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. She drove in the first race for the fledgling stock car association on June 19, 1949, on the dirt track at Charlotte Speedway. [10] In 1977, Janet Guthrie would become the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series race under caution, at Ontario Speedway. Also, on October 9, 2021, she won a 100-lap Pro Late Model feature race, becoming the first woman to win a race in the tracks premier division at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. 1986 saw the first woman lead in a Busch Series Race in Patty Moise. Another woman (Alina Loibnegger) finished second, in the first time ever two women finished 12 in NASCAR history. 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. One of the most talented female race drivers, Ashley is the daughter of former national drag . In addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. In the NASCAR Cup Series, which began racing in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, women competed in the very first race at the old 0.75-mile Charlotte Speedway dirt track, near where Charlotte-Douglas International Airport stands today. "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. 20 Toyota, owned by her family. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Natalie Decker moved up from the Truck Series to the Xfinity Series, where she would run five races in the No. 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. [19][20] Long would eventually race in the Nationwide Series, making her debut in the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300. What Is the Future for Women in Racing? - FanBuzz 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. Interestingly, the 1949 Daytona NASCAR event was the first to feature three female racers Christian, Mobley and Smith while the same three drivers also raced at Langhorne in 1949, the last NASCAR race with three female drivers. She got the title of the first female driver who won with number one in 2013 racing series. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Fire up your engines! [17] In 2012, Patrick would eventually race part-time in the Sprint Cup Series. Are you looking for fast and fabulous women in the racing field? "There's always room for improvement. Louise Smith: The First Lady of NASCAR. Fisher was the first female driver to take a pole position in a significant American open-wheel race in 2002. Sara Christian. "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. 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. Ty Dillon. In 1955, Wood finished third overall in the Class 4 (Unlimited Displacement) category for U.S. Stock Production Passenger Cars. That success is what Siegel said he wants for all his recruits who come through the Drive for Diversity program. On January 14, 2020, she signed for Bill McAnally Racing in the ARCA Menards Series West. But here we have brought you 16 Best Female NASCAR Drivers who prove they are here to change the stereotype. Some of her other awards are the 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie and the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Toni Breidinger, 21, who is of Lebanese descent, has become the first Arab-American female to race in Nascar. Buddy Baker (1941-2015) Getty Images / ISC Archives. Christian competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Later that year, she announced that she would be retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 2017 season. Moving forward in her career, after concluding the 2016 NASCAR K&N, she debuted at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Julia Landauer was the most successful within her respective series, finishing fourth in points in the K&N Pro Series West with seven top-five finishes in fourteen races. Earlier this year, Toni Breidinger became the first Arab-American female race car driver to join the NASCAR family. The top tier of NASCAR, the cup series, has had 16 Female NASCAR drivers in its history. During her NASCAR Xfinity Series career, she finished once in the pole position and once in the top ten. She also became the first winner in any ARCA-sanctioned series, because there have been no female winners in the main ARCA Menards Series as of April 2021. 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. Her skills on the court were an easy fit for the fast-paced needs in a NASCAR pit crew. Ethel Flock Mobley. Making her Sprint Cup beginning in 1987, the Jacksonville superstar Patty Moise-Sawyer is one of the 16 best female NASCAR drivers in history. Robinson is known as a competent racer who left a legacy in the male-dominated industry. First woman to lead a lap in Indianapolis 500. Cope made her beginning in this field through the Xfinity Series back in 2011. Several women have qualified for and started at least one ARCA Menards Series race, like Danica Patrick, Leilani Munter, Alli Owens, Erin Crocker, Shawna Robinson, Sarah Cornett-Ching, Deborah Renshaw, Maryeve Dufault, Toni Breidinger, Milka Duno, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Nicole Behar, Hailie Deegan, Natalie Decker, and others. From 2012-2018, Danica Patrick competed in 191 Cup Series races, posting seven top-10 finishes, including a best of sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2014. 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. 