Thursday, December 30, 2010

More names....

British female rally drivers from the late 50's-early 60's: Pauline Mayman & Val Domleo
American rally co-driver from the 70's- early 80's: Vicki Buffum
Belgian race driver (daughter of the famous Jacky Ickx): Vanina Ickx
American drag racer: Lori Johns

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Other Information

* "Mentally women are absolutely on par with me as far as concentration, vision and timing, (But) since they don't have the same muscle mass as men do, women need to be more dedicated to prepare physically. The real question is: Are they able to deal with the pressure (of successful performing)" -Dr. Jacques Dallaire, from Human Performance International
* Are women to small to race? Well drivers such as Mark Martin are quite small.
* Is it too dangerous? Well, these professional drivers must be much more precise then people that we drive with on our roads today.
* Women not good sponsorship icons? Well alot of female racers are attractive and are bound to sell plenty of products.

Women in other types of Racing

WOMEN IN ALL FORMS OF RACING
If you know someone who should be on this list and is not please e-mail me with the information.
If you have any information about the women listed below please e-mail me!
e-mail: womeninracing@gmail.com
Aitken-Walker, Louise (GB) 1979 -first woman to win a national championship round in Britian, also wins the Coupes des Dances at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1983 - voted National Driver of the Year by readers of Autosport, A British Magazine in 1987 -wins Ladies World Rally Championship in 1990, wins Jim Clark Trophy and Seagrove Trophy in 1991
Allan, Margaret (Allen) (GB) 1935 - June 15-16 1935 Le Mans, placed 26th in Car #57
Amati, Giovanna (I) 1992 -signs to race F1 but leaves after failing to qualify for the first three races of the season 1992
Anderson, Janet (US) 1958
Arche, Anna (E) 1999
Atwood, Margaret (?) 1909- drove a Maxwell touring car in the states
Avanzo, Baronessa Maria Antonietta d’(I) 1918-1940 - 1921 wins the Coppa delle Dame at Brescia Speed Week
Averstedt, Viveca (S) 1997
Bahr, Lotte (Lotte Barre) ( A or D?) 1927
Barozzi, Maria (I) 1956
Bashford-Malkie, Helen (GB) 197?
Baxter, Prudence (US) 195?
Bayer, Sonja (D) 2000
Beckers, Christine (B) 1971
Bernardi, Dafne (I) 1953
Birrell, Jennifer (GB) 1971
Blakley, Sherry (?) 1994
Bousquet, Annie (F) 1954-1956
Brengle, Nadine (US) 1961
Brown, Daena Scott (GB) 1930
Bruce, Mildred Mary (Mrs. Victor) (GB) 1927-1929
Brunell, Kitty (GB) 1928
Bryner, Lilian (CH) 1993
Bunselmeyer, Ann (US) 1950
Burt, Patsy (GB) 1954-1970 - born in 1928 -achievements include: 42 Outright Wins, 13 Course records, 46 Ladies records, 172 class awards -died October 2001
Busby, Tammy Ray (US) 1994
Butters, Mary Anne (US) 1969 -earned her SCCA National Licence in 1970
Cambiaghi, Anna (I) 1977
Carlisle, Christabel (GB) 1961
##Cartland, Barbara (?) 1931- organizes a women’s race at Brookland
Charmasson, Marie-Claude “Beaumont” (F) 1964 -Le Mans 24 hrs
Chester, Ann (US) 1950
Chetwynd, The Hon. Mrs. (GB) 1931
Chitwood, Joie (Mrs. Tim) (US) 1967-77
Christian, Sara (US) 1949
Clarke, Joanna (GB) 2002
Climer, Brittany (US) 2003 -competed in junior front-runners division at Fairgrounds Speedway
Colonna, Princess Dorina (I) 1930
Cordey, Violet (GB) 1927 - record-breaking performances in Britain, France, Italy and around the world.
Couzy, Madeleine (F) 1964 -Tour de France
Crosby, Kim
Cummings, Ivy (GB) 1930
Cuneo, Joan Newton (US) 1905- first female driver in the first Glidden Tour, won several races between 1905-1908, won a national amateur championship- 1909 broke speed records at the Marti Gras races - stopped racing in 1909 when women were banned from AAA events
Cunliffe, May (GB) 1930
Dacremont, Christine (F) 1975 -Le Mans
