first female nascar driver

Her No. She made her debut with the Xfinity series, made 10 starts, and finished 72nd in 2004. . Hailie Deegan, the daughter of Motocross and X Games icon Brian Deegan, is a three-time winner in what is now called the ARCA Menards Series West and was the first female driver to ever win races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Born and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, her go-karting fascination started at the age of ten, and it only started to grow further. Moving forward, they will continue to pave their way in the male-dominated field. Toni Breidinger is the first Arab-American female driver in NASCAR history. 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. Breidinger notably introduced the first beauty brand to NASCAR through a sponsorship deal with the Arab-owned Huda Beauty last year. Gracie Trotter (Source: Twitter) In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She started her career in 2004 through the Xfinity Series, where she made 27 total starts. 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. In 2018, she won Washington State Rookie and was selected as one of the invitees to Drive for Diversity. 27-year-old Brehanna Daniels is the first Black female tire changer in NASCAR history. Toni Breidinger says that when she sat behind the wheel of a go-kart at age 9, she knew she would become a race car driver. "It's great that men and women can compete in NASCAR. There's so many obstacles.". Although Erin never competed in the Sprint Cup, she made history as the top Female NASCAR Driver of all time. 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. Brehanna Daniels is breaking down barriers in NASCAR. The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series formed the Lady Cup, a championship system for female drivers in 2014. People tend to assume women are lacking physically and have no road sense of direction. Since then, only 15 pit crew members have been women, according to . Similarly, her determination to become a NASCAR racer built up since she was a kid and racing behind the wheels of a go-kart. . You don't see that every day in NASCAR. The Last American Hero. In 2016, she became a NASCAR Drive for Diversity team member and got awarded a Young Racer category prize. Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for BET. So, what's the deal with Tia Norfleet, and why haven't we seen her tearing up any tracks? She married fellow short track driver and Kyle Busch Motorsports engineer Hunter Robbins. 25 Toyota Camry.. She was the female driver with the most wins in United States Auto Club (USAC) history with 19. Born in Ontario, she got her degree in Mechanical Engineering. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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 (7 / 1949-1950) Then she started working for GIC-Mixon in 2005. Ann Slaasted (1 / 1950) 2023 Nascar Hall Of Fame. 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. Furthermore, she's not the first NASCAR driver to have faced arrest. Indianapolis 500 career earnings: $2,865,240. In the 1940s, racing promoter Bill France, Sr. was looking for ways to attract more women to the sport. Another female racer, Louise Smith raced 11 times in the Cup Series between 1949 and 1952, with a best finish of 16th She made history by being the first female driver to win West Series races in 2018 and 2019. She had further raced at the Xfinity Series and Road Atlanta in 1986. 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. Marie-Claude Charmasson. Moving forward in her career, after concluding the 2016 NASCAR K&N, she debuted at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Patty Moise (5 / 1987-1989 note: Elton Sawyer's wife, plus ran 2 Winston Open's) Louise Smith: The First Lady of NASCAR. [15] While the program has succeeded in launching the careers of minority drivers including NASCAR Cup Series race winner Kyle Larson, Camping World Truck Series race winner Bubba Wallace, and 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Surez, the program's early years were less effective in expanding the roster of female drivers in NASCAR's top touring series. The sister of early NASCAR racers Tim (Class of 2014), Bob and Fonty Flock, Ethel Mobley Flock competed in two NASCAR races in 1949, posting a best finish of 11th on the Daytona Beach-Road Course in July. While Bobby Norfleet fought discrimination and disinterested sponsors on the track, he enjoyed inspiring his daughter Tia at home in Suffolk, Virginia. "People were like, 'oh, she sucks,' 'what does it matter that she's Black?' Drivers say more funding is key to supporting women on the track. Jennifer Jo Cobb. [17][21], In 2012, Danica Patrick was voted NASCAR's Most Popular Nationwide Driver, becoming the first woman to receive that award in NASCAR's top three divisions. Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCARS Drive for Diversity. Therefore, they believe women cant drive, let alone race. at Langhorne Speedway in 1949. 