25 cars. Though he successfully raced motorcycles, drag cars, and stock cars at low-level events, he was never able to raise enough money or sponsorship to actively compete. A former NASCAR driver, Danica is one of the most successful women in open-wheel race history. In 2013, The New York Times ran an article that effectively shut down any chance Tia Norfleet had at a NASCAR career. The majority of the NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup has been finalized for the 2023 season. Dominique won Super Late Model Track Champion in 2012 Springport Motor Speedway Outlaw. I think that you will get an honest admission from everyone in the sport that there is a ton of work to be done," Siegel said. . There's so many obstacles.". Sara Christian competed in the inaugural NASCAR race at Charlotte Speedway (she had Bob Flock finish the race). Patty also appeared in 133 races from 1986 to 1998 for Busch Series. In 2013, she finished eight and became the first female NASCAR driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, turning in the fastest qualifying lap since 1990 in qualifying for the Daytona 500 . Instagram. She also became the first woman to win the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race in 2013 (Lucas Oil). 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. Still, young girls, especially those who have not come from privileged white backgrounds, look up to Tia Norfleet. [8], No woman had raced NASCAR in a decade when Janet Guthrie started the 1976 World 600,[9] finishing 15th, ahead of Dale Earnhardt. Top 10 Most Beautiful and Talented Female Race Drivers - KnowInsiders In 1986, Patty Moise would become the first woman to lead in a Busch Series race.[11]. On top of funding, gaining respect in the sport as a woman is another obstacle, she and Breidinger said. That year she had three top 10 finishes with her best finish of sixth at Atlanta. Credit Suisse First Boston Will Have Goldman Sachs-like Partners . Christine Beckers (1 / 1977) Frontstretch 5: Honorable Female Driving Pioneers in NASCAR 12 Women Athletes Who Won Against Men - ELLE It's like, why wouldn't that matter? As for the 2022 season there are only 2 females running a full season Hailie Deegan[4] and Toni Breidinger. 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. She also won the 2010 Snowball Derby. Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity. Christian made seven starts in . She received the most popular driver award in THE 2021 and 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2016, Daniels was the only woman in a group of men trying out for one of the spots on a NASCAR pit crew team. With NASCAR looking to boost the exposure of female racers, Brittney Zamora is one of the first to stand out. "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. Female drivers competed at a high level all the way back to the earliest days of NASCAR. But I think that inequality is still there and it kind of stems off of the fact that we are lacking on funding," Toni Breidinger, 22, who is competing in the ARCA Menards Series this season, told ABC News. 17-year-old Hailie Deegan makes NASCAR history with first win 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. At age 14, Tia Norfleet decided that she wanted to become a race car driver. [7] Through the 1950s and 1960s, female racers made only a handful of starts in NASCAR's touring series. After investigating, the FBI concluded that the rope was a garage door pull rope and did not file any charges. "People were like, 'oh, she sucks,' 'what does it matter that she's Black?' Kim Crosby, a NASCAR female driver, was born in Tallahassee in Florida on 8th December 1964. Since then, only 15 pit crew members have been women, according to . In Australia, Terri Sawyer[13] won the Moomba 100 NASCAR race at the Calder Park Thunderdome, Melbourne on March 3, 1991 driving a Pontiac. You have entered an incorrect email address! In 2013, Patrick became the first female driver to win a pole in a Cup Series race when she qualified No. 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. It wasn't even a thought in my mind," she said. The NASCAR fan base is also overwhelmingly white. Brehanna Daniels Is Making History as NASCAR's First Black Female Tire 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. Louise Smith. Toni Breidinger is the first Arab-American female driver in NASCAR history. At least 125 women have qualified for and started a race in one of NASCAR's touring series, including 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series. We don't have to look far to find NASCAR's first ever female driver, because the very first race in June 1949 at Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina happened to have one in it. NASCAR's first Arab American female driver makes her Daytona debut . Women began to compete more frequently throughout NASCAR's lower series over the course of the 1990s. Though NASCAR reports that developing diversity in racing is extremely important to them, it does seem strange that officials for the organization have spent a significant amount of time reiterating that Tia Norfleet, a hopeful driver looking to someday progress her career by announcing her future racing goals, is not yet a fully-licensed NASCAR or ARCA driver. Deegan moved up from the ARCA Menards Series to the Truck Series full-time, continuing to drive for David Gilliland Racing. Most successful female NASCAR driver of all time; Most successful female in open-wheel racing . Deegan debuted in 2018 through NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and has 18 races in her bag in just under three years. In 2003, she bagged the Knoxville award for Best Rookie. Sports Sunday: Meet Tia Norfleet, The First Black Female NASCAR Driver For the 2021 ARCA Menards Series, Grace has decided to race ten races in total but a part-time, driving Number 15 and 25. Sarah Christian was the first female NASCAR driver of all time. Robinson is the first woman to win a top level NASCAR sanctioned race. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. I prefer drag racing where there are lots of women drivers and they actually win races on TV. Even before she started competing in NASCAR, Zamora was a super late model racer. Since 2004, NASCAR has worked to develop female and ethnically diverse drivers through its Drive for Diversity Program. By Rachel Cormack. 