A courtney force win in kansas marked the 100 th win by a female nhra competitor. In 1977, she won the nhra winston world points championship. Back in 2008, ashley, the oldest force sister, became the first woman to ever win an nhra funny car event. With shell oil company as their sponsor, they race in international hot rod association events from north carolina to canada. Apr 06, 2020 in the late 1960s, as more women drivers became involved in drag racing, they formed an allgirl racing circuit known as the miss america of drag racing that competed up and down the east coast. Shirley cha cha muldowney on the cover of sunday news magazine in 1978. Leah pruett official platform nhra top fuel driver. Get an indepth look at peggy llewellyns path to becoming the first woman of color to win a professional motorsports event. Few could have imagined the buzz and hysteria that would come to surround drag illustrateds annual 10 hottest women in drag racing list, which identifies the best, brightest and baddest ladies the sport has to offer. Drag racer killed during jet dragster exhibition run at sebring. Nhra mello yello series victories by female drivers. Usa drag racing celebrating strong female drivers grand. Nhra star courtney force gives up driving to focus on family.
But to use a cliche, muldowneys biggest win wasnt on the track. Sep 01, 2019 why women drivers are more prominent in nhra than other racing circuits. Pages in category female dragster drivers the following 21 pages are in this category, out of 21 total. She also made it to the allamerican team for the second time. World top ten hottest female race car drivers youtube. Like many fields of work, the drag racing scene was and is fairly well dominated by men. In the late 1960s, as more women drivers became involved in drag racing, they formed an allgirl racing circuit known as the miss america of drag racing that competed up and down the east coast. Shawn gann, who rode his pro stock motorcycle to five nhra national events wins from 2000 to 2017, died may 16. She was the first woman to receive a license from the national hot rod association nhra to drive a top fuel dragster. She started racing at the age of 18 and hasnt slowed down since.
The nhra auto club finals saw arguably the greatest upset, improbable underdog tale when 22 year old female rookie jianna silanas stunned. Mar 20, 2015 the nhra has several women drivers who can and do win erica endersstevens, courtney force and alexis dejoria to name a few. Claire jedrek is a celebrity fitness trainer and television personalty. See more ideas about nhra drag racing, drag racing and race cars. Finally, women are starting to make an impact in nascar, indycar, nhra, and more. She is the daughter of 16time funny car champion john force, who. Meet some of the women hitting the track at the nhra drag racing toyota nationals in las vegas top fuel driver leah pritchett made it to the final race to. Oct 31, 2018 meet some of the women hitting the track at the nhra drag racing toyota nationals in las vegas top fuel driver leah pritchett made it to the final race to match up against steve torrence who had. Ganns first victory aboard the familyoperated gann speed entry that. Jan 31, 2020 on january 24, courtney, the winningest female funny car driver in nhra history, retired from the sport after racking up 12 victories and 17 runnerup finishes in 167 pro drag races. Her father, rodney, and grandfather, eddie, also raced in top fuel funny car. But when the starting lights blink green later that day at a national hot rod association drag race 2,500 miles to the west, in las vegas, there will be no headstart advantage for the women.
While other female drivers, including shirley shahan, peggy hart, roberta leighton, and carol cox, had been competing in their naturally aspirated cars, in 1964 hamilton was the first woman. Female drag racing icon, hall of famer bunny burkett passes. Shirley muldowney helped blaze the trail for women in drag racing. But before we begin, for years there have been male race car drivers whove been considered hunks, studs, hot, dreamboats, or matinee idols. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. Nhra drivers listing the nhra, the largest auto racing organization in the world. Hillary will has two career nhra wins and made six final rounds. A new crop of relatively young drivers are leading the charge in 20 and beyond. It is the top competition series of the nhra, comprising competition in four classes, including top fuel dragster, funny car, pro stock, and pro stock motorcycle the champion of each category is determined by a point system where points are given according to finishing. Nascar racing drag racing jennifer jo cobb female race car driver ricky bobby women drivers danica patrick car girls famous women jennifer jo cobb has definitely been living an extreme life. Explore this list and know about these amazing girls. Jan 25, 2019 courtney forces win in kansas in 2014 was the 100th win for a female in nhra competition. Shirley muldowney born june 19, 1940, also known professionally as cha cha and the first lady of drag racing, is an american auto racer.
