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Ran across this good article about Janet Guthrie - the first female driver to race on a superspeedway in a NASCAR circuit, - and all the crap she had to put up with just to race.
She blazed the trail that others followed and that Danica, Jennifer, Johanna, ect... are firmly traveling today.
Whenever I think of female drivers, I always think of this story:
Louise Smith (July 31, 1916 – March 4, 2006) was tied for the second woman to race in NASCAR at the top level. She was known as "the first lady of racing."
She went as a spectator to her first NASCAR race at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1949. She could not stand watching the races, so she entered her family's shiny new Ford coupe in the race and rolled it. Her hometown Greenville, South Carolina paper featured photos of the wreck, and the town knew about it before she got home."
My biggest gripe with all the Danica mania is that people tend to ignore she's neither the first nor the most successful female in motorsports. Like Harrier and tulani mentioned there was also Janet Guthrie and Louise Smith.
For my money the most successful female in motorsports is still Shirley Muldowney. She was the first woman to win an NHRA top fuel event, the first woman to win an NHRA Championship, and the first person (male or female) to win 3 NHRA Top Fuel Championships.
Instead of watching the marketing machine that is Danica, watch Courtney Force and Erica Enders-Stevens. Unlike Danica, they can compete at the highest level and actually win.
Oh yes - I had forgotten about NHRA. Thanks for mentioning that. Drag racing has a better history of being accepting of both genders than other motorsports. Shirley was awesome!
My biggest gripe with all the Danica mania is that people tend to ignore she's neither the first nor the most successful female in motorsports. Like Harrier and tulani mentioned there was also Janet Guthrie and Louise Smith.
For my money the most successful female in motorsports is still Shirley Muldowney. She was the first woman to win an NHRA top fuel event, the first woman to win an NHRA Championship, and the first person (male or female) to win 3 NHRA Top Fuel Championships.
Instead of watching the marketing machine that is Danica, watch Courtney Force and Erica Enders-Stevens. Unlike Danica, they can compete at the highest level and actually win.
From this point forward everthing she does in NASCAR will out pace Janet Guthrie. The biggest contribution DP has made to circuit racing is securing big money sponsors to give her the best opportunity as any male driver out there. This can only be a good thing for the women who come in behind her.
From this point forward everthing she does in NASCAR will out pace Janet Guthrie. The biggest contribution DP has made to circuit racing is securing big money sponsors to give her the best opportunity as any male driver out there. This can only be a good thing for the women who come in behind her.
There were other females in the Busch series for a while. Names escape me.
I remember one female driver (again no name, maybe Deborah something?) who quit racing after she t-boned a driver and killed him. Worst hit I have ever seen in racing.
It is one of those images that I wish would leave my mind, but it refuses to go away. I felt so bad for all involved that fateful day.
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) who quit racing after she t-boned a driver and killed him. Worst hit I have ever seen in racing. 