Davis, Mary (US) 1955
de Filippis, Maria Teresa (I) 1948- first woman to race Formula One since introduction in 1950 of the Drivers Championship- raced three Grand Prixs with a best finish of 10th in the Belgium GP, two laps down(1958) -Retires from racing after faililng to qualify at the Monaco GP (1959)
de Montaigu, Annie Soisbault (Marquise, Mrs. Phillipe) (F) 1957
de Lopez, Jacqueline Evans (GB/MEX) 1952
Dearborn, Gloria (US) 1957
Denton, Jean (GB) 1968
des Forest, Simone (F) 1953
Desprez, Marie (Depret, Deprez) (F) 1928-33
Dobson, Mrs. AC (GB) 1937
Drolet, Smokey (US) 1959 -24 hrs at Daytona
Du Gast, Camille (F) 1901 - finished 33/122 in the Paris-Berlin Race driving a Panhard
Dumas-Comirato, Lia (Mrs. Alberto) (I) 1947
Duncan, Allison (?) 2002 - has a mechanical engineering degree from Cal Poly -experience in sports-car racing
Dykes, Mrs. W. (Bill) Urquhart (GB) 1927
Eaton, Mrs. Hugh (C.) (GB) 1935 - Le Mans
Eatwell, Margy (US) 1994
Eccles, Mrs. (Lindsay=husband) (GB) 1937
Edennig, Inga Lill (S) 1963
Einsiedel, Countess Margot (D) 1930
Elder, Viviane (F) 1949 - Le Mans
Ellis, Christabel (GB) 1908
Ellison, Eileen (GB/South Africa) 1935
Engeman, Liane (NL) 1967 - Sebring 12 hrs
Erstad, Karen (US) 1980
Evans, Doreen (GB) 1935
Facetti, Rosadele (I) 1968 - Formula 3
Falk, Eva-Maria (D) 1964
Fawcett, Miss P. M. (GB) 1938 - Le Mans
Ferrier, Nadege (CH) 1956
Fisher, Sarah (US) 1999- IRL - raced in Indy 500 in 2002, 2000 - Born October 4, 1980 in Columbus Ohio -voted as IRL’s most popular driver in 2001.
Fitler, Mrs. Clarence Cecil (US) 1905 -won two races in August 1905 in Cape May, NJ
Fontaine, Yvette (B) 1974 - Le Mans
Fontana, Angela (I) 1962
Foster, Miss Martha (US) 1904-1908
Fraichney, Pat (GB) 1956
Friederich, Renee (F) 1931
Frisch, Edith (D) 1930
Frosh, Brittany (US) 2003-teenager-ranked third in the Heavy Honda Division of the Florida Series point standings
Galica, Divina (GB) 1976- fails to qualify for the British GP in 1976
Gardner, Debra (US?) 1984
Gilka-Botzow, Bea (D) 1930
Goldsmith, Gillian (formerly Fortescue-Thomas) (GB) 1970-1980s - started competing in 1970
Goodwin, Natalie (GB) 1968
Gordine, Regine (F) 1950 - Le Mans
Gordon, Tina (?) 1995-2003 -Craftsman Truck Series driver
Gregg, Deborah (US) 1983
Guthrie, Janet (US) 1966- first woman to qualify for the Indy 500 at a speed of 188.403 mph, finished 29th in 1977 - 1978 finishes Indy 500 in 9th place
Haerlin, Friedl (D?) 1930
Haig, Betty (GB) 1936-1951
Hall, Anne (GB) 1953
Hampson, Daisy (GB) 1908?
Harman-Smith, Rhonda (US) 2003 -National Hot Rod Association competitor
Haskell, Isabelle (Mrs. Alejandro de Tomaso) (US/I) 1955
Hemmes, Henny (NL) 1972
Henn, Bonnie (US) 1979
Heuze, Nicole (F) 1963 - Tour de France
Hilt, Chrissy (US) 1985-2003
Hiss, Arlene (US) 1976
Hoepfner, Marianne (F) 1975 - Le Mans
Hohenlohe, Princess (D or CH?) 1924-25 on Bugatti at the Klausen
Horman, Jessica (?) 2002- drag racer
##Howell, Mrs. John (US) 1899 - first woman to obtain a driver’s licence
Hubbard Bernadette (US) 1993
Hurtgen, Claudia (D) 1996
Jardine, Mrs. (F?) 1931
Jenkins, Katie (US) 1950
Jennky, Jannine (F) 1928
Jo Kirk, Tammy (US) 1991-present - first female NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series Driver in 1991 -first woman to win two Busch Pole Awards in the series in 1996 -first female driver to compete in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1997
Johnson, Amy (GB) 1938
Jones, Hermine (?) 1909 -drove a Maxwell touring car in the states
Junek, Elizabeth (Eliska Junkova) (CZ) 1927 -born 16 November 1900 in Olmuetz -married Cenek Junek who was a racer -wife of a bank manager -died 5 January 1994 in Prague
Kasse, Michele (F) 1950
King, Anitam (?) 1915? - first woman race driver on West Coast - daring behind the wheel and quit afterr a near death accident (silent film actress)-first person to complete a transcontinental journey, alone.