Not surprisingly, though, a list of 10 would merely scratch the surface of drag racing s female population especially if youre talking hottest in terms of. She was one of the first, if not the first, black female to compete in the nhra jr. Ten nhra drag racing legends now stand alone, voted above all others as being among the top 10 drivers from nhra s first 50 years of competition. The 30yearold made the announcement thursday but didnt refer to the decision as a. Drag racing is perhaps the most diverse racing series in. Below are eight female race drivers who bump danica out of the starting field in the looks department. Fastforward to 1982 and many other accolades and awards when muldowney became the first woman to receive three national championships from the nhra making her the first female top fuel driver to ever receive this distinction. See more ideas about racing, race cars and nhra drag racing.
Her first career national event win on the professional level came february 28, 2016 at the carquest auto parts nhra nationals in chandler, arizona, defeating brittany force in the first all female final round in top fuel since 1982. Before feminism was mainstream, a workingclass woman chased her dream of being the first female drag racer. Until the early 1960s, many women competed in the separate ladies races until the nhra admitted them into the regular races, recognizing that the rules did not prohibit female drivers. The difference between patrick and the women of nhra is that on the dragway, the women have a proven record of winning. Every article about women drag racers should start with shirley muldowney. Nov 02, 2014 but when the starting lights blink green later that day at a national hot rod association drag race 2,500 miles to the west, in las vegas, there will be no headstart advantage for the women. In fact, she probably can drive better than i can now. If practice makes perfect, season outlook promising for nhra s female drag racers leah pritchett started last season strong but faded in the countdown. Shirley muldowney, top fuel, june, 1976, columbus, ohio. Her father gene llewellyn was closely involved with bikes and bike racing and she began riding herself at age seven.
In nhra, women have traction in race against men brittany force, last years world champion in topfuel drag racing, will compete at this weeks nhra winternationals. She won the nhra top fuel championship in 1977, 1980, and 1982, becoming the first person to win two and three top fuel titles. Muldowney was the first to ever women to win a championship in any nhra drag racing class and to this day in considered royalty among drag racing fans both male and female. Muldowneys success won female drivers respect and recognition in drag racing. Nov 15, 2018 moller, who went by the nickname kat, was a regular, and very popular, racer at local short tracks and a driver for larsen motorsports in the jet dragster. How the success of women drivers in nhra engages, inspires fans.
The first fuel funny car driver is a matter of dispute, but the first female funny car driver is not in question. May 24, 2014 nhra mello yello series victories by female drivers. Leah pritchett as a top tier driver, shes used her status to help move the motorsports world along where it seems to be lagging behind. These female race car drivers should be on every racing fans. During its heyday, specifically the mid1960s through the early 1970s, the national hot rod association incorporated the use of gorgeous womenmodels to help appeal to the fanboys. The first lady of drag racing became the first person to ever win two and then three nhra top fuel titles. Leah pruett is an american drag racer, currently driving an nhra top fuel dragster for don schumacher racing. May 08, 2018 the driver little girls have adored for almost two decades. Learn how and when to remove these template messages this articles lead section does not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. Jul 01, 2016 nhras female racers took another collective leap forward in 2014. Nhra drag racing is known for many things, but the success of female race drivers and barrierbreakers in our sport is second to none in motorsports, and yesterday we lost one of the keystones of. Why women drivers are more prominent in nhra than other racing circuits. The nhra lists 1,180 female racers out of the nearly 40,000 drivers racing nationwide in regional divisions of the secondtier lucas oil series, and 1,035 girls are participating in the junior.
She started competitive racing at the age of 8 in junior dragsters. Her first career national event win on the professional level came february 28, 2016 at the carquest auto. Leah pritchett, a successful female driver in the national hot rod association, said the answer isnt a simple one but rather a stew of everything. How the success of women drivers in nhra engages, inspires. The 32 year old blasts down the tarmac at 250 mph, wins the majority of the races she competes in and still manages to be one of the most attractive women in her line of sports. Top 15 hottest female race car drivers in the world.
