But here she is, at 27 years old, on the NASCAR pit road, changing tires on race cars and breaking barriers for women and people of color along the way. 7. Female NASCAR drivers are proof that stereotypes are often distorted. Based on NASCAR's own data, provided to The Associated Press, 25% of fans identify as multicultural, only 9% as Black. 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 addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. Robin McCall (2 / 1982 note: Wally Dallenbach Jr's wife) Patrick didn't win a race in seven seasons, but her seven top-10 finishes are most among female drivers in NASCAR history. Robinson is the first woman to win a top level NASCAR sanctioned race. She also became the first woman to win the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race in 2013 (Lucas Oil). Although Erin never competed in the Sprint Cup, she made history as the top Female NASCAR Driver of all time. With NASCAR looking to boost the exposure of female racers, Brittney Zamora is one of the first to stand out. Before we get to know the drivers better, let us look at an overview of the list. Passed Indianapolis 500 driver's test: May 8, 2005. After a hiatus to start a family, Shawna Robinson returned to stock car racing in 1999, contesting a full ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series season in 2000 before returning to sporadic NASCAR-sanctioned competition over the following several seasons. Shauntia Latrice "Tia" Norfleet may or may not be the first female African-American NASCAR driver. Tia Norfleet wears $1,600 custom racing suits to work, but her chosen profession is far from posh, requiring both laser focus in the moment and continuous off-season training. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. She retired from full-time competition after the 2017 season. So how come you never hear of the women drivers or see them race on TV? 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 . Female drivers competed at a high level all the way back to the earliest days of NASCAR. Another female racer, Louise Smith raced 11 times in the Cup Series between 1949 and 1952, with a best finish of 16th Patrick removed the implants after having them for seven years. Hailie Deegan, born and raised in Temecula, California, is a 21 years old female NASCAR driver to have dominated the scene. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The first female to compete in a NASCAR superspeedway race, Guthrie finished 15th in the 1976 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Female NASCAR Driver Stats across the three national series The three national series are: NASCAR Cup, XFINITY and Truck Series . Shawna Robinson (8 / 2001-2002) You have entered an incorrect email address! Tia and Bobby Norfleet began a mission to bring awareness to motorsports to children of all backgrounds, especially those in underserved communities and from minority ethnic backgrounds. She led 19 laps of the race, becoming the first woman ever to . Natalie Decker stands by her truck during qualifying for the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 in Brooklyn, Mich., Aug. 10, 2019. Amber Balcaen became the first Canadian woman to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the U.S. in 2016. This year, at the Daytona 500, Siegel said he watched proudly when alumni of the program made up 10% of the field, including NASCAR stars like Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larsen and Daniel Suarez. Patrick's racing career began with go-karts in her hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin, at age 10. She won in her debut in Whelen Euro Series Elite Club Division by lapping just 0.001 seconds from the reference time. In 2001, Robinson would be the first woman to finish a race in the Winston Cup Series since Janet Guthrie in 1980. Over the years, some of NASCAR's drivers have also been embroiled in controversies about race. In a late model race at Motor Mile Speedway in Fairlawn, Virginia, she started a race, yet parked after one lap. [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. 107 women have qualified for and started at least one race in one of NASCARs touring series, including 16 at NASCARs premier level. California-native Breidinger, 21, made her debut in . Let's check out five female NASCAR drivers that deserve a shot in the Cup Series. However, she did not race for Youngs Motorsports as she left them to join Venturini Motorsports in July. Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity even while some celebrate her achievements in the sport. However, last year, the organization banned Confederate flags at its races. Brehanna Daniels is just 27 years old and changing tires on race cars -- and breaking barriers for women and people of color along the way. That year, the series became sanctioned by ARCA and renamed the ARCA Menards Series West, so Trotter became the first female to win in the series under the ARCA name. Lets take a look at some of NASCARs female pioneers. 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. . Indianapolis 500 career earnings: $2,865,240. Although, now retired, Danica has successfully won 191 races in seven years of her career. Ann Slaasted (1 / 1950) Relatively few women have contested a full season in any of NASCAR's touring series, although this is increasingly common. Leilani Munter - American [19][20] Long would eventually race in the Nationwide Series, making her debut in the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300. 