Kizer, Catherine (US) 1980
Kleinschmidt, Jutta (D) 2001- first female driver to win the Paris-Dakar Rally 2001
Kleinschmidt, Liz (US) 1979
Klinger, Minki (A) 1930
Koenig, Gabrielle (Mrs. Mark) (GB) 1969
Koger, Trish (US) 1996
Kondratiff, Judy (US) 1970
Labrousse, Mme (F) 1899 -first female racing driver when she entered the Paris-Spa race in which she finished 5th
Lace, Miss AC (GB) 193?
Lamberjack, Louise (F) 1935
Largeot, Suzanne (F) 1937
Laumaille, Mme (F) 1898
Laurent, Marie (F) 1974
Leavens, Joyce (Mrs. Barry) (GB) 1953
Leigh, Grace (US) 1920
Levitt, Dorothy (US/GB) 1903- won her class at the Southport Speed Trials in 1903, 1904 races a De Dion car in the Hereford 1000 mile trial, 1906 breaks the women’s world speed record with a speed of 96 mph
Levy, Ruth (Allan Raymond) (US) 1955
##Linz, Mrs. F.J. (US) 1908 - organised the first women’s motor club
Lister, Henrietta (GB) 1924
Lohr, Ellen (D) 1990s
Lombardi, Lella (I) 1975 - races in the Spanish GP, first women to post a top six placing (6th), 1975.
Lowe, Marion (Mrs. James) (US) 1954
Ludeman, Linda (US) 1987
Lunsford-Love, Debbie (?) 2003
Maas Elfreida (US) 1918
Mandelli, Antoinella (I) 1983
Mandolini, Elaine (?) 1963
Manville, Mrs. E. (GB) 1906
Mareuse, Marguerite (F) 1930
Mayman, Pauline (GB) 1962
McCall, Robin (Mrs. Dallenbach) (US) 1982 - ran two races in NASCAR Winston Cup in 1982
McCluggage, Denise (US) 1957 -raced at Sebring -journalist
McDonnell, Pat (South Africa) 1938
McKenzie, Magaret (McKensie or MacKenzie) (GB) 1963
Meeuvissen, Annette (D) 1987
Meliss, Miss (GB) 193?
Melville, Christina (GB) 1974
Merck, Ernes (D) 1927-drove at the Klausen faster then any man
Mermod, Marie-Louise (CH) 1963
Miller, Marilyn (Mrs. AK Miller) (US) 1957
Miller, Carrie (US) 1994
Mims, Donna Mae (US) 1959-1963?
Mitchell, Mrs. M. (GB) 1924
Mitchell, Nancy (GB) 1956
Mobley, Ethel Flock (US) 1949
Moise, Patty (Mrs. Sawyer) (US) 1980 - raced in the NASCAR Winston Cup race at Talladega in July of 1989
Mooney, Jessica (Nor) 2003
Moore, Mandy (US) 2002
Morriss, Violette (F?) 1927
Moss, Pat (Mrs. Erik Carlsson) (GB) 1951
Mouton, Michele (F) 1975- first woman to win a round of the rally World Championship, won at San Remo Rally in 1981- win the rallies of Portugal, Brazil and Acropolis and finish second overall in Rally World Championships with co-driver Fabrizia Pons 1982 -first woman to win the Race of Pike’s Peak (1985)
Muldowney, Shirley (US) 1977
Mull, Evelyn (Mrs. John) (US) 1955
Muller, Cathy (F) 1984
Munaretto, Erica (I) 1997
Munz, Emma (CH) 1929
Murison, Miss (GB-Scot) 1903
Murphy, Paula (US) 1958-1970
Munter, Leilani (US) 2002 -bachelor’s degree in biology -part time model -gave up everything to pursue racing _races in NASCAR Weekly racing series
Myers, Kimberley (US) 1991 -cystic fibrosis, which eventually claimed her life -drove 65 roses car -died July 17, 1997
Myra Buchanan (US) 195?
Nice, Helle (Mariette Delangle) (F) 1928
Nodes, Beate (D) 1984
Nylander, Bobbee (Mrs. Gary) (US) 1977
Nystrom, Melle (Liz) (GB?) 1964
Orisini, Countess Vittoria (I) 193?
Osterberg, Sylvia (S) 1963
Pabst, Linda (US) 1994
Pace, Ada “Sayonara”(I) 1956
Pagan, Marian “Mopsy” (US) 1954
Pago, Marguerite (I) 1956
Parsons, Goldie (US) 1965
Passmore, Christi (?) 2003- from Pryor, Oklahoma -raced in ARCA
Patrick, Danica (US) 2002
Patten, Miss (GB) 1937
Patterson, Louise (US) 1911
Paul, Stacy (US) 1978?
Peduzzi, Anna Maria (I) La Marocchina 1933-1960
Petit, Christiane (F) 1963
Petre, Kay (CDN/GB) 1934 -1935 races at Brooklands
Piazza, Bianca Maria (Mrs. Mario) (I) 1954
Pirie, Valerie (F) 1964
Pittoni, Franca (Mrs. Carlo) (I) 1950
Pons, Fabrizia (F) 1982 - win the rallies of Portugal, Brazil and Acropolis and finish second overall in Rally World Championships with co-driver Michele Mouton 1982, wins Monte Carlo Rally with her male co-driver Piero Liatti in 1997
