She announced to run for the District position on the Cherokee County, Alabama Commission post in 2008. 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. By Rachel Cormack. Then in 2015, Long joined Obika Racing. NASCAR, founded in 1948, didn't have its first female pit crew member -- Christmas Abbott -- until 2012. Who are the most beautiful and talented female racing drivers 10. Patricia Moise-Sawyer was a NASCAR driver in the past. In 2011, she started driving the No. Female NASCAR Driver Stats across the three national series The three national series are: NASCAR Cup, XFINITY and Truck Series . Patrick is the first female driver to win a pole in NASCAR Sprint Cup . suspended after using a racial slur at a virtual race last year. 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. In Australia, Terri Sawyer[13] won the Moomba 100 NASCAR race at the Calder Park Thunderdome, Melbourne on March 3, 1991 driving a Pontiac. 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. However, due to the race not having practice and qualifying, NASCAR would not approve Cobb to compete in it with her lack of prior Cup Series experience. [12] In 2003, Robinson would also have the first all-female pit crew for a Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.[14]. She recently competed in the 2022 Baptist Health 200 (Homestead). The NASCAR fan base is also overwhelmingly white. In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wedding, Kids & Girlfriends. "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. Zamora debuted in the ARCA Menards Series preseason test session in January 2021. Before we get to know the drivers better, let us look at an overview of the list. Fifi Scott (2 / 1955) 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. . In four of the six races, she finished in the top 15. She also won the 2021 Trans Am Series SGT Class ProAm Challenge. Plan a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets at NASCARHall.com/tickets. She made history by being the first female driver to win West Series races in 2018 and 2019. Ty Dillon. In 2018, she won Washington State Rookie and was selected as one of the invitees to Drive for Diversity. It wasn't until 2012, 64 years after NASCAR was founded, that it signed its first female pit crew member, Christmas Abbott. Born and raised in Georgia, Tammy started as a racer in the Xfinity series in 2003. Marie-Claude Charmasson. [8], No woman had raced NASCAR in a decade when Janet Guthrie started the 1976 World 600,[9] finishing 15th, ahead of Dale Earnhardt. 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. Auto racing has been around for over 100 years, and the sport has been consistently dominated by men. 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. The first Daytona 500 was held in 1959. 23", "Jennifer Jo Cobb to make Cup debut at Talladega with Rick Ware Racing UPDATE", "NASCAR still searching for its Danica Patrick Racing", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Janet Guthrie", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Danica Patrick NEWS", "Patrick Follows in the Footsteps of Pioneers", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Erin Crocker", "Canadian driver, model set for Nationwide debut - Aug 17, 2011 - NASCAR.COM", "NASCAR Nationwide Team Charlotte Auto Fair", "Mara Reyes at Driver Database | Motorsport", "Gabi DiCarlo to Make Truck Series Debut at Fontana", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Alli Owens", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Deborah Renshaw", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Michelle Theriault", "Racerchicks.com: Racerchicks Angie Wilson", "NASCAR acquires ARCA, reaffirms commitment to growth | NASCAR.com", "UNOH Grad Following Her Heart into NASCAR", "Nascar Driver Kristin Bumbera Signs With Hamilton Racing", "NASCAR Female Driver Toni Marie McCray To Take On The Boys At The Showdown At Toyota Speedway", "Catalanos Making It A True Family Night at Stafford", "Open Division Championship Season 2012 Final", "Dexwet-df1 Racing with title ambitions in all divisions in 2019", "Racing-Total presents an international lineup", "NWES 2019 ELITE-Club final results after Hockenheim", D-BOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_female_NASCAR_drivers&oldid=1124996170, Articles with dead external links from December 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 December 2022, at 17:19. Danica Patrick In 2019 Camping World 500 (Source: Wikimedia). Jennifer In Driven 2 Honor Program (Source: U.S. Army). [2], In 2020, Gracie Trotter became the second female driver to win in the West Series, with her victory in the race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring on September 26. Don't miss a story! To this day, she remains the only female driver to post a top five in the Cup Series. Darius Days Bio: Family, Contracts And Net Shaun Livingston Bio: Injuries, NBA Championships, Net Who Is Aaron Rodgers Wife? Brittney Zamora. [I] definitely was like, I'm never getting into NASCAR. There are few women and minorities represented across the sport. As her father used to run late models, Long got her inspiration from him. During her NASCAR Xfinity Series career, she finished once in the pole position and once in the top ten. Deegan grew up competing in off-road racing but made the switch to stock car racing in 2016. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. Female drivers competed at a high level all the way back to the earliest days of NASCAR. Her passion for racing began at the tender age of seven, inspired by her father, Brian Deegan. Amber Balcaen enters her car at the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Developmental Program in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Oct. 18, 2016. Canadian Stock Car Racing Driver, Dominique Van Wieringen (Source: Instagram). Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. She was listed as one of the drivers for the #15 truck for Billy Ballew Motorsports as a teammate to Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck. Patricia made her debut in Busch Series in 1986 (Road Atlanta), driving the no.47 Buck Regal for Randy Hope. Sara Christian's fifth-place finish in 1949 tops among the best finishes by a female race driver at a professional level. 1986 saw the first woman lead in a Busch Series Race in Patty Moise. 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. Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCARS Drive for Diversity. 