1 for the season-opening Daytona 500, the biggest race on the NASCAR schedule. 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. Now at 27, Daniels is NASCAR's first Black female tire changer. 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. Get the latest top sport news and stories delivered to your inbox. In addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. Tom is the Curatorial Affairs Manager of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and a veteran of more than 20 years in the NASCAR media industry. Her first race was at the 2003 Florida Dodge Dealers and her last was at the 2004 Infineon 200. Then in 2015, Long joined Obika Racing. The article claimed that she had faced criminal charges in her youth, which Tia has not denied. Date of Birth: . 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. Another female racer, Louise Smith raced 11 times in the Cup Series between 1949 and 1952, with a best finish of 16 th at Langhorne Speedway in 1949. Zamora debuted in the ARCA Menards Series preseason test session in January 2021. Danica Patrick - First Female NASCAR Driver. Patricia Moise-Sawyer, A Former NASCAR Driver (Source: Twitter). Robin McCall (2 / 1982 note: Wally Dallenbach Jr's wife) Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity. There is no stopping to Tony Breidinger, and she became the first NASCAR driver of Arab-American heritage in the NASCAR national series. However, she is still a racer to watch out for who drives for a team named after Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing and rides a Number ten. A heavy right foot and the power of a Chrysler Hemi engine helped Vicki Wood set speed records on Daytona Beach in the mid-1950s. [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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Besides racing, she runs Tinas Dream Ranch business and is also politically active. 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. Hailee debuted for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2020 Clean Harbors 200 (Kansas) and 2022 Alsco Uniforms 302 (Las Vegas), respectively. 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. "NASCAR hasn't had very much success with the African American community at large because of NASCAR's association with the Confederate flag," Armstrong said. 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. She is the first female driver to lead a Busch Series event. Ann Bunselmeyer (1 / 1950) Sara Christian was a participant in the inaugural NASCAR race at the Charlotte Speedway. Then, keep on reading our list of best female NASCAR drivers. The following year, Guthrie became the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series Race under caution at the Ontario Speedway in Canada. She participated in five Winston Cup races between 1987 and 1989 and 133 . But here we have brought you 16 Best Female NASCAR Drivers who prove they are here to change the stereotype. Robinson won three times between 1988 and 1989 in the now-defunct Dash Series,[1] Deegan won three races in the K&N Pro Series West between 2018 and 2019. In 2020, she competed at the ARCAs Daytona. Kim Crosby, born in 1964, is 58 years old talented NASCAR female driver who has won 10 races over three years. [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 2013, The New York Times ran an article that effectively shut down any chance Tia Norfleet had at a NASCAR career. A few weeks later she passed Guthrie for the most top ten finishes for a woman in Sprint Cup history at Bristol. On Monday, just ahead of the Daytona 500, Busch Light announced the creation of the Busch Light Accelerate Her Program, a $10 million commitment to sponsor every female driver 21 years or older . "You . In her career in the NASCAR Xfinity series, she appeared in 15 races in just a year and 32 races in the Camping World Truck. 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. 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. Janet Guthrie's second and final appearance in the Daytona 500 came in 1980 when she finished 11th in a Chevrolet fielded by team owner Rod Osterlund Chevrolet. Deegan grew up competing in off-road racing but made the switch to stock car racing in 2016. Due to her good looks and style, she is also a . A handful of women (such as Mackena Bell and Kenzie Ruston) have raced with the help of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program since its creation in 2004. Angela Cope Inside Her Truck (Source: Wikipedia). Her victory was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Tammy Jo Kirk won in 1994. 16 will . Her fourth-place finish was the highest ever for a female driver, besting the previous record of ninth set by Janet Guthrie in 1978. She was a rival and tied the second female to fellow race driver Louise Smith in 1949. Britany is a young stock car racer competing part-time at the ARCA Menards Series. 