Powell, Nettie (?) 1909- drove a Maxwell touring car in the states
Ramsey, Alice (?) 1909 - president of the Woman’s Motoring Club, drove a Maxwell touring car in the states - made at least 30 cross country trips unassisted - won title of “Woman Motorist of the Century”from the American Automobile Assoc. (1960) and “First lady of Automobile Travel”from the Automobile Manufacturers Assoc.
Ransom, Sue (AUS) 1984
Reisenbichler, Lill (D) 1980
Renauld, Lise (F) 1955
Renier, Martine (F) 1974
Renshaw, Deborah (US) 2003- late model racing experience -raced in ARCA -endured great defence being a woman in racing
Richert, Loretta “Tetta” (US-Hawaii) 195? -drove in locale racing events in the 1950s
Richmond, Joan (AUS/GB) 1935
Rickey, Mrs. (US) 1908
Riddell, Joan (GB) 1937
Ridpath, Alice (US) 1999
Robinson, Shawna (US) 1995 - raced in ARCA
Roehrs, Lilian (Rohrs) (D) 1930
Rosati, Gina (US) 1980
Rose-Itier, Anne-Cecile (F) 1931-1939
Roshausen, Sherrie (US) 1985
Rosqvist, Ewy (D) 1963
Rouault, Germaine (F) 1937-50
Roure, Nicole (F) 1964
Roux, Fernande (Mrs. Charles?) 1936
Rude, Kathy (US) 1980
Sawyer, Pat (US) 1954
Schell, Lucy O’Reilly (US/F) 1929
Schmitt, Kristi (US) 2002
Scott, Fifi (US) 1955
Scott, Linda (US) 1958
Sharp, Linda (US) 1978
Shoosmith, Ann Rose (Mrs. Brian) (GB) 1980s
Shutes, Betty (US) 1955?
Siko, Odette (F) 1930
Simon, Yvonne (F) 1950
Simpson, Mrs. Gordon (GB) 1935
Sims, Virginia (US) 1955
Skelton, Betty (Mrs. Skelton-Frankman) (US) 1956 -first woman in Covette Hall of fame
Skinner, Barbara (GB) 1935
Slaughter, Juliette (nee Scott-Gunn, later Mrs. John Brindley) (GB) 1978
Smith, Louise (US) 1949
Smith, Rosemary (IRL) 1963
Smith, Vicki (US) 1980
Smith-Haas, Margie (US) 1979
Snow, Melanie (US) 1997
Speers, Annie (Spiers) (B) 1957
St. James, Lyn (US) 1978 -wins the IMSA Camel GT Rookie of the Year 1984, named IMSA, Norelco “Driver of the Year” in 1985, becomes President of the “Women’s Sports Foundation” in 1990 -first woman awarded Rookie of the Year at the Indy 500 (1992)
Stanley-Turner, Dorothy (GB) 1937
Stermitz, Mercedes (A) 1990
Stewart, Gwenda (Mrs. Douglas Hawkes) (GB) 1934
Stropus, Judy (US) 1979
Summers, D. (GB) 1936
Sutton, Kelly “Girl” (US) 2002-present -victim of Multiple Sclerosis -continues to race
##Sutherland, Duchess of (GB) 1903 President of the Ladies Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland
Sweet, Hila Paulson (US) 1956
Taruffi, Prisca (I) 1983
Tatroe, Alice (US) 195?
Taylor, Janis (US) 1980
Taylor-Matthews, Anita (GB?) 1964
Taylour, Fay (IRL/US) 1949 -born in Ireland -motorcycle racer
Teasdale, Kat (CDN) 1994
Templeton, Anne (GB) 2002
Texier, Louisette (F) 1963
Thirion, Gilberte (B) 1954
Thomas, Mrs. Jill (W. B.) Scott Thomas (GB) 1928
Thompson, Jody (?) 2002 - from Nisswa -drag racer
Thomspon, Muriel (GB) 192?
Thrupp, Mrs. George (GB) 1908?
Tibesar, Marie-Rose (CH) 1962
Tornaud, Corinne (F) 1975
Trautmann, Claudine (F) 1957
Van Damm, Sheila (GB) 1952
Vaughn, Morna (GB) 1931
Verney, Anny-Charlotte (F) 1974
Versigny, Charlotte (F) 1927
Vidali, Tamara (I) 1993
Von Neumann, Josie (Mrs. McLaughlin) (US) 1951
Wemblyn, Miss (GB?) 1900 - won the Ladies Race organised at the Ranelagh Club in London (1900)
Werner, Hannelore (D) 1970s
Whincop, Monica (GB) 1947-1949
Whitaker, Amanda (GB) 1996 - first female to win a British National Single Seater Championship by winning the Monoposto Championship (1996)
Wilson, Desire (ZA) 1980- fails to qualify for the British GF but wins the Aurora AFX round at Brands Hatch in 1980
Windridge, Pinky (Marianne Rollo) (US) 1960
Wirth, Ursula (D) 1963
Wisdom, Elsie (Mrs. Tom) (GB) 1930
Wisdom, Ann (married name Riley, nickname Wiz) (GB) 1962
Wright, Carolyn (GB) 1999
Wyllie, Margaret (Peggy/Mrs Doc MRJ) (US) 1956
Yoshikawa, Tomiko (J) 1992

