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). Although, now retired, Danica has successfully won 191 races in seven years of her career. It's as close to a biopic as Junior Johnson (driver, and later team owner) would ever get, and it delves deep into the bad boy image of "Junior Jackson," a bootlegger turned racing impresario. Shane Acedera has been writing online sports articles since 2003 but have been a writer and a blogger since high school. Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity. Fire up your engines! It's like, why wouldn't that matter? Tia established the "Driven to Read" literacy program, and participated in a variety of racing and charity events, including becoming a proud representative for the National African American Drug Policy Coalition and the Motorsports Institute, Inc. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Here is the list: Louise Smith (11 starts/from 1949-1952) At the age of 12, she progressed to legends car races. 16 will . She finished the race in fifth place, her best career finish. 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). Danica Sue Patrick is an American retired professional racing driver, model, actress, and singer who is considered the most successful female racecar driver in the history of American open-wheel racing. . She competed in NASCAR's first-ever Cup Series race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. Named for the type of gasoline her father used in his taxi, Ethel Flock Mobley competed in more than 100 Modified stock car races in her career. Robin McCall (2 / 1982 note: Wally Dallenbach Jr's wife) She also won the 2010 Snowball Derby. [19][20] Long would eventually race in the Nationwide Series, making her debut in the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300. Most recently, she was also featured in the video for Maroon 5s Girls Like You single. Sara Christian was a participant in the inaugural NASCAR race at the Charlotte Speedway. "Especially, you know, a little black girl like myself at that time. She started racing by driving road course races at the age of 16 in the IMSA series. Patrick is the first female driver to win a pole in NASCAR Sprint Cup . NASCAR has seen female drivers compete since the inception of its sanctioning body in 1949. After investigating, the FBI concluded that the rope was a garage door pull rope and did not file any charges. One of her most impressive performances came in September at the challenging Langhorne Speedway, a circular 1-mile track outside of Philadelphia. 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. 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. 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. Former "Price Is Right" Model Maryeve Dufault Had an Impressive Stint in NASCAR. Tia Norfleet is the daughter of NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet. In June 2020, Wallace, another NASCAR driver who also broke racial barriers in the sport, spoke out about racism after one of his crew members reported what looked like a noose hanging in the team's garage stall. 15 and No. Beyond raising "millions of dollars" just to get on the track, having female drivers paving the way is also crucial, Balcaen said. On January 14, 2020, she signed for Bill McAnally Racing in the ARCA Menards Series West. 25 cars. She was 42nd in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2020 and her best finish was 31st in 2019. Since then, only 15 pit crew members have been women, according to NASCAR. The history of NASCAR started in December 1947. You Can Also Read About Romain Grosjean Bio: Crash, Wife, IndyCar & Net Worth>>. This isnt a rank-based list. 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. . In 2013, Patrick became the first woman in Sprint Cup history to race full-time in the series. During the 1990s many women raced in NASCARs lower series. She was a competitive rally driver from 1965 through 1974. However, she did not race for Youngs Motorsports as she left them to join Venturini Motorsports in July. 25 Toyota Camry.. She was the female driver with the most wins in United States Auto Club (USAC) history with 19. While some female NASCAR drivers have transitioned or attempted to transition from open-wheel racing and sports car racing (such as Sarah Fisher, Janet Guthrie, and Danica Patrick), most have climbed the stock-car racing ladder (such as Tammy Jo Kirk, Johanna Long, and Shawna Robinson), beginning to race full-sized stock cars in their teenage years. In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Career Indianapolis 500 laps led: 29. The NASCAR fan base is also overwhelmingly white. The 21-year-old, who once only drove go-karts, said racing at Daytona is an "unreal" dream come true. But I think that inequality is still there and it kind of stems off of the fact that we are lacking on funding," Toni Breidinger, 22, who is competing in the ARCA Menards Series this season, told ABC News. [3], 2021 saw a number of milestones for female drivers. 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. 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. 1986 saw the first woman lead in a Busch Series Race in Patty Moise. Danica Patricks 2013 Daytona 500 pole award is on display in Heritage Speedway at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. She finished 3rd in the 2020 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. "I feel like for the first time since I've been involved, a lot of those things are starting to be addressed head on and progress is being made," Siegel said. Indianapolis 500 career earnings: $2,865,240. 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. Loving racing karts when she was 5, she started to race at the age of 8. 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. Johanna Robbins (nee Long) was born on May 26, 1992, and is a historical name in NASCAR history. Sara Christians fire suit is on display in Heritage Speedway on the top floor of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Quick Facts During college, the Norfolk State women's basketball point guard said she never once thought about NASCAR as a sport, let alone a career. Sara Christian was the first female driver in NASCAR history. 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. 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 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. IndyCar series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR in 2010. Born and raised in Iowa, now retired, Robinson started her career for the Spring Cup Series in 1995. Louise Smith: The First Lady of NASCAR. To this day, she remains the only female driver to post a top five in the Cup Series. Born and raised in Washington, Angela Cope is one of this times most famous NASCAR drivers. In that first race at Charlotte in 1949, she became the first female driver to compete in NASCARs top division, qualifying 13th and finishing 14th in a Ford owned by her husband, Frank. 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. [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). In 1997, Kirk raced for the Camping World Truck Series and received her best points in the twentieth position. I think that you will get an honest admission from everyone in the sport that there is a ton of work to be done," Siegel said. Christian stands alone as the first woman driver in NASCAR history. 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. During the Camping World Races of 2010, Long was booked to race only three races but ended up racing seven. 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. Brehanna Daniels with ABC News' Faith Abubey. Why wouldn't that be talked about?," Daniels said. NASCAR Driver Hailee Deegan (Source: Wikimedia). 27-year-old Brehanna Daniels is the first Black female tire changer in NASCAR history. Now at 27, Daniels is NASCAR's first Black female tire changer. A blonde among these female NASCAR drivers, she is famous for being the younger sister of Ashley Force Hood which I just mentioned. She managed to grab the 55th position in the race, making her a solid contender to watch out for. Goldie Parsons (1 / 1965) But it was in 2016 she changed her tracks towards asphalt races and made her asphalt professional beginning in 2017. Janet Guthrie (33 / 1976-1980) Young's also announced that she would make her debut in the Truck Series with them in their new part-time No. She returned to ARCA in 2021 for Youngs Motorsports on a part-time schedule. Shawna Robinson (8 / 2001-2002) By the end of the year, Daniels would make history again, as part of the first female duo in a NASCAR pit crew. Earlier this year, Toni Breidinger became the first Arab-American female race car driver to join the NASCAR family. Shawna Robinson competed in all three NASCAR Touring series. Only three have been women of color. The article claimed that she had faced criminal charges in her youth, which Tia has not denied. Leilani Munter - American at Langhorne Speedway in 1949. Her last races for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series were in the 2005 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond) and 2008 San Bernardino County 200 (Fontana), respectively. Chevrolet. [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. Canadian Stock Car Racing Driver, Dominique Van Wieringen (Source: Instagram). 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. She began drag racing and hitting the short track circuit for late model racing, with several top-15 finishes to her name. The top tier of NASCAR, the cup series, has had 16 Female NASCAR drivers in its history. She began drag racing and hitting the short track circuit for late model racing, with several top-15 finishes to her name. In 2014, Danica Patrick had three top 10 finishes including 6th place in Atlanta. After no female raced in a decade, Janet Guthrie became the first woman driver to race in a superspeedway when she started the 1976 World 600, finishing in 15th place and ahead of Dale Earnhardt.