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. Relatively few women have contested a full season in any of NASCAR's touring series, although this is increasingly common. In the male-dominated sport of car racing, some women have chosen this sport as their career, proved they can compete, and even won the pole position. She participated in five Winston Cup races between 1987 and 1989 and 133 . No. This article was last updated by Bikram Jirel on December 5, 2022. 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 the age of 12, she progressed to legends car races. Historically, NASCAR hasn't been a welcoming space for black people. At the 2013 Daytona 500, Patrick became the first female driver to clinch pole position and lead a green flag lap. And yet, since receiving her racing license in 2010 -- the first African-American woman to do so-- Tia Norfleet has battled an alarming number of nay-sayers and obstacles. [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 2001, Robinson would be the first woman to finish a race in the Winston Cup Series since Janet Guthrie in 1980. Her skills on the court were an easy fit for the fast-paced needs in a NASCAR pit crew. In addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. She was the first female driver selected to the NASCAR Next program, which highlighted rising young talent. Born in 1973, Cobb has been an active name in the industry. We shall talk about Jennifer Jo Cobb on our list of top female NASCAR drivers. Jennifer Jo Cobb. Her first race was at the 2003 Florida Dodge Dealers and her last was at the 2004 Infineon 200. She had further raced at the Xfinity Series and Road Atlanta in 1986. She made her debut with the Xfinity series, made 10 starts, and finished 72nd in 2004. . Danica Patrick is the most successful woman in the history of American open wheel racing. Robinson is the first woman to win a top level NASCAR sanctioned race. At only 22, she's been helping pave the way for up-and-coming female racers. At age 14, Tia Norfleet decided that she wanted to become a race car driver. Feb 21, 2018. First woman to lead a lap in Indianapolis 500. 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. Her net worth is alleged to be between $1 million and $5 million. In September, Trotter became the 4th woman to win a late model race at Hickory Motor Speedway. Furthermore, she's not the first NASCAR driver to have faced arrest. In the NASCAR Cup Series, which began racing in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, women competed in the very first race at the old 0.75-mile Charlotte Speedway dirt track, near where Charlotte-Douglas International Airport stands today. People tend to assume women are lacking physically and have no road sense of direction. The first female to compete in a NASCAR superspeedway race, Guthrie finished 15th in the 1976 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tina also entered for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2003. 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. Gracie Trotter (Source: Twitter) In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition to Breidinger, Decker and Balcaen, the other recipients of the inaugural sponsorship are Jennifer Jo Cobb, Melissa Fifield, Stephanie Moyer and Brittney Zamora, Busch Light said. Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for BET. [16] However, Patrick would finish 38th after a crash. In 1954, Betty Skelton Erde drove the pace car at Daytona and set the female stock car speed record. Richard Petty's 200 wins make him the winningest driver. Former "Price Is Right" Model Maryeve Dufault Had an Impressive Stint in NASCAR. We believe these NASCAR drivers are the best in their way and working their way up to the top. The Busch Light Accelerate Her Program, which is being announced timed to the Daytona 500 this Sunday, marks a $10 million commitment from the brand to sponsor every female driver in NASCAR ages 21 and up over the next three years. Louise Smith (1949-1956) Louise Smith, tied for second female NASCAR driver alongside Ethel, became known as "The First Lady of Racing.". In 2018, Hailee started driving full-time and won the West Series Championship, making history. A blonde among these female NASCAR drivers, she is famous for being the younger sister of Ashley Force Hood which I just mentioned. Buddy Baker (1941-2015) Getty Images / ISC Archives. Career highlights: Shares distinction of NASCAR's second female driver with Louise Smith, made more than 100 NASCAR Modified starts. The following year, Guthrie became the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series Race under caution at the Ontario Speedway in Canada. She finished 28th even though she started 42nd. . What he needed, he decided, was a female driver who could handle the challenges of the track and hopefully bring more women out to the races. [12] In her sophomore Dash Series run, Robinson became the first woman to earn the pole position for a NASCAR touring series race. She drove in the first race for the fledgling stock car association on June 19, 1949, on the dirt track at Charlotte Speedway. Robinson and NASCAR Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb competed in the 16th installment of The Amazing Race but did not win the contest. 16 will . 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. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. 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. 15 for Rick Ware Racing and becoming the first female driver to race in the series since Patrick's retirement. For the last twelve years, Siegel and his team have worked to recruit, train and support minorities like Daniels to increase diversity in all areas of NASCAR. Robinson Signing Autographs For Her Fans (Source: ESPN). Born in 1969, Tina Gordon is one of the top female NASCAR drivers in history. 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. "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. "I think it's really becoming more intentional in addressing its past, its racist past and things that they can do better to respond to this multicultural generation in this multicultural market in which it operates.". 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 . Deegan moved up from the ARCA Menards Series to the Truck Series full-time, continuing to drive for David Gilliland Racing. 