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. While some female NASCAR drivers have transitioned or attempted to transition from open-wheel racing and sports car racing (Sarah Fisher, Janet Guthrie, Danica Patrick), most have climbed the stock-car racing ladder (Tammy Jo Kirk, Johanna Long, Shawna Robinson), beginning to race full-sized stock cars in their teenage years. A handful of women have raced with the help of the Drive for Diversity program, created in 2004, with Mackena Bell achieving limited success at the K&N Pro Series level and Kenzie Ruston doing the same in her final season in the K&N Pro Series East.
At least 104 women have qualified for and started a race in one of NASCAR's touring series, including 16 at the premier level. As of the conclusion of the 2016 season, Shawna Robinson remains the only woman to have won a race in one of NASCAR's touring series, winning three times between 1988 and 1989 in the now-defunct Dash Series. Four female drivers: Robinson, Danica Patrick, Tammy Jo Kirk, and Mara Reyes have won poles. Relatively few women have contested a full season in any of NASCAR's touring series, although this is increasingly common.
History
20th century
NASCAR has seen varying levels of participation by female drivers throughout its ranks since the sanctioning body's inception in 1949. Sara Christian competed in the inaugural NASCAR race at Charlotte Speedway (she had Bob Flock finish the race). In the second official race, at Daytona Beach and Road Course, Christian was joined by Ethel Mobley and Louise Smith, with Mobley finishing first out of the 3, in 11th. Through the 1950s and 1960s, female racers made only a handful of starts in NASCAR's touring series. Betty Skelton Erde wasn't technically a NASCAR driver, but she drove the pace car at Daytona in 1954, and was clocked at a speed of 105.88Â mph (170.40Â km/h) on the sand, setting a stock car speed record for women.
No woman had raced NASCAR in a decade when Janet Guthrie started the 1976 World 600, finishing 15th, ahead of Dale Earnhardt. In 1977, Janet Guthrie, would become the first woman to lead a Winston Cup Series race under caution, at Ontario Speedway. In 1986, Patty Moise would become the first woman to lead in a Busch Series race.
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. In her sophomore Dash Series run, Robinson became the first woman to earn the pole position for a NASCAR touring series race. Robinson would later become the first female driver to clinch the pole in any of the three major series, winning qualifying for the March 12, 1994 Xfinity Series Busch Light 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Women began to compete more frequently throughout NASCAR's lower series over the course of the 1990s. Patty Moise made a record 133 Xfinity Series starts between 1986 and 1998 and Tammy Jo Kirk scored 37 top-10 finishes and two poles in what was then known as the All Pro Series, before making the first starts for a woman in the Camping World Truck Series.
21st century
After a hiatus to start a family, Shawna Robinson returned to stock car racing in 1999, contesting a full ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series season in 2000 before returning to sporadic NASCAR-sanctioned competition over the following several seasons. In 2001, Robinson would be the first woman to finish a race in the Winston Cup Series since Janet Guthrie in 1980. In 2003, Robinson would also have the first all-female pit crew for a Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
In 2004, NASCAR inaugurated the Drive for Diversity program, hoping to develop a more diverse driver base. While the program has succeeded in launching the careers of minority drivers including Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race-winner Kyle Larson, Camping World Truck Series race-winner Darrell Wallace, Jr., and 2016 Xfinity Series Champion Daniel Suárez, no woman member of the program has gone on to make more than one start in NASCAR's three major divisions.
In 2010, IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick joined NASCAR, racing part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. 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. However, Patrick would finish 38th after a crash. In 2012, Patrick would eventually race part-time in the Sprint Cup Series.
In 2011, Snowball Derby winner Johanna Long entered the Camping World Truck Series at 19 years of age, being the youngest female driver to race in the series. Long would eventually race in the Nationwide Series, making her debut in the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300.
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.
