[7] Through the 1950s and 1960s, female racers made only a handful of starts in NASCAR's touring series. Indianapolis 500 career earnings: $2,865,240. Louise Smith: The First Lady of NASCAR. Since 2004, NASCAR has worked to develop female and ethnically diverse drivers through its Drive for Diversity Program. 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. "Especially, you know, a little black girl like myself at that time. She also won the 2010 Snowball Derby. In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway. You Can Also Read About Romain Grosjean Bio: Crash, Wife, IndyCar & Net Worth>>. She recently competed in the 2022 Baptist Health 200 (Homestead). She finished 3rd in the 2020 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. While some female NASCAR drivers have transitioned or attempted to transition from open-wheel racing and sports car racing (such as Sarah Fisher, Janet Guthrie, and Danica Patrick), most have climbed the stock-car racing ladder (such as Tammy Jo Kirk, Johanna Long, and Shawna Robinson), beginning to race full-sized stock cars in their teenage years. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Instead of bolstering her career, this move has vilified her in the media, with potential sponsors less than eager to support a driver who has been accused of misrepresenting herself. In 1978, Guthrie finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500, while in 1980, she was 11th in the Daytona 500. We believe these NASCAR drivers are the best in their way and working their way up to the top. Her last race was back in 1998, and she is now happily retired, leaving her legacy behind. Darius Days Bio: Family, Contracts And Net Shaun Livingston Bio: Injuries, NBA Championships, Net Who Is Aaron Rodgers Wife? Fifi Scott (2 / 1955) A few weeks later she passed Guthrie for the most top ten finishes for a woman in Sprint Cup history at Bristol. Shawna Robinson became the first woman to win a NASCAR Touring Series event in 1988. Though there have been strides over the years to diversify the male-dominated sport of auto racing, there are currently no female drivers competing at NASCAR's highest level, the Cup Series. Also in 2020, the former K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West became the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, respectively. "I feel like for the first time since I've been involved, a lot of those things are starting to be addressed head on and progress is being made," Siegel said. Sara Christian's fifth-place finish in 1949 tops among the best finishes by a female race driver at a professional level. She worked her way through the local series and was the first female late-model driver to win at Hickory Speedway.. Wallace has made seven Truck series and 2 Xfinity series starts. Over the years, some of NASCAR's drivers have also been embroiled in controversies about race. She was also invited to NASCARs 2019 Drive for Diversity. Patty Moise made a record 133 Xfinity Series starts between 1986 and 1998 and Tammy Jo Kirk scored 37 top-10 finishes and two poles in what was then known as the All Pro Series, before making the first starts for a woman in the Camping World Truck Series. Danica Patrick, in full Danica Sue Patrick, (born March 25, 1982, Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S.), American race car driver and the first woman to win an IndyCar championship event. "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.". Patricia made her debut in Busch Series in 1986 (Road Atlanta), driving the no.47 Buck Regal for Randy Hope. "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. 82 truck. Through a new sponsorship opportunity with Busch Light, all three women will be able to gain financial backing and exposure that they hope will encourage more women to enter the profession, both on and off the track. On top of funding, gaining respect in the sport as a woman is another obstacle, she and Breidinger said. She would break the record weeks later and she would finish the season as the first woman to make 100 starts in NASCARs Cup series. Marian Pagan (1 / 1954) Sara Christian (7 / 1949-1950) Although, now retired, Danica has successfully won 191 races in seven years of her career. This isnt a rank-based list. Her love for racing began in her husbands short-track stock car. She competed in over 100 NASCAR racing events. For women competing professionally in the sport, exposure and sponsorships are key to rising in the ranks, but both can be difficult to come by, female NASCAR drivers told ABC News. In that first Strictly Stock season of 1949, Christian competed in six of the eight races. While the media paints Tia Norfleet as a liar and a criminal, it seems that she was right on par with other young drivers trying to find their way in the wild world of motorsports. [22], In 2013, Patrick became the first woman in Sprint Cup history to have a full-time ride in the series (with Stewart-Haas Racing),[22] and eventually the first female driver to clinch the pole position and lead a green flag lap, both occurring at the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first woman to lead both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. She is the only woman to win an IndyCar series with her victory at the 2008 Indy Japan 300. Recently, in May 2022, she opened up about her breast implant and her struggles after that. Since then, only 15 pit crew members have been women, according to . She had further raced at the Xfinity Series and Road Atlanta in 1986. Passed Indianapolis 500 driver's test: May 8, 2005. 