Her No. 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. Patrick's racing career began with go-karts in her hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin, at age 10. Her awards include Quarter Midgets of the American Female Driver of the year continuously from 1993 to 1995. She competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. Lella Lombardi (1 / 1977) Moreover, she finished in 29th position back in 2011, which is also her best. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. Angela Cope Inside Her Truck (Source: Wikipedia). So, Courtney, of course, feels advantages of having a sister as a champion of Funny Car division and father, John Force. She finished 28th even though she started 42nd. Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCAR'S Drive for Diversity. 16 will . Deegans triumph was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Shawna Robinson three decades back. [12] In her sophomore Dash Series run, Robinson became the first woman to earn the pole position for a NASCAR touring series race. In 1998, her full-time career as a racer began, and she flourished to the NASCAR Pro series by 1999. NASCAR's first Arab American female driver makes her Daytona debut . [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. However, she did not race for Youngs Motorsports as she left them to join Venturini Motorsports in July. Toni Breidinger, 21, began racing in the 2021 ARCA season opener at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Saturday. She was a rival and tied the second female to fellow race driver Louise Smith in 1949. 2012 was the first season as a NASCAR-sanctioned series, so the list will be made from 2012 onwards. 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. In 2012, Patrick would eventually race part-time . Though NASCAR reports that developing diversity in racing is extremely important to them, it does seem strange that officials for the organization have spent a significant amount of time reiterating that Tia Norfleet, a hopeful driver looking to someday progress her career by announcing her future racing goals, is not yet a fully-licensed NASCAR or ARCA driver. In 1986, Patty Moise would become the first woman to lead in a Busch Series race.[11]. The first "Strictly Stock" race was held in 1949. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Tammy Jo Kirk NASCAR Racer (Source: Wikimedia). Marie-Claude Charmasson. Since the 20th Century, female drivers have been leaving their mark on NASCAR history. She returned to ARCA in 2021 for Youngs Motorsports on a part-time schedule. Although diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Robinson underwent several treatments and finally became cancer-free in 2015. Below is the list of 10 best female NASCAR drivers of all time to have achieved the seeming inconceivable. Jennifer Jo Cobb. . Young's also announced that she would make her debut in the Truck Series with them in their new part-time No. [3], 2021 saw a number of milestones for female drivers. This season, there's a new face on the racetrack, and she's creating history. She finished the race in fifth place, her best career finish. Patrick is best known for winning the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and becoming the first woman to win in an IndyCar Series race. "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. Her last race for NASCAR Xfinity Series was in the 2006 AT&T 250 (Milwaukee). Sara Christian. 5. 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. The first female to compete in a NASCAR superspeedway race, Guthrie finished 15th in the 1976 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "For me to be able to learn the business skills to be able to sign million-dollar sponsors is to me the thing that I'm most proud of because I had to learn how to be a businesswoman before a race car driver to be able to be a race car driver.". Erin Mary Crocket Evernham (Source: MassLive.com). Who are the most beautiful and talented female racing drivers 10. Patrick didn't win a race in seven seasons, but her seven top-10 finishes are most among female drivers in NASCAR history. One of the most talented female race drivers, Ashley is the daughter of former national drag . Deegan grew up competing in off-road racing but made the switch to stock car racing in 2016. Her skills on the court were an easy fit for the fast-paced needs in a NASCAR pit crew. As for the 2022 season there are only 2 females running a full season Hailie Deegan[4] and Toni Breidinger. 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. That success is what Siegel said he wants for all his recruits who come through the Drive for Diversity program. Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCARS Drive for Diversity. Britany is a young stock car racer competing part-time at the ARCA Menards Series. Robinson is known as a competent racer who left a legacy in the male-dominated industry. Two year later, Patrick would earn the pole at the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300, becoming the first female driver since Shawna Robinson to clinch it. Her victory was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Tammy Jo Kirk won in 1994. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Shauntia Latrice "Tia" Norfleet may or may not be the first female African-American NASCAR driver. 7. Former "Price Is Right" Model Maryeve Dufault Had an Impressive Stint in NASCAR. 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). Richard Petty's 200 wins make him the winningest driver. In 2012, she became the youngest woman to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Martinsville Speedway is the Cup Series' shortest track. Below is a list of top 10 talented female race car drivers. Since then, only 15 pit crew members have been women, according to . 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. Instead of bolstering her career, this move has vilified her in the media, with potential sponsors less than eager to support a driver who has been accused of misrepresenting herself. She began drag racing and hitting the short track circuit for late model racing, with several top-15 finishes to her name. 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. However, her biggest accomplishment, she told ABC News, was earning her sponsorship with RV product manufacturer ICON Direct last year. 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. Terri had previously attempted the NASCAR Sportsman series in the US. Learn how your comment data is processed. Get the latest NASCAR news on driver Hailie Deegan. Patricia Sawyer Moise drove in five Winston Cup races from 1987-89 and 133 Busch Series races from 1986-1998. That year, Patrick became the first woman to win the NASCAR Most Popular Nationwide Driver award. In addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. Through one simple child's go-kart, a NASCAR hopeful was born. Sara Christian (7 / 1949-1950) 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. The Best Female NASCAR Drivers 10. There are . Deegan, Robinson, Danica Patrick, Tammy Jo Kirk and Mara Reyes have won Poles. [26] In 2016, a record 18 different women started a race in one of NASCAR's touring series. In 1955, Wood finished third overall in the Class 4 (Unlimited Displacement) category for U.S. Stock Production Passenger Cars. 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. "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. More power to them! Career Indianapolis 500 starts: 8 (2005-11, 2018) Best career Indianapolis 500 start: 4th in 2005. Several women have qualified for and started at least one ARCA Menards Series race, like Danica Patrick, Leilani Munter, Alli Owens, Erin Crocker, Shawna Robinson, Sarah Cornett-Ching, Deborah Renshaw, Maryeve Dufault, Toni Breidinger, Milka Duno, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Nicole Behar, Hailie Deegan, Natalie Decker, and others. Amber Balcaen became the first Canadian woman to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the U.S. in 2016. The 17-year-old became the first female driver to win a K&N Pro Series race, taking the checkered flag in . Tia and Bobby Norfleet began a mission to bring awareness to motorsports to children of all backgrounds, especially those in underserved communities and from minority ethnic backgrounds. Danica Patrick, in full Danica Sue Patrick, (born March 25, 1982, Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S.), American race car driver and the first woman to win an IndyCar championship event. She finished 5th, the highest finish for a female, in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series in 2020, Daytona. Ann Slaasted (1 / 1950) In 2018, Hailie Deegan became the first female driver to win a NASCAR touring series race in roughly three decades, winning in the K&N Pro Series West in the series' race at Meridian Speedway. 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. Here are the Female Drivers with the most stars across the three National Series (Cup, NXS, Truck): Johanna Long Robbins was the winner of the 2010 Snowball Derby at the Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images. "Especially, you know, a little black girl like myself at that time. As her father used to run late models, Long got her inspiration from him. Danica Patrick. Daniel Suarez. 1986 saw the first woman lead in a Busch Series Race in Patty Moise. At 29 years of age, Amber has successfully utilized her racing platform to be one of motorsport's largest female influencers - Inspiring and motivating others to pursue their dreams . 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. 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. Shawna Robinson (8 / 2001-2002) The Last American Hero. In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. March is Womens History Month, a 31-day celebration that was formally recognized by the federal government back in 1987. 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>>. In 2016, Daniels was the only woman in a group of men trying out for one of the spots on a NASCAR pit crew team. Deegan also has a family YouTube channel called The Deegans, where she posts her everyday life and beyond.