During her NASCAR Xfinity Series career, she finished once in the pole position and once in the top ten. 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. The First African-American Female NASCAR Driver. She competed in over 100 NASCAR racing events. Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity even while some celebrate her achievements in the sport. Her victory was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Tammy Jo Kirk won in 1994. Sara Christian. But here we have brought you 16 Best Female NASCAR Drivers who prove they are here to change the stereotype. [10] In 1977, Janet Guthrie would become the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series race under caution, at Ontario Speedway. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Earning the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500 was a history-making event for Danica Patrick and her Stewart-Haas Racing team. For women competing professionally in the sport, exposure and sponsorships are key to rising in the ranks, but both can be difficult to come by, female NASCAR drivers told ABC News. But it was in 2016 she changed her tracks towards asphalt races and made her asphalt professional beginning in 2017. 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. Kirks last race in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was the 1998 Sams Town 250 (Las Vegas), and in NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 2003 Ford 300 (Homestead). Kim Crosby, born in 1964, is 58 years old talented NASCAR female driver who has won 10 races over three years. 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. 20 Toyota, owned by her family. Janet Guthrie (33 / 1976-1980) The most popular female racer is Danica Patrick who retired early in 2018. That year, Patrick became the first woman to win the NASCAR Most Popular Nationwide Driver award. 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 . She drove the #10 Sticks N Stuff Chevy for Davis Motorsports at Talladega in 2004. In 2011, she started driving the No. Since 2009, the program has trained 75 gender and ethnically diverse candidates for NASCAR's pit crews. Driver Jennifer Jo Cobb poses for a photo during at Clutch Studios on January 19, 2022, in Concord, North Carolina. Female NASCAR Driver Stats across the three national series The three national series are: NASCAR Cup, XFINITY and Truck Series . This article was last updated by Bikram Jirel on December 5, 2022. Baker was named one of the 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers. Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. Marie-Claude Charmasson. Amber Balcaen enters her car at the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Developmental Program in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Oct. 18, 2016. In that first Strictly Stock season of 1949, Christian competed in six of the eight races. 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. The Last American Hero. In 1998, her full-time career as a racer began, and she flourished to the NASCAR Pro series by 1999. Patty also appeared in 133 races from 1986 to 1998 for Busch Series. More power to them! Mistakes are made, words are misinterpreted, and tempers flare. 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. Earlier this year, Toni Breidinger became the first Arab-American female race car driver to join the NASCAR family. Credit Suisse First Boston Will Have Goldman Sachs-like Partners . She also won the 2021 Trans Am Series SGT Class ProAm Challenge. Her last race was back in 1998, and she is now happily retired, leaving her legacy behind. You don't see that every day in NASCAR. 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. First woman to lead a lap in Indianapolis 500. IndyCar series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR in 2010. The following is a list of female NASCAR drivers who have participated in a national or regional touring series race since the organization's inception in 1949, along with statistical totals for their NASCAR careers. Her skills on the court were an easy fit for the fast-paced needs in a NASCAR pit crew. Born and raised in Washington, Angela Cope is one of this times most famous NASCAR drivers. Through one simple child's go-kart, a NASCAR hopeful was born. "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. There is no stopping to Tony Breidinger, and she became the first NASCAR driver of Arab-American heritage in the NASCAR national series. [2] Trotter won a race in the renamed ARCA Menards Series West in 2020, becoming the second female winner in the West Series, as well as the first winner in the series under the ARCA banner. Patrick bagged numerous winnings for women in the auto racing field, including the IndyCar, NASCAR cup, Indianapolis 500, and Daytona 500. She also became the first woman to race at every racetrack on the circuit. Buddy Baker (1941-2015) Getty Images / ISC Archives. In 2015, Patrick tied Janet Guthrie for most top ten finishes for a woman with a seventh place finish at Martinsville. Terri had previously attempted the NASCAR Sportsman series in the US. "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.". She was the first female driver selected to the NASCAR Next program, which highlighted rising young talent. Marian Pagan (1 / 1954) Patrick later finished the race in eighth place, the highest finish for a woman in the Daytona 500. Recently, celebrities like basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and rapper Pitbull have invested in the sport, helping diversify the face of NASCAR's team ownership -- investments that could help drive new interest. 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. But here she is, at 27 years old, on the NASCAR pit road, changing tires on race cars and breaking barriers for women and people of color along the way. This post was originally published on July 9, 2021. These female racers are setting an example for the females of the next generation. Natalie Decker moved up from the Truck Series to the Xfinity Series, where she would run five races in the No. 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. [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). Best career Indianapolis 500 finish: 3rd in 2009. Since the 20th Century, female drivers have been leaving their mark on NASCAR history. At age 14, Tia Norfleet decided that she wanted to become a race car driver. In 2017, Patrick became the first female NASCAR driver to lead the prestigious Coca Cola 600. The E2 Northeast Motorsports team became the first multicultural team to race competitively in NASCAR, with four black and Latino drivers two in the camping world truck series and two in . She was 42nd in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2020 and her best finish was 31st in 2019. Here is the list: Louise Smith (11 starts/from 1949-1952) Most successful female NASCAR driver of all time; Most successful female in open-wheel racing . Additionally, her NASCAR license has come into question. Another woman (Alina Loibnegger) finished second, in the first time ever two women finished 12 in NASCAR history. Her passion for racing began at the tender age of seven, inspired by her father, Brian Deegan. 