Danica patrick is the only female driver to win a race in the indycar series and to take pole at the daytona 500. Her full name is angela christine coperuch, she was born on august 18, 1983. Auto racing has been around for over 100 years, and the sport has been consistently dominated by men. Ohio george montgomery may have won more nhra national events, but tim, fred stone, and driver doug cook ran the match race world with some gaps between 1961 and 1966. Drag racing list the history of women fuel funny car drivers. See more ideas about race cars, women drivers and nhra drag racing. Drag racer courtney force, the winningest female in nhra funny car history, is stepping away from driving. Below is a list of fifteen hottest female race car drivers. Joe amato is a fivetime nhra winston top fuel champion and the first man to exceed 260 and 280 mph and to dip below 4. In 1976, she was named drag news top fuel driver of the year and voted to the auto racing allamerican team for the second time. Leah christine pruett formerly leah pritchett, born may 26, 1988 in redlands, california is an american drag racer, currently driving an nhra top fuel dragster for don schumacher racing after previously being employed at bob vandergriff racing before the company closed in april 2016. Adaptability may be a key element in this years nhra title hunt, but when it comes to sheer speed, the female drag racers already may have gained a psychological advantage thanks to their.
Nhra star courtney force gives up driving to focus on. Woods ran the first 9second time in ags competition at san gabriel in 1962 and got the better of the great big john mazmanians willys in the lions and fontana races of. She was the first driver, male or female, to repeat as nhra national hot rod association winston world champion and the first driver to win the championship three times. See more ideas about drag racing, car humor and nhra drag racing. Voted to auto racing allamerican team for the fifth time. Racers like barb hamilton, shirley muldowney, della woods, and paula murphy became famous and some say infamous for their drag racing abilities and achievements. In the 1970s, bunny competed in a range of categories, from super gas to modified, before eventually moving to the pro stock ranks in a 1973 ford pinto. Peggy llewellyn born december 26, 1972 in san antonio, texas is a national hot rod association nhra pro stock motorcycle drag racer. Make no mistake, muldowney was a badass in every sense of the word. While covering formula 1 events, she became interested in moter sport.
Danica patrick has established herself as the hottest female driver around, but we beg to differ. Current top six women in drag racing beyond the flag. She succeeded in this dream, becoming the first woman to secure an nhra license. Madalena antasin portugal, madalena antas is known as just another female race car driver. She won the nhra top fuel championship in 1977, 1980, and 1982, becoming the first. In 2008, she earned her first career victory, at topeka, becoming the 11th female to win a pro race in series history. The nhra mello yello drag racing series is a drag racing series organized by the national hot rod association nhra. That piques the interest of men and women alike and inspires young. The nhra has several women drivers who can and do win erica endersstevens, courtney force and alexis dejoria to name a few. While female drivers are a rarity in most motor sports circuits, women have found a home and success in drag racing. Comcast sports network of philadelphia originating from the msg network in new york, the game 365 documents notable figures in the world of sports.
Oct 27, 2019 alex rogeo drag races her supercharged 800 hp 6. Gorgeous singapores race car driver claire jedrek comes at no. The list of winners had 14 names on it, and that was before brittany force, leah pritchett, and angie smith added theirs to the list. The 12 best female drivers in racing history sportsbreak. Female drag racers and the role of family women have been top drivers at nhra events and at other drag races, even though their numbers have been fairly low.
Wandas one of the few minority drag racers, and being a female, its enjoyable seeing wanda progress as a driver and wining rounds. See more ideas about car girls, drag racing and nhra drag racing. In 1975, she was voted the first female member of the allamerican auto racing 10member team. Daughter of the legendary drag racer, john force, ashley force hood is an immensely talented and successful driver. May 15, 2018 pritchett, 29, has six career nhra top fuel victories and has reached a top competition speed of 334. Nicole lyons first as a championshipwinning drag racer, then a formidable rookie in nascars developmental series, and in the field of business where shes president and ceo of. At the drag races, though, patricks accomplishments are pedestrian. That was followed by her recognition by drag news as the top fuel driver of the year in 1976. Don garlits longevity doesnt guarantee success, but success over a long period of time can elevate a person to the top of his or her profession. Below is a brief description of each driver s accomplishments. Oct 10, 2018 get an indepth look at peggy llewellyns path to becoming the first woman of color to win a professional motorsports event.
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