"Especially, you know, a little black girl like myself at that time. In 1994, Robinson became the first woman to clinch pole position in one of the major series, topping the qualifying race for the Xfinity series Busch Light 300 series at the Atlanta Speedway on March 12, 1994. In Australia, Terri Sawyer[13] won the Moomba 100 NASCAR race at the Calder Park Thunderdome, Melbourne on March 3, 1991 driving a Pontiac. In a late model race at Motor Mile Speedway in Fairlawn, Virginia, she started a race, yet parked after one lap. Toni Breidinger, 21, who is of Lebanese descent, has become the first Arab-American female to race in Nascar. Moreover, she finished in 29th position back in 2011, which is also her best. Christian competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Top 10 Essential NASCAR Stats and Facts. 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. This season, there's a new face on the racetrack, and she's creating history. Sara Christian competed in the inaugural NASCAR race at Charlotte Speedway (she had Bob Flock finish the race). "It's great that men and women can compete in NASCAR. She retired from full-time competition after the 2017 season. She's continued to set records: In 2013, she became the first female NASCAR driver to take a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole in the 2013 Daytona 500; her eighth place finish is the highest finish . at Langhorne Speedway in 1949. Although her NASCAR career was brief, what Sara Christian accomplished has more than stood the test of time. 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. Regardless of having the talent, she had to beg her father to buy her a go-kart when she was nine years old. NASCAR, founded in 1948, didn't have its first female pit crew member -- Christmas Abbott -- until 2012. Former "Price Is Right" Model Maryeve Dufault Had an Impressive Stint in NASCAR. [26] In 2016, a record 18 different women started a race in one of NASCAR's touring series. 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. 2012 was the first season as a NASCAR-sanctioned series, so the list will be made from 2012 onwards. Plan a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets at NASCARHall.com/tickets. You Can Read About The 12 Best Race Car Drivers In The World>>>. Besides racing, she runs Tinas Dream Ranch business and is also politically active. 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 . Dominique Van Wieringen is a Canadian stock car racer racing part-time at the ARCA Menards for Rette Jones. She has established herself as one of the hottest racing drivers, as well as one of the hottest female athletes in general. Born in 1969, Tina Gordon is one of the top female NASCAR drivers in history. 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. First woman to lead a lap in Indianapolis 500. Cope made her beginning in this field through the Xfinity Series back in 2011. In 2014, Danica Patrick had three top 10 finishes including 6th place in Atlanta. Her love for racing began in her husbands short-track stock car. Louise Smith (1949-1956) Louise Smith, tied for second female NASCAR driver alongside Ethel, became known as "The First Lady of Racing.". 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. Daniel Suarez. Shawna Robinson became the first woman to win a NASCAR Touring Series event in 1988. [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. In 2018, she won Washington State Rookie and was selected as one of the invitees to Drive for Diversity. 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. Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCARS Drive for Diversity. She is one of the 16 women to ever participate in the NASCAR Cup Series and one of only three female drivers to race in the Daytona 500. Fisher was the first female driver to take a pole position in a significant American open-wheel race in 2002. Sara Christian was a participant in the inaugural NASCAR race at the Charlotte Speedway. The adrenaline and skill of driving at high speeds resides in the . 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. 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. 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. Kim Crosby, born in 1964, is 58 years old talented NASCAR female driver who has won 10 races over three years. In 1954, Betty Skelton Erde drove the pace car at Daytona and set the female stock car speed record. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Top-Ten Finishes by a female driver in the NASCAR Cup Series: Sara Christian, Pittsburgh, 10-2-1949, 5th (out of 23 cars) . The First African-American Female NASCAR Driver. She is the only woman to win an IndyCar series with her victory at the 2008 Indy Japan 300. [19][20] Long would eventually race in the Nationwide Series, making her debut in the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300. As of April 2021, Shawna Robinson, Hailie Deegan, Manami Kobayashi, and Gracie Trotter remain the only women to have won a race in one of NASCAR's touring series. Through one simple child's go-kart, a NASCAR hopeful was born. Jennifer Jo Cobb. [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. Credit Suisse First Boston Will Have Goldman Sachs-like Partners . She signed with Black Cat Racing the same year but ended her tenure during Speedweeks. [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. As of September 30, 2018, only two women, Hailie Deegan and Shawna Robinson, have won a race in NASCARs touring series. Learn how your comment data is processed. The following is a list of female NASCAR drivers who have participated in a national or regional touring series race since the organization's inception in 1949, along with statistical totals for their NASCAR careers. Her first race was at the 2003 Florida Dodge Dealers and her last was at the 2004 Infineon 200. It wasn't until 2012, 64 years after NASCAR was founded, that it signed its first female pit crew member, Christmas Abbott. She finished the race in fifth place, her best career finish. 