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. Paris Berelc is suiting up for an adult role in the new Netflix NASCAR-inspired comedy series The Crew as up-and-coming race car driver Jessie de la Cruz, who is trying to bump Jake Martin . Baker was named one of the 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers. She began drag racing and hitting the short track circuit for late model racing, with several top-15 finishes to her name. Natalie Decker is a young and upcoming racer competing part-time at NASCAR Xfinity. We shall talk about Jennifer Jo Cobb on our list of top female NASCAR drivers. She competed in the 2018 Daytona 500 and the 2018 Indy 500 before officially retiring from full-time competition. The series exists since 2009, but was not officially affiliated with NASCAR until 2012. "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. At the age of 12, she progressed to legends car races. 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. It wasn't until 2012, 64 years after NASCAR was founded, that it signed its first female pit crew member, Christmas Abbott. In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway. From driving go-karts as a child to making history in US motor racing, Toni Breidinger has become the first Arab-American female to participate in Nascar stock car racing. NASCAR has seen female drivers compete since the inception of its sanctioning body in 1949. In 1955, Wood finished third overall in the Class 4 (Unlimited Displacement) category for U.S. Stock Production Passenger Cars. She finished 8th, the highest ever finish for an woman in the Daytona 500. "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. Ethel Flock Mobley. California-native Breidinger, 21, made her debut in . Get the latest NASCAR news on driver Hailie Deegan. One of the most talented female race drivers, Ashley is the daughter of former national drag . She has established herself as one of the hottest racing drivers, as well as one of the hottest female athletes in general. Goldie Parsons (1 / 1965) A blonde among these female NASCAR drivers, she is famous for being the younger sister of Ashley Force Hood which I just mentioned. Patty also appeared in 133 races from 1986 to 1998 for Busch Series. Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCAR'S Drive for Diversity. [12] In her sophomore Dash Series run, Robinson became the first woman to earn the pole position for a NASCAR touring series race. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Sarah Christian was the first female NASCAR driver of all time. Robinson also took home Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver honors. Since the 20th Century, female drivers have been leaving their mark on NASCAR history. [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. IndyCar series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR in 2010. Decker ( leftmost in the photo above) is seen as the future. Career Indianapolis 500 laps led: 29. (WKMG 2021) In 2019, she became the . The 17-year-old became the first female driver to win a K&N Pro Series race, taking the checkered flag in . In that first Strictly Stock season of 1949, Christian competed in six of the eight races. In 2013, Patrick became the first female driver to win a pole in a Cup Series race when she qualified No. [27] She followed this up by winning two more races in 2019, which came at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track[28] and at Colorado National Speedway. Ethel was among the early female race drivers in the NASCAR scene. Marie-Claude Charmasson is a lesser-known female race car driver who we think deserves more recognition. Stereotypically, womens driving skills are a standing joke, among others. Sara Christian was the first woman driver in NASCAR history. 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). Tina also entered for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2003. 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 . 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. After a 7th place finish in Martinsville a year later, Patrick tied Guthrie for most Top 10 finishes by a female NASCAR driver. First woman to lead a lap in Indianapolis 500. Known as The Fastest Woman in Racing, Vicki Wood never competed in a Cup Series race, but in the 1950s, she set speed records on Daytona Beach during NASCAR time trials. 3. Jennifer Jo Cobb. . 20 Toyota, owned by her family. Feb 21, 2018. That year, Patrick became the first woman to win the NASCAR Most Popular Nationwide Driver award. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Erin Mary Crocket Evernham (Source: MassLive.com). So impressed was race winner and Hall of Famer Curtis Turner (Class of 2016) that he invited her to Victory Lane to celebrate with him. 