Too Often Women's History is lost.

"Too often, women's history has been lost."
By: Ivy Armstrong
"Too often, women's history has been lost.", said Janet Guthrie and unfortunately it is
true. If you catch yourself looking into women’s history, many a time you will not find what you
are looking for. This is true in the case of women’s history in NASCAR’s main series.
When looking for information on pioneers in the sport such as Sara Christian and Ethel
Mobley Flock it is a challenge to find information. These pioneers paved the way for other
women to compete such as Shawna Robinson. The lone female that there is plenty information
on is Janet Guthrie. Janet was a pioneer in not only NASCAR but also in Indy Racing. Her story
is one that should be told and Janet has spent the last year’s writing a book on her experiences; it
has yet to be published.
The other women, 15 in total, have faded into history without much written about them.
Women have been a significant part of NASCAR but seem insignificant in its history. If you
read many different books about NASCAR’s history, you can piece together parts of the history
of these women.
As my interest in the history of these women I have spent hours of frustrating time
searching books and the Internet to put the pieces of this puzzle together. For some of the racers
I have managed to find information and for others it was only about the number of races they ran
and in what years. I have complied a webpage with my findings and hope that others with vast
knowledge will help me expand the website to be a comprehensive source for information on
women in this prime series.

References

References

Many of these sources have an article about a woman in NASCAR.

If you would like specific information on where something was located feel free to email or msg me.

* www.motorsportshalloffame.com
* www.lloar.com
* www.racinghistory.com
* www.speedfx.com/history/history_index.shtml
* www.tennessean.com
* www.gastongazette.com
* www.thatsracin.com
* www.starnews.com
* www.decadeofracing.net
* http://nascar.about.com
* Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia copyright 1998 The Learning Company, Inc.
* Encyclopaedia Britannica Article
* Current Biography 1978
* www.nascar.com
* www.dailysouthtown.com
* www.shawnarobinson.com
* www.janetguthrie.com
* www.al.com
* www.accessatlanta.com
* www.tsn.ca
* www.latimes.com
* www.capecodonline.com
* http://espn.go.com
* http://8w.forix.com/lella.html

Links

These are some links that were helpful to me and provide quality information.

NASCAR's Official Site: www.nascar.com

Janet Guthrie's Official Site: www.janetguthrie.com

Lyn St. James' Official Site: www.lynstjames.com

Shirley Muldowney's Official Site: www.muldowney.com

Shawna Robinson's Official Site: www.shawnarobinson.com

Thunder Valley Racing Site: www.thundervalleyracing.com

Racer Chicks Site: www.racerchicks.com

Deborah Renshaw's Official Site: www.deborahrenshaw.com

Race Hippie: NASCAR for Women: www.racinghippie.com

Genny Obert's Women Auto Racers List: www.autodiva.com/wom_list.htm

Tina Gordon's Official Website: www.gordonracing.com

Deborah Renshaw's Official Website: www.deborahrenshaw.com

Leilani Munter's Official Website: www.leilanimunter.com

Fan page for Shawna Robinson: www.geocities.com/daytonabob.geo/shawna2.htm

Website for women who are fans of racing: www.hernascar.com

Directory for sports webpages: www.realsportsnetwork.com

Iranian woman Driver:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050314/photos_lf_afp/050314155529_m0hkc7c7_photo0

Darlington Fan Club: http://www.darlingtonfanz.org

Danica Patrick www.danicaracing.com/

Race 2 Learn Webpage: race2learn.com

Young Racers of America: www.youngracersofamerica.org



If you would like you link removed from this page please email me because I would be more than willing to comply.
womeninracing@gmail.com

Quotes from My Life in the Pits, and Ride of Your Life

Quotes from the Books: My Life In the Pits by Ronda Rich
and Ride of your Life by Lyn St. James

"Though Alan [Kulwicki] I came to realize that a happy, fulfilling life is not acquired by timid souls. It is created by those who are brace of heart, strong of spirit and stubborn of mind. It takes fortitude of the grandest kind to choose the life we want rather than settling back meekly and letting life choose for us. Too many people allow ho-hum lives to choose them, and then they grouse about the dullness of their existence and lament the dreams they left scattered behind in their youth. THey let family and financial obligations engulf them, overwhelming them with responsibilities. I saw Alan make tough choices and fight incredible adversity and overwhelming odds. But when he was down on the ground, fighting to stand again, he was at peace in his heart because he has chosen the right path. Alan Kulwicki showed me and the rest of the world that if you work long enough and hard enough and refuse to be sidelined by adversity, you can capture you dreams. "
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 60

"...I learned that our dreams don't stand still and wait for us. They're moving targets, so roping them takes practice, perseverance and resilience after countless failures. But, of course, if it were easy, we would all be living our dreams, wouldn't we? Alan [Kulwicki] was the best teacher possible because he refused to let his dream outrun him."
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 61

" Joy of life is contagious. If you're excited about life and all that it holds, the people around you will get caught up in your joy, and the sparkle of your life will add glitter to theirs. It's a wonderful contribution to humanity, and just think -- it's a simple key you hold in the palm of your hand."
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 80