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. Patrick is best known for winning the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and becoming the first woman to win in an IndyCar Series race. Stereotypically, womens driving skills are a standing joke, among others. She competed in over 100 NASCAR racing events. This isnt a rank-based list. . 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. Sara Christian. 25 Toyota Camry.. She was the female driver with the most wins in United States Auto Club (USAC) history with 19. 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. Still, young girls, especially those who have not come from privileged white backgrounds, look up to Tia Norfleet. [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). So, what's the deal with Tia Norfleet, and why haven't we seen her tearing up any tracks? Louise Smith: The First Lady of NASCAR. The following year, Guthrie became the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series Race under caution at the Ontario Speedway in Canada. She also became the first woman to win the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race in 2013 (Lucas Oil). 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). Starting with her love for go-karting at the tender age of 8, she later progressed to competing in legends cars. Although Erin never competed in the Sprint Cup, she made history as the top Female NASCAR Driver of all time. She drove an Audi R8 LMS in the 2012 Super GT season, becoming the first female driver in the series. Robinson also took home Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver honors. Sara Christians fire suit is on display in Heritage Speedway on the top floor of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. She got the title of the first female driver who won with number one in 2013 racing series. She competed in NASCAR's first-ever Cup Series race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. Patty Moise has a record of 133 starts for the XFINITY series from 1986-1998. Tina Gordon On Her Phone (Source: Briefly News). 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. In that race, Patrick became the first female driver to lead a lap in a Cup Series race under green-flag conditions and finished the race in eighth place. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. After a 7th place finish in Martinsville a year later, Patrick tied Guthrie for most Top 10 finishes by a female NASCAR driver. Despite competing on only six of eight races, Christian finished 13th in points in 1949, her only full season of competition. 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. Later, she was signed by Rev Racing in both the years 2019 and 2020. [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. Another woman (Alina Loibnegger) finished second, in the first time ever two women finished 12 in NASCAR history. Natalie Decker is a young and upcoming racer competing part-time at NASCAR Xfinity. Born and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, her go-karting fascination started at the age of ten, and it only started to grow further. The first female to compete in a NASCAR superspeedway race, Guthrie finished 15th in the 1976 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 2018, Hailee started driving full-time and won the West Series Championship, making history. Which is pretty much the standard for most competitive sports, isn't it? "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.". 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. You have entered an incorrect email address! Auto racing has been around for over 100 years, and the sport has been consistently dominated by men. That year, Patrick became the first woman to win the NASCAR Most Popular Nationwide Driver award. Robinson Signing Autographs For Her Fans (Source: ESPN). Gracie Trotter (Source: Twitter) In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 16 will . Earning the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500 was a history-making event for Danica Patrick and her Stewart-Haas Racing team. At age 16, after national success in go-karts, Patrick left high school to race Formula Fords and Vauxhalls in the United Kingdom. Amber Balcaen enters her car at the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Developmental Program in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Oct. 18, 2016. At age 14, Tia Norfleet decided that she wanted to become a race car driver. In fact, Nielsen won the championship title twice: in 2016 and 2017. . She drove in the first race for the fledgling stock car association on June 19, 1949, on the dirt track at Charlotte Speedway. Fire up your engines! She became the first female race car driver to win a Cup Series . During the 1990s many women raced in NASCARs lower series. A few weeks later she passed Guthrie for the most top ten finishes for a woman in Sprint Cup history at Bristol. One of the most talented female race drivers, Ashley is the daughter of former national drag . That success is what Siegel said he wants for all his recruits who come through the Drive for Diversity program. Over the years, some of NASCAR's drivers have also been embroiled in controversies about race. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images. Finally, women are starting to make an impact in NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, and more. She made her debut with the Xfinity series, made 10 starts, and finished 72nd in 2004. . Her victory was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Tammy Jo Kirk won in 1994. 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. I prefer drag racing where there are lots of women drivers and they actually win races on TV. Who are the most beautiful and talented female racing drivers 10. Shauntia Latrice "Tia" Norfleet may or may not be the first female African-American NASCAR driver. Danica Patrick (191 / 2012-2018) NASCAR Las Vegas betting guide . However, Patrick would finish 38th after a crash. In 2012, she became the youngest woman to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Patricia Moise-Sawyer, A Former NASCAR Driver (Source: Twitter). No. It wasn't until 2012, 64 years after NASCAR was founded, that it signed its first female pit crew member, Christmas Abbott. Twelve years later, Breidinger has become the first Arab American female . 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. She also became the first woman to race at every racetrack on the circuit. Deegan moved up from the ARCA Menards Series to the Truck Series full-time, continuing to drive for David Gilliland Racing. In 2012, Patrick would eventually race part-time . 107 women have qualified for and started at least one race in one of NASCARs touring series, including 16 at NASCARs premier level. Her No. "It's really difficult to gain respect, be trusted and for someone to really understand that you know what you're doing. Throughout his racing career, Bobby dealt with discrimination on and off the track. After fielding a part-time Cup team and winning their first race at Indianapolis last year, Kaulig Racing has taken the next step and will field two full-time Cup teams in 2022. Ethel Flock Mobley. In that first Strictly Stock season of 1949, Christian competed in six of the eight races. 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. Patrick's racing career began with go-karts in her hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin, at age 10. She never really had a chance. In 2016, she became a NASCAR Drive for Diversity team member and got awarded a Young Racer category prize. Natalie Decker, 24, who is competing one level below the Cup Series in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season, told ABC News she has looked for sponsorships since she started racing at the age of 9 to help fund the expensive sport. 82 truck. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. 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. Johanna Robbins (nee Long) was born on May 26, 1992, and is a historical name in NASCAR history. Drivers say more funding is key to supporting women on the track. 20 Toyota, owned by her family. She competed in the 2018 Daytona 500 and the 2018 Indy 500 before officially retiring from full-time competition. The following year, Guthrie became the first female racer to qualify for the Daytona 500, where she finished 12th, and the Indianapolis 500. In 1955, Wood finished third overall in the Class 4 (Unlimited Displacement) category for U.S. Stock Production Passenger Cars. Kenzie Hemric was selected in 2013 and '14. Jennifer Jo Cobb currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and drives the #10 Chevrolet Silverado for her own JJC Racing. In 2005, she also raced in the Camping World Truck, where she made 29 starts in conclusion. Born and raised in Washington, Angela Cope is one of this times most famous NASCAR drivers. 71 Ford placed 14th. Their No. Toni Breidinger is the first Arab-American female driver in NASCAR history. 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). In 1986, Patty Moise would become the first woman to lead in a Busch Series race.[11]. [3], Six female drivers: Deegan, Kirk, Patrick, Robinson, Mara Reyes, and Brittney Zamora have won poles. 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. 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. Born and raised in Georgia, Tammy started as a racer in the Xfinity series in 2003. "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. That year she had three top 10 finishes with her best finish of sixth at Atlanta. Tammy Jo Kirk NASCAR Racer (Source: Wikimedia). A blonde among these female NASCAR drivers, she is famous for being the younger sister of Ashley Force Hood which I just mentioned. 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. In 2019, Manami Kobayashi became the third woman to win a race in a NASCAR touring series race. She also drives but only part-time for the NASCAR XFINITY series, driving the #55 Toyota Camry of JP Motorsports. Another female racer, Louise Smith raced 11 times in the Cup Series between 1949 and 1952, with a best finish of 16th 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. Sara Christian's fifth-place finish in 1949 tops among the best finishes by a female race driver at a professional level. . 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. Danica Patrick. 5. Hailie Deegan, born and raised in Temecula, California, is a 21 years old female NASCAR driver to have dominated the scene. By the end of the year, Daniels would make history again, as part of the first female duo in a NASCAR pit crew.