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. Daniel Suarez. A blonde among these female NASCAR drivers, she is famous for being the younger sister of Ashley Force Hood which I just mentioned. She signed with Black Cat Racing the same year but ended her tenure during Speedweeks. Shane Acedera has been writing online sports articles since 2003 but have been a writer and a blogger since high school. Most recently, she was also featured in the video for Maroon 5s Girls Like You single. Natalie Decker stands by her truck during qualifying for the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 in Brooklyn, Mich., Aug. 10, 2019. During her teens, she slowly moved up to the Auto racing ranks and is now at the age of 21, the only woman with 19 United States Auto Club Wins. Born and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, her go-karting fascination started at the age of ten, and it only started to grow further. Danica Patrick is the most successful woman in the history of American open wheel racing. 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. She finished 3rd in the 2020 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. 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. She married fellow short track driver and Kyle Busch Motorsports engineer Hunter Robbins. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images. The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series formed the Lady Cup, a championship system for female drivers in 2014. Danica Patrick. In 2016, Patrick led a career high 30 laps and completed more circuits than all but three other drivers. At least 125 women have qualified for and started a race in one of NASCAR's touring series, including 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series. The first Daytona 500 was held in 1959. Danica Patrick (191 / 2012-2018) At Michigan she became the first woman to lead under green on a non-restrictor plate track. The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program also aims for diversity across the sport, including the crew. [17][21], In 2012, Danica Patrick was voted NASCAR's Most Popular Nationwide Driver, becoming the first woman to receive that award in NASCAR's top three divisions. Her first race in this series was in the 2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) and her last was in the 2020 Vankor 350 (Texas). There are . 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. Before we get to know the drivers better, let us look at an overview of the list. [I] definitely was like, I'm never getting into NASCAR. Patty Moise has a record of 133 starts for the XFINITY series from 1986-1998. Danica Patrick, a NASCAR driver for women, was born in Beloit, Wisconsin on the 25th of March 1982. The Canadian racer bagged her first win at the Spartan Speedway in Mason. No. 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). Patricia Sawyer Moise drove in five Winston Cup races from 1987-89 and 133 Busch Series races from 1986-1998. Some of her other awards are the 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie and the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series. How many women have competed in the NASCAR cup: 16 Female Drivers - Full list here. Chevrolet. 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. Larson, who is half-Japanese, later apologized and said, "I wasn't raised that way.". Though she competed in just seven races over the course of her career, she opened the door to racing for generations of women to come. Furthermore, she's not the first NASCAR driver to have faced arrest. Interestingly enough, the press had a field day confirming that she has never competed in a NASCAR nationwide touring or ARCA-sanctioned event. 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. Atlanta-based . In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Ann Bunselmeyer (1 / 1950) In 1986, Patty Moise would become the first woman to lead in a Busch Series race.[11]. The first female to compete in a NASCAR superspeedway race, Guthrie finished 15th in the 1976 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Date of Birth: . It wasn't until 2012, 64 years after NASCAR was founded, that it signed its first female pit crew member, Christmas Abbott. 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. Toni Breidinger, the first Arab American female driver in NASCAR, returned to the ARCA Menards Series for the first time since 2018, joining Young's Motorsports to compete part-time for them as part of the Truck Series team's first foray into ARCA. By Rachel Cormack. Lets take a look at some of NASCARs female pioneers. Angela Cope Inside Her Truck (Source: Wikipedia). Deegan moved up from the ARCA Menards Series to the Truck Series full-time, continuing to drive for David Gilliland Racing. Moving forward, they will continue to pave their way in the male-dominated field. ( 1981-08-24) 24 August 1981 (age 41) Pauline Mayman born 26 May 1928, died 1989 (aged 60-61) Sally Miall born 18 December 1918, died 6 October 2010 (aged 91) Sarah Moore born. She won in her debut in Whelen Euro Series Elite Club Division by lapping just 0.001 seconds from the reference time. It's like, why wouldn't that matter? March is Womens History Month, a 31-day celebration that was formally recognized by the federal government back in 1987. During . In 2017, Brehanna Daniels, an alum of the Drive for Diversity program, became the first Black female over-the-wall tire changer in NASCAR's history. 5. Brittney Zamora. She joined NASCAR in 2016 as part of the organization's "Drive for Diversity" program. "Especially, you know, a little black girl like myself at that time. Erin Mary Crocket Evernham (Source: MassLive.com). Jennifer Jo Cobb currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and drives the #10 Chevrolet Silverado for her own JJC Racing. After investigating, the FBI concluded that the rope was a garage door pull rope and did not file any charges. They are basically second class citizens and the men will never let them race in the big time. Patrick's racing career began with go-karts in her hometown of Beloit, Wisconsin, at age 10. First Female to win Pole Position at Daytona 500: Danica Patrick: In 2013 Danica Patrick put in the fastest qualification lap to win pole position at the Daytona 500. In 2013, Patrick became the first woman in Sprint Cup history to race full-time in the series. Louise Smith. She made her . She has run 15 races in the Xfinity Series and 32 races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. She also became the first woman to win the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race in 2013 (Lucas Oil).