"First, choose a job that is fun. Life is too short to have to "work" for a living....Determine what you love to do, then figure out a way to make a living doing that. ..Humour is the best stress reducer in the world and helps us to survive trying times."
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 125

"From Tim [Richmond], I learned that sometimes the way you die is more important than how you lived. A heroic death will erase a multitude of sins and mistakes while a less noble death will only accentuate them. There are those who will argue that Tim's living and dying are inexplicably linked. I won't dispute that. But I will argue that there is good in the soul of every man and every life has a purpose and reason for being."
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 168

"I learned that you don't always have to be the very best to win. You don't have to be the brightest, the smartest, the most talented to prevail....Sometimes to win, all you have to be is willing to take a risk, a chance, a bold gamble. Sometimes you just have to step out of the box of comfort and security that we love so and just "go for it!" I always remember this when I take on something grand, something that others consider and not be intimidated by the thought of failure."
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 183

"Because women drive cars that look similar to the ones that are raced. They understand trying to pass a car on the interstate or being cut off by someone else. It's harder to understand football on a similar emotional level. Women connect with the sport in an emotional way. These drivers and their families are like family to the female fans, and that makes a big difference."
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 195

"For to love a man is to accept his dreams, whether you understand them or not. If you strip him of his dreams, you've stripped him of his soul, and without that he cannot completely love you. I learned early in my life that to love a racer is to accept that, more often than not, in the race for his heart, you will come second."
---Ronda Rich, My Life In the Pits Pg. 212

Quotes

Quotes From Women In Racing
or About them

"Racing is all I've wanted to do ever since I was a little girl. I realize it won't be easy to get to the top level, but I'm very determined." --- Deborah Renshaw

"I won a lot, crashed a lot, and broke just about every bone in my body, but I gave it everything I had"
---Louise Smith

"She can. She's definitely got the ability. It's in her blood. She's a driver."
---Jeff Clark about Shawna Robinson<

"There has been a big change in reaction to me, The hostility has cooled down quite a bit. I think the worst is over. The initial reaction to me was one of a lack of respect. What you really need is endurance. And some tests show that women have more endurance then men. But that's not the point. I'm not trying to establish the superiority of one sex over another. I'm a good driver, but no superwoman. What I'm trying to emphasize is that a driver is primarily a person, not a man or a woman, and that a great deal of driving is mental. You cannot afford to get angry behind the wheel. A good driver needs emotional detachment, concentration, good judgment, and desire."
--- Janet Guthrie for Sporting News (Jully 1, 1978)

"Racing is a passion...at this level, a source of immense gratification. So the rest is no problem."
--- Janet Guthrie for New York Times (Maarch 4, 1978)

"There is very little in civilized life that demands everything you got intellectually, physically, and emotionally. Driving is living. It's aggressive instead of passive living."
--- Janet Guthrie

"She particularly loved racing with and beating her brothers."
--- Tim Flock about Ethel Mobley Flock

"Sometimes it seemed like the more you drove the less money you had. I remember one time Buck Baker and Lee Petty and I had to put our money together just to split a hot dog and a Coke."
--- Lousie Smith

"I never was a cheerleader. I'm an athlete. I'm probably not coordinated enough to be a cheerleader but that doesn't matter. I've always wanted to compete. And if I compete, I want to win. I was born competitive and that's in my blood. Whatever car I'm in, whatever series I'm running, whatever track I'm racing -- I want to be a factor. I want people to know that Shawna Robinson was there."
--- Shawna Robinson

"Well, I never really looked at it from that point of view since I always she myself as a race car driver, not as a woman driving a car. This series is so highly competitive that my concerns are more about how my car is working as opposed to if I am the only woman competing."
--- Patty Moise when asked,
"So with all these accomplishments, you might wonder how Moise feels about being a woman driver?"

"Now we can just concentrate on racing. We don't consider that we're working with a woman. We're working with a racer."
--- Joe Dan Bailey, Crew Chief for Shawna RRobinson

"I think Shawna got into me a little bit. She's a good race car driver. They need to get her in a better race car."
--- Dale Earnhardt Jr. about Shawna Robinsoon after a race at Texas Motor Speedway

"Finding a sponsor is the toughest part of racing, tougher than driving."
--- Shawna Robinson

"It was a passion and obsession for years. I loved it more than I could possibly tell you.
It was what I really was born to do."
--- Janet Guthrie

"I'm trying to set out the passion and complexity of this sport. Many people think it's a dumb activity: stand on the gas and turn left. In fact, it's probably one of the most complex sports in existence."
--- Janet Guthrie about her book and racingg

"Let me ask you. If someone called you and offered you a ride in the Indianapolis 500 and you were a male race car driver, would you turn the ride down?"
--- Janet Guthrie when accused of using herr gender to get a shot at the Indianapolis 500

