Photo: Janet Guthrie at Indy
It is interesting to see that there is a new FIA Women and Motor Sport Commission (WMC) and their President is the former World Rally star Michele Mouton. She has support from female drivers Cathy Muller, Natacha Gachnang and Katherine Legge plus Fabrizia Pons and Brigitte Zufferey from the FIM plus about a dozen other women. Frederique Trouve is the FIA WMC Manager as they aim to promote and foster the participation of women in motor sport at all levels.
Probably the most recognised female driver at the moment is Danica Patrick who is competing in both the Indycar and Nationwide Nascar series, but there were many more before her. Janet Guthrie qualified 26th for the 1977 Indy 500 where she finished 29th. She came back the following year and finished ninth in the Texaco Star Special, just two places behind A.J.Foyt in a race won by Al Unser (both four time Indy winners). She also ran in 1979 but only completed three laps, retiring with piston failure! Guthrie ran in 33 NASCAR races and is the only female driver to qualify for the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500.
Lyn St. James raced six times at Indy between 1992-97 and was ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 1992 when she finished 11th, again just two places behind A.J.Foyt and won by Al Unser Junior this time!
Of course Danica has had better results with a 4th place and ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 2005 after she led the race at Indy She went onto win the Motegi Indycar race in Japan in 2008 and was 3rd at Indy in 2009. This was the best finish by a woman so far. However she is struggling this year trying to do both Indycar for Andretti Autosport and selected NASCAR Nationwide races in a GoDaddy.com Chevy Impala for JR Motorsports.
South African driver Desire Wilson raced Formula Atlantic cars here in NZ in 1980 after competing in many races in Europe. She won a non Championship British Aurora F1 race at Brands Hatch in 1980 after she failed to qualify for the British GP in a Williams FW07. She later raced in CART and sports cars plus she failed to qualify for the 1982 Indy 500 in a March Cosworth.
Now we have Katherine Legge and Susie Stoddart racing in DTM, Natacha Gachnang in GT1, plus Simona de Silvestro, Sara Fisher, Ana Beatriz and Milka Duno along with Danica in the IZOD IndyCar Seriess. There are many more women competing in other series such as NHRA drag racing, motor cycle racing, circuit racing and plenty in go-karts.
Of course the ‘first lady of Drag Racing’ was Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney, who started racing in 1958 and won 18 NHRA events on her way to three Top Fuel Championships in 1977, 1980 and 1982. She retired from drag racing on 2003.
Angelle Sampey won 41 races in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle between 1996-2008, including a 12 year winning streak. Today the female stars of drags are: Ashley Force-Hood (8 wins in Funny Car and is one of the three John Force daughters racing), Melanie Troxel (7 FC wins), Hillary Will (2 TF wins), Erica Enders (1 Pro Stock win), Karen Stouffer (5 PSMC wins), Peggy Llewellyn (1 PSMC win) and Angie Smith.
A few women have attempted to qualify and race in F1 over the years; Maria Teresa de Fillippis (1958-59) in a Maserati & Behra Porsche (3 starts), Lella Lombardi (1975-76) in a March, RAM and Williams (she started 12 races), Divina Galica (1976-78) in a Surtees and Hesketh, Desire Wilson and Giovanna Amati (1992) in a Brabham.
But the last word comes from F1’s Bernie Ecclestone when asked if they should have a program for women in racing, he just said “why?”