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. Ethel [Flock] Mobley (2 / 1949) She joined NASCAR in 2016 as part of the organization's "Drive for Diversity" program. Meet NASCAR's First Arab-American Female Driver, 21-Year-Old Toni Breidinger The 21-year-old will make her debut at Daytona International Speedway on February 13. While the Drive for Diversity program is keen to celebrate progress, Siegel said that success requires much more work. Sara Christian was the first female driver in NASCAR history. Patrick would record a major milestone by clinching the pole position in the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300, being the first female driver to clinch it since Shawna Robinson. She also drives but only part-time for the NASCAR XFINITY series, driving the #55 Toyota Camry of JP Motorsports. Plan a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets at NASCARHall.com/tickets. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Although Erin never competed in the Sprint Cup, she made history as the top Female NASCAR Driver of all time. "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. In 2013, Patrick became the first woman in Sprint Cup history to race full-time in the series. However, Patrick would finish 38th after a crash. NASCAR has seen female drivers compete since the inception of its sanctioning body in 1949. Now at 27, Daniels is NASCAR's first Black female tire changer. If NASCAR fans didn't know the name Hailie Deegan before Saturday night, they do now. She led 19 laps of the race, becoming the first woman ever to . Formerly Busch North Series (19872005), Busch East Series (200607), Camping World East Series (200809) and K&N Pro Series East (201019), Formerly Pacific Coast Late Model Division (195469), Grand National West (1970), Winston West Series (197193), Winston Transcontinental Series (1994), Winston West Series (19952003), West Series (200405), AutoZone West Series (2006), West Series (2007), Camping World West Series (200809) and K&N Pro Series West (201019), Formerly Winston Modified Tour (198593) and Featherlite Modified Series (19942004), Formerly Desafo Corona (200406), Corona Series (200711), Toyota Series (201214), Mexico Series (2015), Note: Only partial statistics available prior to 2008 season, Formerly Mexico T4 Series (200407), Mini Stock Series (200910), Stock V6 Series (201115). 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. Kenzie Hemric was selected in 2013 and '14. Earning the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500 was a history-making event for Danica Patrick and her Stewart-Haas Racing team. Below is a list of top 10 talented female race car drivers. Ann Chester (2 / 1950) During her teens, she slowly moved up to the Auto racing ranks and is now at the age of 21, the only woman with 19 United States Auto Club Wins. The following year, Guthrie became the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series Race under caution at the Ontario Speedway in Canada. The First African-American Female NASCAR Driver. During . "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.". She announced to run for the District position on the Cherokee County, Alabama Commission post in 2008. You don't see that every day in NASCAR. In four of the six races, she finished in the top 15. Patrick is best known for winning the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and becoming the first woman to win in an IndyCar Series race. During her rally career, she drove the Opel Kadett, Chevrolet Corvette, Opel Commodore, and Chevrolet Camaro. an office employee by day and a sports storyteller by night. 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. You Can Also Read About Romain Grosjean Bio: Crash, Wife, IndyCar & Net Worth>>. Let's check out five female NASCAR drivers that deserve a shot in the Cup Series. Her victory was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Tammy Jo Kirk won in 1994. "It's really difficult to gain respect, be trusted and for someone to really understand that you know what you're doing. In 2001, Robinson would be the first woman to finish a race in the Winston Cup Series since Janet Guthrie in 1980. [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. [32], Formerly Strictly Stock Series (1949), Grand National Series (195070), Winston Cup Series (19712003), Nextel Cup Series (200407), Sprint Cup Series (200816), and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (201719), Formerly Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series (198283), Busch Grand National Series (198494), Busch Grand National Division (19952003), Busch Series (200407), Nationwide Series (200814) and Xfinity Series (2015), Formerly SuperTruck Series by Craftsman (1995), Craftsman Truck Series (19962008), Camping World Truck Series (20092018), and Gander Outdoors Truck Series (2019). Brehanna Daniels with ABC News' Faith Abubey. She debuted for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010 AAA Insurance 200 (IRP) and her last race for this series was in 2011 Winstar World Casino 350k (Texas). "When you're new and then you're also a woman on top of that? 16 Of The Most Gorgeous and Talented Race Car Drivers Ever - Motor Junkie In 1954, Betty Skelton Erde drove the pace car at Daytona and set the female stock car speed record. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. She was born on June 25, 1997, in Eagle River, Wisconsin, U.S. Decker has competed at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series and in 2015, participated in the Drive for Diversity. Brehanna Daniels is breaking down barriers in NASCAR. The 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock race at Langhorne Speedway featured three female racers, Louise Smith (from left), Sara Christian and Ethel Flock Mobley. Last year, the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards honored Breidinger, the first Arab-American female driver to participate in any NASCAR national series, with its Developmental Series Driver Award. In 2012, she became the youngest woman to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. She finished 3rd in the 2020 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.