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. Natalie Decker stands by her truck during qualifying for the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 in Brooklyn, Mich., Aug. 10, 2019. Instagram. In 2013, she finished eight and became the first female NASCAR driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, turning in the fastest qualifying lap since 1990 in qualifying for the Daytona 500 . Danica Patrick, a NASCAR driver for women, was born in Beloit, Wisconsin on the 25th of March 1982. 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. 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. Breidinger notably introduced the first beauty brand to NASCAR through a sponsorship deal with the Arab-owned Huda Beauty last year. After investigating, the FBI concluded that the rope was a garage door pull rope and did not file any charges. But like I said, I'm very proud of NASCAR and for all the progress it's made yeah, I love to see it," she said. Darius Days Bio: Family, Contracts And Net Worth, Gus Johnson Bio: Family, Documentary & Net Worth, Mike Conley Net Worth: Charity & Endorsements, Shaun Livingston Bio: Injuries, NBA Championships, Net Worth & Kids, Romain Grosjean Bio: Crash, Wife, IndyCar & Net Worth>>. Meet Tia Norfleet, the first African-American female NASCAR driver and daughter of legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet. [22], In 2013, Patrick became the first woman in Sprint Cup history to have a full-time ride in the series (with Stewart-Haas Racing),[22] and eventually the first female driver to clinch the pole position and lead a green flag lap, both occurring at the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first woman to lead both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. 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. Also, on October 9, 2021, she won a 100-lap Pro Late Model feature race, becoming the first woman to win a race in the tracks premier division at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. During the Camping World Races of 2010, Long was booked to race only three races but ended up racing seven. Career Indianapolis 500 starts: 8 (2005-11, 2018) Best career Indianapolis 500 start: 4th in 2005. "It's been a long road, a lot of struggle, and I'm a one-woman show so I'm doing everything on my own," Balcaen, 29, who is competing in the ARCA Menards Series this season, told ABC News. You have entered an incorrect email address! Toni Breidinger (born July 14, 1999) is an American professional stock car racing driver & Victoria's Secret Model who competes full-time for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 99. Tia Norfleet is the daughter of NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet. The most popular female racer is Danica Patrick who retired early in 2018. 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. Breidinger hopes programs like Busch Light's will have a "snowball effect" in encouraging more brands to sponsor female drivers. "I feel like a lot of women drivers tend to hit a plateau at a certain point and we just can't break through to get to that top level of NASCAR," she said. Therefore, they believe women cant drive, let alone race. She worked her way through the local series and was the first female late-model driver to win at Hickory Speedway.. Wallace has made seven Truck series and 2 Xfinity series starts. 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? Born August 27, 2001, Gracie Trotter is the 2nd female to win a West Series Race. Shawna Robinson became the first woman to win a NASCAR Touring Series event in 1988. NASCAR Driver Hailee Deegan (Source: Wikimedia). 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. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. 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. Later, she was signed by Rev Racing in both the years 2019 and 2020. She became the first female race car driver to win a Cup Series . Her racing career started as a spectator and transformed into 38 wins in various NASCAR formats including sportsman, late models, midgets, and modified. Her last race was back in 1998, and she is now happily retired, leaving her legacy behind. 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. You don't see that every day in NASCAR. Ethel [Flock] Mobley (2 / 1949) She bagged the 2008 Indy Japan 300, the only woman in the scene. She began drag racing and hitting the short track circuit for late model racing, with several top-15 finishes to her name. 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. Last September 29, 2018, 17 year old Hailie Deegan became the first female driver to win at the K&N Pro Series Level by winning the NAPA Auto Parts Idaho 208 at the Meridian Speedway in Idaho. NASCAR did not respond to a request for comment about Armstrong's comments. She married fellow short track driver and Kyle Busch Motorsports engineer Hunter Robbins. She finished the race in fifth place, her best career finish. Leilani Munter - American 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. Moise is married to fellow NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer. In 2005, she also raced in the Camping World Truck, where she made 29 starts in conclusion. Wood drove her Chrysler 300 to a two-way average speed on the beach of 125.838 mph. Brittney Zamora, The First Woman To Win 100-Lap Pro Late Model Feature Race (Source: ENEOS). ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. As for the 2022 season there are only 2 females running a full season Hailie Deegan[4] and Toni Breidinger. Fisher was the first female driver to take a pole position in a significant American open-wheel race in 2002. She also became the first woman to race at every racetrack on the circuit. You Can Read About The 12 Best Race Car Drivers In The World>>>. Her No. Career Indianapolis 500 laps led: 29. Through one simple child's go-kart, a NASCAR hopeful was born. NASCAR's program for potential stars, the K&N Pro Series, includes just one female -- 16-year-old Hailie Deegan, daughter of extreme motorcycle athlete Brian Deegan who made her K&N East debut . The 17-year-old became the first female driver to win a K&N Pro Series race, taking the checkered flag in . 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 . In 2013, The New York Times ran an article that effectively shut down any chance Tia Norfleet had at a NASCAR career. Sara Christian. During her rally career, she drove the Opel Kadett, Chevrolet Corvette, Opel Commodore, and Chevrolet Camaro. Terri had previously attempted the NASCAR Sportsman series in the US. That year, Patrick became the first woman to win the NASCAR Most Popular Nationwide Driver award.