"I am a race car driver first."
--- Sarah Fisher

"Be born rich."
--- Janet Guthrie's advice on succeeding inn racing

"I enjoyed every minute of it, I traveled all over North America, racing everywhere I could, and I had fun with it. I didn't make a whole lot of money, but if I could do it again today, I'd do it, and I think I'd make it."
--Louise Smith

"They told me if I saw a red flag to stop, They didn't say anything about the checkered flag. I wondered where all the cars were and then as I was all along on the track, I noticed them all in the pits. They finally threw the red flag and I pulled in. I had finished third. "
---Louise Smith

"Well, I never really looked at it from the point of view since I always see myself as a race car driver, not as a woman driving a car."
--Patty Moise

"If I cry, it means I'm too weak to compete in this sport. That's bull."
--Shawna Robinson

"But I'm a racer, that's what I've always been. I just want someone to put me in a car and leave me there."
--Shawna Robinson


"Deborah is so star-struck that she can't focus on racing, She's been getting so much media attention here lately that I guess she Feels like she has to live up to it."
-Mark Day about Deborah Renshaw

"I don't feel safe around her on a racetrack. I won't race beside her anymore. I'll slow down and let her go by before I'll race with her."
-Mark Day about Deborah Renshaw

"I think there is a mystique about woman drivers. I've got a 17-year-old daughter and I'd never let her race. But I'm not upset at Deborah because she's a woman; I'm upset at her becasue she's a bad driver. She's trying to overachieve and that gets her in trouble."
-Mark Day about Deborah Renshaw

Shawna Robinson (2001-02 ) 7? races

Shawna Robinson

* she was the youngest of five children in a racing family
* she started racing at the age of 19
* she acheived many accomplishments nationally including first women to finish in the top ten of a national oval-track racing series(6th in 2000), first woman to win a Busch Series Pole position with a track record (1994) and first women to win a NASCAR Touring Series event (1988)
* started 52 Busch Series races in 1991, 1993 and 1994
* first women to win a pole position in the NASCAR Busch Series and she achieved that with a track record of 174.33 mph in 1994
* hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
* has an ex-husband Jeff Clark ( an engine builder for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Jobs include jackman and tuner for Dale Jr.'s crew), has two children, Tanner and Samantha
* started 32nd and finished 34s in the Kmart 400 in Michigan in June 10, 2001
* competed in 7 races in 2002
* currently is trying to attempt to secure a ride in NASCAR Winston Cup.
* Is currently racing in NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series
*

Patty Moise (1987-89) 5 races

* born in North Flordia city
* she started racing when she got her license when she was 16
* became only the second racer to have a have a completed college education ( Alan Kulwicki was the other) and the first woman to have this feat.
* raced her first Busch Series event in 1986 where she because the first women to lead a Busch Series even.
* first woman to win a NASCAR Busch Grand National qualifying race and best Busch Series finish for a woman
* raced on July 30, 1989 at Talladega
* in 1990 married Elton Sayer
* in 1990 she broke the one lap closed course speed record at the Talladega Speedway
* in 1995 she set a speed record for qualifing at Atlanta Motor Speedway
* she last raced in the Busch Seires in 1998 and in total made 19 starts in her Ford

Robin McCall (1982) 2 races

* Finished 35th in her first race in 1982 at Michigan Speedway and her second race at Michigan she finished 29th.
* ran two races in 1982

Lella Lombardi (1977) 1 race

* Italian, Maria Grazia (Lella) Lombardi
* born on March 26, 1943 in Frugarolo
* Lella became a race car driver without getting her licence.
* she raced in F1 for a few years
* first time since 1949 that three women competed in a race together: Janet Guthrie, Lella Lombardi, and Christine Beckers
* she is the only woman to register a top six finish in a World Championship Grand Prix
* she died of cancer on March 3, 1992 in Milan at the age of 48

Christine Beckers (1977) 1 race

first time since 1949 that three women competed in a race together: Janet Guthrie, Lella Lombardi, and Christine Beckers