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. Janet Guthrie (33 / 1976-1980) The series exists since 2009, but was not officially affiliated with NASCAR until 2012. Before we get to know the drivers better, let us look at an overview of the list. Her 2022 racing stats: 31.00 average starts and 32.00 average finish while not finishing once in pole position. Brian Cleary/NASCAR via Getty Images, FILE, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "It's a lot easier when you see that it's been done before for you to believe in yourself to achieve that as well.". There are few women and minorities represented across the sport. Later, she was signed by Rev Racing in both the years 2019 and 2020. The following year, Guthrie became the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series Race under caution at the Ontario Speedway in Canada. For the 2021 ARCA Menards Series, Grace has decided to race ten races in total but a part-time, driving Number 15 and 25. Get the latest top sport news and stories delivered to your inbox. The following year, Robinson became the first woman to earn the pole position in a NASCAR race. Loving racing karts when she was 5, she started to race at the age of 8. She has confirmed that she is the first black woman to receive a NASCAR racing license, and has publicly spoken about her desire to someday race at Daytona, once she has moved up through ARCA and NASCARrankings. She retired from full-time stock car racing after the 2018 Daytona 500.[25]. [23] In 2014, Patrick became the first woman to race in the 2014 Sprint Unlimited. Brittney Zamora, The First Woman To Win 100-Lap Pro Late Model Feature Race (Source: ENEOS). Shane Acedera has been writing online sports articles since 2003 but have been a writer and a blogger since high school. Robinson won three times between 1988 and 1989 in the now-defunct Dash Series,[1] Deegan won three races in the K&N Pro Series West between 2018 and 2019. The E2 Northeast Motorsports team became the first multicultural team to race competitively in NASCAR, with four black and Latino drivers two in the camping world truck series and two in . 99. "When I saw Danica Patrick in the Cup Series, that made me believe that I could somehow, someday be in the Cup series," Balcaen said. Since the 20th Century, female drivers have been leaving their mark on NASCAR history. Why wouldn't that be talked about?," Daniels said. In 2017, Patrick became the first female NASCAR driver to lead the prestigious Coca Cola 600. "Brehanna was one of those who embraced it, came through the program, excelled," said Max Siegel, the manager of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. NASCAR did not respond to a request for comment about Armstrong's comments. 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. For the first time in school history, the men's and women's teams earned regional titles in the same season, sweeping the Region 3 titles last Sunday. The NASCAR fan base is also overwhelmingly white. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Patty Moise has a record of 133 starts for the XFINITY series from 1986-1998. That success is what Siegel said he wants for all his recruits who come through the Drive for Diversity program. He won 19 races including the 1980 Daytona 500 and was the first driver to break 200 . During the Camping World Races of 2010, Long was booked to race only three races but ended up racing seven. at Langhorne Speedway in 1949. Erin Mary Crocker Evernham gave birth to a daughter, Cate Susan Evernham, on July 25, 2015. Danica Patrick - First Female NASCAR Driver. In 2015, Patrick tied Janet Guthrie for most top ten finishes for a woman with a seventh place finish at Martinsville. She received the most popular driver award in THE 2021 and 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. 3. "When you're new and then you're also a woman on top of that? Kim Crosby, a NASCAR female driver, was born in Tallahassee in Florida on 8th December 1964. The sister of early NASCAR racers Tim (Class of 2014), Bob and Fonty Flock, Ethel Mobley Flock competed in two NASCAR races in 1949, posting a best finish of 11th on the Daytona Beach-Road Course in July. Meet Tia Norfleet, the first African-American female NASCAR driver and daughter of legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet. In 2001, Robinson would be the first woman to finish a race in the Winston Cup Series since Janet Guthrie in 1980. [15] While the program has succeeded in launching the careers of minority drivers including NASCAR Cup Series race winner Kyle Larson, Camping World Truck Series race winner Bubba Wallace, and 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Surez, the program's early years were less effective in expanding the roster of female drivers in NASCAR's top touring series. In 2019, Kobayashi won in her one and only start in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (in the Elite Club Division). Stock Car Racing Driver And Victorias Secret Model, Toni Breidinger (Source: New York Post). By the end of the year, Daniels would make history again, as part of the first female duo in a NASCAR pit crew. Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity even while some celebrate her achievements in the sport. Her last races for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series were in the 2005 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond) and 2008 San Bernardino County 200 (Fontana), respectively. One of her most impressive performances came in September at the challenging Langhorne Speedway, a circular 1-mile track outside of Philadelphia.