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. She drove an Audi R8 LMS in the 2012 Super GT season, becoming the first female driver in the series. It wasn't until 2012, 64 years after NASCAR was founded, that it signed its first female pit crew member, Christmas Abbott. That was until recruiters from NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program showed up on her college campus in 2016 and introduced her to the sport. "It's really difficult to gain respect, be trusted and for someone to really understand that you know what you're doing. Martinsville Speedway is the Cup Series' shortest track. In 2015, Patrick tied Janet Guthrie for most top ten finishes for a woman with a seventh place finish at Martinsville. People tend to assume women are lacking physically and have no road sense of direction. He said he has faced a lot of resistance in his efforts to bring more diversity to NASCAR but says he remains committed to the mission. In 19 Cup Series starts in 1977, Guthrie finished in the top 12 a total of 10 times, with a career-best finish of sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway. She has established herself as one of the hottest racing drivers, as well as one of the hottest female athletes in general. [17] In 2012, Patrick would eventually race part-time in the Sprint Cup Series. 82 truck. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. But it was in 2016 she changed her tracks towards asphalt races and made her asphalt professional beginning in 2017. While the Drive for Diversity program is keen to celebrate progress, Siegel said that success requires much more work. In 1955, Wood finished third overall in the Class 4 (Unlimited Displacement) category for U.S. Stock Production Passenger Cars. A few weeks later she passed Guthrie for the most top ten finishes for a woman in Sprint Cup history at Bristol. Besides racing, she runs Tinas Dream Ranch business and is also politically active. She recently competed in the 2022 Baptist Health 200 (Homestead). The following year, Robinson became the first woman to earn the pole position in a NASCAR race. On top of funding, gaining respect in the sport as a woman is another obstacle, she and Breidinger said. Auto racing has been around for over 100 years, and the sport has been consistently dominated by men. Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity. No. 11 August 1983 (age 39) Charlie Christina Martin born. 16 will . Her first race in this series was in the 2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) and her last was in the 2020 Vankor 350 (Texas). Danica Patrick - First Female NASCAR Driver. She returned to ARCA in 2021 for Youngs Motorsports on a part-time schedule. Tammy Jo Kirk had 37 Top 10 finishes and two poles in the All Pro Series before becoming the first woman to start at the Camping World Truck Series. . The top tier of NASCAR, the cup series, has had 16 Female NASCAR drivers in its history. In a race that had a starting field of 45 drivers, including a handful of Hall of Famers, Christian dazzled with a sixth-place finish. In four of the six races, she finished in the top 15. [5], NASCAR has seen varying levels of participation by female drivers throughout its ranks since the sanctioning body's inception in 1949. Her 2022 racing stats: 31.00 average starts and 32.00 average finish while not finishing once in pole position. It's like, why wouldn't that matter? 2023 Nascar Hall Of Fame. Her racing career started as a spectator and transformed into 38 wins in various NASCAR formats including sportsman, late models, midgets, and modified. Goldie Parsons (1 / 1965) "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.". Formerly Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series Elite Division (2012) and Whelen Euro Series Elite Division (2013), Formerly Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series Open Division (2012) and Whelen Euro Series Open Division (2013), Note: Full statistics only available beginning with 2014 season, AutoZone Elite Division, Midwest Series (200406), Formerly RE/MAX Challenge Series (19982002) and International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest Series (2003), AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series (200406), Formerly Northwest Tour (198586), Winston Northwest Tour (198794), REB-CO Northwest Tour (199597), and Raybestos Northwest Series (19982003), AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series (200406), Formerly Winston All Pro Series (199193), Slim Jim All-Pro Series (19942000), Gatorade All Pro Series (2001), Hills Bros. All Pro Series (2002), and Kodak Southeast Series (2003), AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series (200306), Formerly Featherlite Southwest Tour (19862002), Formerly Baby Grand Division (197579), International Sedan Series (198082), Darlington Dash Series (198384), Daytona Dash Series (1985), Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series (198689) and Dash Series (199091), Note: Only partial statistics available for the late 1970s, Whelen Southern Modified Tour (20052016). She made her debut at the Daytona International Speedway. 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. In 2013, Patrick became the first woman in Sprint Cup history to race full-time in the series. Since 2009, the program has trained 75 gender and ethnically diverse candidates for NASCAR's pit crews. She married fellow short track driver and Kyle Busch Motorsports engineer Hunter Robbins. 15 for Rick Ware Racing and becoming the first female driver to race in the series since Patrick's retirement. Deegan moved up from the ARCA Menards Series to the Truck Series full-time, continuing to drive for David Gilliland Racing. In June 2020, Wallace, another NASCAR driver who also broke racial barriers in the sport, spoke out about racism after one of his crew members reported what looked like a noose hanging in the team's garage stall. suspended after using a racial slur at a virtual race last year. She also became the first woman to race at every racetrack on the circuit. They are basically second class citizens and the men will never let them race in the big time. Four years later at the invitation of NASCAR founder and chairman William H.G. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She has run 15 races in the Xfinity Series and 32 races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. 