Janet Guthrie (1976-1980) 33 races

* born on March 7, 1938 in Iowa City, Iowa as the eldest of five children
* her father, William Lain Guthrie was a pilot
* she attended Miss Harris' Florida School for girls in Miami
* she first flew a plane when she was 13
* first flew solo at age 16
* earned her pilot's license at age 17
* by the age of 21 she was capable of flying more than 20 types of aircrafts
* she received a bachelor's degree in physics in 1960 at the University of Michigan
* for the next seven years she worked in aerospace research and engineer for Republic Aviation Corporation in Farmingdale, Long Island
* in 1965 NASA considering making her an astronaut-- She was one of four women who passed NASA's first tests but was eliminated because she didn't have a Ph. D. degree.
* she began racing in 1961 and high speed racing in 1963
* in 1967 she quit her job at RAC and until 1971 she worked as one of the Macmillan Ring-Free Motor Maids
* with her co-drivers they finished 31st in the 24 hour endurance race at Daytona in 1966
* in 1975 she started work for Toyota as a consumer information specialist
* first women to qualify for a major American automobile race, the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
* she raced a 1975 Chevrolet Laguna provided by Lynda Ferrari and finished 15th in the World 600 in May 1976
* competed regularly on the Winston Cup circuit
* posted 10 top-12 finishes in 1977
* Finished 9th in the Indy 500 in 1978. She was at the disadvantage because she raced with a broken wrist and had to reach across the cockpit to shift gears
* first time since 1949 that three women competed in a race together: Janet Guthrie, Lella Lombardi, and Christine Beckers
* had 33 career starts including 19 in her rookie season (1977) driving the Kelly Girl sponsored Chevrolet Laguna owned by Lynda Ferrari
* she outqualified Bill Elliot, Ricky Rudd, Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and Johnny Rutherford for the Talladega 500 in August of 1977
* she qualifed and/or finished ahead of Bill Elliott in 7 out of 10 races they ran together
* she qualifed and/or finished ahead of Dale Earnhard in 2 out of 3 races they ran together
* she qualifed and/or finished ahead of Johnny Rutherford in 3 out of 3 races they ran together
* she was the first woman to qualify for the Daytona 500 finishing 11 and 12 (1980, 1977 respectively)
* she also lead the Times 500 in Ontario California in November 1977
* in 1977 she qualified as the first woman in the Indianapolis 500
* inducted into the Women's Sports Hall of Fame in 1980
* currently lives in Aspen Colorado

Goldie Parsons (1965) 1 race

Goldie ran one race in 1965

Fifi Scott (1955) 2 races

Fifi ran 2 races in 1955

Marian Pagan (1954) 1 race

* Marian ran one race in 1954

Ann Chester (1950) 2 races

* Ann ran two races in 1950

Ann Bunselmeyer (1950) 1 race

* Ann ran one race in 1950

Ethel Flock Mobley (1949) 2 races

* Ethel was named after the gasoline her father used in his taxi
* she was the youngest daughter of the Flock family
* in 1948 her brother Bob built New Atlanta Speedway and invited Sara Christian, Mildred Williams (Sisters) and his own sister Ethel to race there
* Ethel qualified for her first NASCAR Grand National race on July 9, 1949 joining her brothers Tim, Fonty and Bob
* The race took place on the 166-mile beach road coarse in Daytona Beach Flordia where she finished 11th in her Cadilaac
* she later raced in Langhorne, Pennsylvania where she finished 44th

Louise Smith (1949-1950) 11 races

* she was born in 1916 in Barnsville Georgia, when women were not considered equal to men
* when she was four she moved to Greenville, South Carolina
* when she decided to learn to drive she ended up crashing the car into the chicken house
* she wanted to succeeded in a sport where women were not allowed
* she raced in the first stock car race she ever saw; and ran modifieds from 1946-1956
* Louise met Bill France before he created NASCAR.
* Louise helped Bill France Sr. promote NASCAR races in there early years because she was a novelty in the sport
* She had a hard charging, fearless style of driving and because of that she was a fan favourite.
* In her first race she finished third in a 1939 modified Ford coupe and after that experience Louise was hooked on racing.
* She raced for the love of the sport.
* During her eleven years of modifieds she won 38 races.
* Louise is remembered for her spectacular crashes and aggressive driving.
* She ended off with 48 stitches and four pins in her left knee after a crash that nearly took her life at Hillsborough.
* In 1956 she quit racing but in 1971 she returned to sponsor cars.
* her first Winston Cup race was a 166-mile race in Daytona where she finished 20th in a Ford after surviving a roll over
* she raced later at Hillsborough, North Carolina placing 27th
* and then again she raced in Langhorne Pennsylvania where she finished 16th
* She currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina
* She was inducteed into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Sara Christian (1949-1950) 7 races

* first Strictly Stock (now Winston Cup) race was in 1949 at Charolette Speedway
* she was the first women to compete in NASCAR
* she qualified 13th and finished 14th driving a 1949 Oldsmobile at a 3/4 mile dirt track in Charlotte in the very first Winston Cup race on June 19, 1949. She drove a No. 71 Ford owned by her husband Frank and she got out and let Bob Flock driver the concluding 90 laps.
* she was joined by Ethel Mobley and Louise Smith to compete in a 166-mile race three weeks later in Daytona Beach when Christian finished 6th.
* later that year she raced in Hillsborough, North Carolina with Louise Smith where she finished 23rd
* then again the trio competed in Langhorne Pennsylvania where Christian finished 6th
* in September of 1949 she started 21st and finished 6th in a race where Curtis Turner invited her to join him in celebration in Victory Lane
* the concluding races included:
* her best finish was fifth in the October race at Heidelberg,(Pittsburgh) PA, making the only top five finish by a woman in NASCAR
* and North Wilkesboro where she finished twelve
* she ran 6 out of 8 races in 1949 and finished 13th in point standings
* she also had two other top ten finishes
* she was named top women driver of the year in 1949.

History back online...

At the shut down of geocities, my website went down. I have decided to encorporate this within a blog instead of a traditional website. This way it makes it easier for me to put in new information.

Look forward to me adding information on the coming weeks, until its all on here again!

Email me at: womeninracing@gmail.com