Daniels would make history again, as part of the first female duo in a NASCAR pit crew.
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