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). She competed in over 100 NASCAR racing events. That year, Patrick became the first woman to win the NASCAR Most Popular Nationwide Driver award. How many women have competed in the NASCAR cup: 16 Female Drivers - Full list here. Dr. Ketra Armstrong, a professor of race and inclusion in sports at the University of Michigan, told ABC News. She was also invited to NASCARs 2019 Drive for Diversity. She has confirmed that she is the first black woman to receive a NASCAR racing license, and has publicly spoken about her desire to someday race at Daytona, once she has moved up through ARCA and NASCARrankings. However, last year, the organization banned Confederate flags at its races. Fisher was the first female driver to take a pole position in a significant American open-wheel race in 2002. At age 14, Tia Norfleet decided that she wanted to become a race car driver. While the Drive for Diversity program is keen to celebrate progress, Siegel said that success requires much more work. Natalie Decker stands by her truck during qualifying for the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 in Brooklyn, Mich., Aug. 10, 2019. "Especially, you know, a little black girl like myself at that time. There are two straight-shooting, let's-take-NASCAR-seriously flicks on this list, and "The Last American Hero" is one of them. In addition, she has competed in the Indianapolis 500 nine times, the most of any woman. All Rights Reserved. Since 2009, the program has trained 75 gender and ethnically diverse candidates for NASCAR's pit crews. Danica Patrick is the most successful woman in the history of American open wheel racing. Patty Moise made a record 133 Xfinity Series starts between 1986 and 1998 and Tammy Jo Kirk scored 37 top-10 finishes and two poles in what was then known as the All Pro Series, before making the first starts for a woman in the Camping World Truck Series. From 1987 to 1989, Moise has driven in 5 Winston Cup races. Spire Motorsports. Why wouldn't that be talked about?," Daniels said. 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. She finished 28th even though she started 42nd. "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. Get to Know These Top Female Drivers. During college, the Norfolk State women's basketball point guard said she never once thought about NASCAR as a sport, let alone a career. Tammy Jo Kirk NASCAR Racer (Source: Wikimedia). This season, there's a new face on the racetrack, and she's creating history. Sara Christian's fifth-place finish in 1949 tops among the best finishes by a female race driver at a professional level. This isnt a rank-based list. In 2004, NASCAR started the Drive for Diversity program, hoping to develop a more diverse driver base. Toni Breidinger gets ready to race in the ARCA Menards Series Calypso Lemonade 200 in Winchester, Ind., July 31, 2021. Born in 1969, Tina Gordon is one of the top female NASCAR drivers in history. Female drivers competed at a high level all the way back to the earliest days of NASCAR. She bagged the 2008 Indy Japan 300, the only woman in the scene. In 2015, Patrick tied Janet Guthrie for most top ten finishes for a woman with a seventh place finish at Martinsville. [17] In 2012, Patrick would eventually race part-time in the Sprint Cup Series. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Later, she was signed by Rev Racing in both the years 2019 and 2020. During the 1990s many women raced in NASCARs lower series. There are . NASCAR's first Arab American female driver makes her Daytona debut . "Girl, you are crazy" she told ABC News about what the person she was at 17 would think about her now, a NASCAR pit crew member. Driver Jennifer Jo Cobb poses for a photo during at Clutch Studios on January 19, 2022, in Concord, North Carolina. To this day, she remains the only female driver to post a top five in the Cup Series. Let's check out five female NASCAR drivers that deserve a shot in the Cup Series. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. In 2017, Patrick became the first female NASCAR driver to lead the prestigious Coca Cola 600. 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. 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. Meet Tia Norfleet, the first African-American female NASCAR driver and daughter of legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet. Moreover, she finished in 29th position back in 2011, which is also her best. She was best known for competing in Modified Division races. During her NASCAR Xfinity Series career, she finished once in the pole position and once in the top ten. ( 1981-08-24) 24 August 1981 (age 41) Pauline Mayman born 26 May 1928, died 1989 (aged 60-61) Sally Miall born 18 December 1918, died 6 October 2010 (aged 91) Sarah Moore born. She was 42nd in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2020 and her best finish was 31st in 2019. Only three have been women of color. Patrick's racing career began with go-karts in her hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin, at age 10. AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series, AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series, AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series, List of female 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers, "Where