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 . Danica is a successful retired NASCAR driver and the first woman to win an Indy Car Series race. A portion of the commitment will also be reserved for up-and-coming talent, the company said. To this day, her fifth-place finish at Heidelberg Raceway (which, in 1960, became the first track to fall off NASCAR's tour) remains the only top-five finish for a woman in NASCAR. Sara Christian was the first female driver in NASCAR history. That success is what Siegel said he wants for all his recruits who come through the Drive for Diversity program. This isnt a rank-based list. Top 10 Essential NASCAR Stats and Facts. Although diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Robinson underwent several treatments and finally became cancer-free in 2015. What he needed, he decided, was a female driver who could handle the challenges of the track and hopefully bring more women out to the races. Tina Gordon On Her Phone (Source: Briefly News). at Langhorne Speedway in 1949. Born August 27, 2001, Gracie Trotter is the 2nd female to win a West Series Race. She began drag racing and hitting the short track circuit for late model racing, with several top-15 finishes to her name. Born and raised in Georgia, Tammy started as a racer in the Xfinity series in 2003. During her rally career, she drove the Opel Kadett, Chevrolet Corvette, Opel Commodore, and Chevrolet Camaro. Sara Christian. "It's been a long road, a lot of struggle, and I'm a one-woman show so I'm doing everything on my own," Balcaen, 29, who is competing in the ARCA Menards Series this season, told ABC News. Sara Christian was the first female driver in NASCAR history, competing in the sanctioning body's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 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. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Toni Breidinger, the first Arab American female driver in NASCAR, returned to the ARCA Menards Series for the first time since 2018, joining Young's Motorsports to compete part-time for them as part of the Truck Series team's first foray into ARCA. However, her biggest accomplishment, she told ABC News, was earning her sponsorship with RV product manufacturer ICON Direct last year. First woman to lead a lap in Indianapolis 500. 27-year-old Brehanna Daniels is the first Black female tire changer in NASCAR history. Furthermore, she's not the first NASCAR driver to have faced arrest. Deegan also has a family YouTube channel called The Deegans, where she posts her everyday life and beyond. We shall talk about Jennifer Jo Cobb on our list of top female NASCAR drivers. Below is a list of top 10 talented female race car drivers. Christian competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1986, Patty Moise would become the first woman to lead in a Busch Series race.[11]. Instagram. [69] 2020 was the first season of ARCA as a NASCAR-sanctioned series, so this list begins with 2020. Moving forward, they will continue to pave their way in the male-dominated field. 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. She finished 28th even though she started 42nd. [7] Through the 1950s and 1960s, female racers made only a handful of starts in NASCAR's touring series. Erin Mary Crocket Evernham (Source: MassLive.com). [2], In 2020, Gracie Trotter became the second female driver to win in the West Series, with her victory in the race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring on September 26. Fire up your engines! Yet, if she had not pursued her passion, she would not see her days when she had bagged numerous wins and awards. In 1954, Betty Skelton Erde drove the pace car at Daytona and set the female stock car speed record. That year, Patrick became the first woman to win the NASCAR Most Popular Nationwide Driver award. 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. As of September 30, 2018, only two women, Hailie Deegan and Shawna Robinson, have won a race in NASCARs touring series. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? She used to drive as a full-timer at Bill McAnally Racing in the ARCA West and part-time in ARCA East. "I think it's very difficult to reach your full potential without the proper funding. "It's great that men and women can compete in NASCAR. Robinson Signing Autographs For Her Fans (Source: ESPN). 1986 saw the first woman lead in a Busch Series Race in Patty Moise. One of her most impressive performances came in September at the challenging Langhorne Speedway, a circular 1-mile track outside of Philadelphia. This point is hotly contested, to the point where Tia Norfleet has more or less disappeared from the limelight before her NASCAR racing career even started. Louise Smith. In 1978, Guthrie finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500, while in 1980, she was 11th in the Daytona 500. "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. 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). Natalie Decker moved up from the Truck Series to the Xfinity Series, where she would run five races in the No. 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. Her No. And right now, were also in the midst of a year-long observance honoring NASCARs 75th anniversary, which makes it a perfect time to recognize some notable female racers, most from the sports earliest days. [I] definitely was like, I'm never getting into NASCAR. Therefore, they believe women cant drive, let alone race. Ethel Flock Mobley. At age 16, after national success in go-karts, Patrick left high school to race Formula Fords and Vauxhalls in the United Kingdom. Still, young girls, especially those who have not come from privileged white backgrounds, look up to Tia Norfleet. Career Indianapolis 500 starts: 8 (2005-11, 2018) Best career Indianapolis 500 start: 4th in 2005. 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. Patty Moise has a record of 133 starts for the XFINITY series from 1986-1998. [31] Cobb planned on making her Cup Series debut in the spring Talladega race, driving the No.
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