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Fast, furious and fabulous - they are not just there for PR and paparazzi value, they are winning major races.
26 year old Danica Patrick, at 5’2” and 100 pounds has claim as the first female race car driver to win a major Indy Car race in Japan two weeks ago. Two years before that, Danica was the series Rookie of the Year, and finished in 4th place at the famed Indianapolis 500.
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She’s currently the leading spokes person for Motorola, her main sponsor. Her billboards have been appearing everywhere: On buses; billboards; television; and recently, on the side of a passenger airliner. She’s an advertiser’s dream come true…and angel.
And, there are more of these angels. Just this past weekend at the Atlanta Dragway, Ashley Force, 25, and the daughter of the legendary 14 time Funny Car champion, John Force, won her very first NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) championship race. What made this race even more special for the young rookie driver was that she had won the trophy by beating her father, head to head. What are the odds of that? Ashley has been involved in racing for her entire life. She has risen through the ranks on her own talent, and of course with the help of her famous father.
There are now female racer drivers everywhere, racing just about every form of machine. NASCAR has 3 women driving in their truck series, but so far none have made it to the BIG SHOW in the Sprint Series. It still seems to be “an old boys club” for much of NASCAR right now, but with the success of women in other areas of racing, that club’s rules are destined to change. Change is slow, but certain when it comes to women in racing. In 1971, women were banned from Indianapolis’ famous Gasoline Alley, the area where mechanics and drivers work on their cars. Women have been driving the Indy 500 for a while now. Desire Wilson, Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher to name a few have circled the brickyard.
As if this was enough to make her father proud, there’s more. Force’s other daughters, Brittany, 21, and Courtney, 19, are both up and coming drivers in the Top Fuel category. All three of these Force girls are very capable racers. Yes, there are advantages to having a legendary father in the same business you’re trying to break into. At the end of the day, nepotism can only go so far. Unless you’ve got the talent to back you up, you’ll quickly arrive at a dead end. The Force girls have it, and more. They are typical Southern California girls. They have cover girl looks, and years of savvy because of their famous father, as well as inherited talent.
These are just a few of the talented female drivers we’ve seen in the new millennium. Women drivers have been competing with men in organized racing in the modern era for more than 50 years. In 1958, Maria Teresa de Filippis raced against men in the Formula 1 series. Lella Lombardi, the most proficient female racer in Formula 1, had competed in 12 races. Divina Galica, Desire Wilson, and Giovanna Amati, are three other women who also entered Formula 1 races. In the 1976 British Grand Prix, three female drivers had entered the event, but did not qualify for the event.
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