Are They Now? In 2019, Manami Kobayashi became the third woman to win a race in a NASCAR touring series race. She led 19 laps of the race, becoming the first woman ever to . Born in 1973, Cobb has been an active name in the industry. Also in 2020, the former K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West became the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, respectively. Although diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Robinson underwent several treatments and finally became cancer-free in 2015. Natalie Decker sits in her truck during practice for the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series World of Westgate Las Vegas 200 in Las Vegas Sept. 13, 2019. Louise Smith (1949-1956) Louise Smith, tied for second female NASCAR driver alongside Ethel, became known as "The First Lady of Racing.". Danica Patricks 2013 Daytona 500 pole award is on display in Heritage Speedway at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A portion of the commitment will also be reserved for up-and-coming talent, the company said. Chevrolet. Don't miss a story! Terri had previously attempted the NASCAR Sportsman series in the US. She joined NASCAR in 2016 as part of the organization's "Drive for Diversity" program. Shawna Robinson competed in all three NASCAR Touring series. In 1950, Louise Smith drove her Nash in three NASCAR Cup races with sponsorship from Greenville, South Carolina, Nash dealership Leslie Motor Co. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. She started racing by driving road course races at the age of 16 in the IMSA series. The first Daytona 500 was held in 1959. Hailing from the iconic Wallace family, Chrissy Wallace is the nice of NASCAR legends Rusty Wallace and Kenny Wallace.Her father Mike Wallace was a veteran lower series driver. Through a new sponsorship opportunity with Busch Light, all three women will be able to gain financial backing and exposure that they hope will encourage more women to enter the profession, both on and off the track. In 2011, she started driving the No. More power to them! Making her Sprint Cup beginning in 1987, the Jacksonville superstar Patty Moise-Sawyer is one of the 16 best female NASCAR drivers in history. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She became the first female race car driver to win a Cup Series . 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. For the 2021 ARCA Menards Series, Grace has decided to race ten races in total but a part-time, driving Number 15 and 25. 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. Fire up your engines! Two year later, Patrick would earn the pole at the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300, becoming the first female driver since Shawna Robinson to clinch it. Deegan debuted in 2018 through NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and has 18 races in her bag in just under three years. Career Indianapolis 500 starts: 8 (2005-11, 2018) Best career Indianapolis 500 start: 4th in 2005. The following year, Guthrie became the first female racer to qualify for the Daytona 500, where she finished 12th, and the Indianapolis 500. Deegan also has a family YouTube channel called The Deegans, where she posts her everyday life and beyond. She also won the 2021 Trans Am Series SGT Class ProAm Challenge. As of 2023, Tammy is happily retired, makes her living as a motorcycle dealer, and has a net worth of $1.5 million. In 1954, Betty Skelton Erde drove the pace car at Daytona and set the female stock car speed record. 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. Leilani Munter - American 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 competed in NASCAR's first-ever Cup Series race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. Auto racing has been around for over 100 years, and the sport has been consistently dominated by men. She returned to ARCA in 2021 for Youngs Motorsports on a part-time schedule. 1986 saw the first woman lead in a Busch Series Race in Patty Moise. [10] In 1977, Janet Guthrie would become the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series race under caution, at Ontario Speedway. Her first race in this series was in the 2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) and her last was in the 2020 Vankor 350 (Texas). No. . Christians next race was even better, as she finished fifth at Pittsburghs Heidelberg Raceway. "Let's elevate these women and get them the opportunity and the time and the visibility that they need.". 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In 2012, she became the youngest woman to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. She finished 5th, the highest finish for a female, in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series in 2020, Daytona. So, Courtney, of course, feels advantages of having a sister as a champion of Funny Car division and father, John Force.

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first female nascar driver