In 2013, Patrick became the first woman in Sprint Cup history to have a full-time ride in the series (with Stewart-Haas Racing), 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. Patrick later finished the race in 8th, the highest finish for a woman in the Daytona 500. She also became the first woman to race at every racetrack on the circuit. In 2014, Patrick became the first woman to race in the 2014 Sprint Unlimited. At Talladega she became the first woman to lead laps there. That year she had three top 10 finishes with her best finish of sixth at Atlanta. In 2015, Patrick tied Janet Guthrie for most top ten finishes for a woman with a 7th-place finish at Martinsville. A few weeks later she passed Guthrie for the most top ten finishes for a woman in Sprint Cup history at Bristol. At Michigan she became the first woman to lead under green on a non-restrictor plate track. At Kentucky, Patrick became the first woman to make 100 starts in NASCAR's Cup Series. In 2016, Patrick led a career high 30 laps and completed more circuits than all but three other drivers. Patrick opened 2017 season with a fourth place finish in the Advance Auto Parts Clash (an exhibition race for previous pole winners). Later that season, she became the first woman to lead the prestigious Coca Cola 600 and, one week later, scored her first top ten finish in two seasons.
The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series formed the Lady Cup, a championship system for female drivers in 2014. In 2016, a record 18 different women started a race in one of NASCAR's touring series. Julia Landauer was the most successful within her respective series, finishing 4th in points in the K&N Pro Series West with seven top-five finishes in fourteen races.
Summary
Drivers
Monster Energy Cup Series
Formerly Strictly Stock Series (1949), Grand National Series (1950â€"70), Winston Cup Series (1971â€"2003), Nextel Cup Series (2004â€"07) and Sprint Cup Series (2008â€"16)
Xfinity Series
Formerly Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series (1982â€"83), Busch Grand National Series (1984â€"94), Busch Grand National Division (1995â€"2003), Busch Series (2004â€"07) and Nationwide Series (2008â€"14)
Camping World Truck Series
Formerly SuperTruck Series by Craftsman (1995) and Craftsman Truck Series (1996â€"2008)
K&N Pro Series
K&N Pro Series East
Formerly Busch North Series (1987â€"2005), Busch East Series (2006â€"07), and Camping World East Series (2008â€"09)
K&N Pro Series West
Formerly Pacific Coast Late Model Division (1954â€"69), Grand National West (1970), Winston West Series (1971â€"93), Winston Transcontinental Series (1994), Winston West Series (1995â€"2003), West Series (2004â€"05), AutoZone West Series (2006), West Series (2007), and Camping World West Series (2008â€"09)
International Series
NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series
Formerly DesafÃo Corona (2004â€"06), Corona Series (2007â€"11), Toyota Series (2012â€"14), Mexico Series (2015)
Note: Full statistics only available beginning with 2011 season
NASCAR Pinty's Series
Formerly Canadian Tire Series (2007â€"15)
Whelen Euro Series Elite 1 Division
Formerly Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series Elite Division (2012) and Whelen Euro Series Elite Division (2013)
Whelen Euro Series Elite 2 Division
Formerly Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series Open Division (2012) and Whelen Euro Series Open Division (2013)
Note: Full statistics only available beginning with 2014 season
Whelen Modified Tour
Formerly Winston Modified Tour (1985â€"93) and Featherlite Modified Series (1994â€"2004)
Defunct Series
AutoZone Elite Division, Midwest Series (2004â€"06)
Formerly RE/MAX Challenge Series (1998â€"2002) and International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest Series (2003)
AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series (2004â€"06)
Formerly Northwest Tour (1985â€"86), Winston Northwest Tour (1987â€"94), REB-CO Northwest Tour (1995â€"97), and Raybestos Northwest Series (1998â€"2003)
AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series (2004â€"06)
Formerly Winston All Pro Series (1991â€"93), Slim Jim All-Pro Series (1994â€"2000), Gatorade All Pro Series (2001), Hills Bros. All Pro Series (2002), and Kodak Southeast Series (2003)
AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series (2003â€"06)
Formerly Featherlite Southwest Tour (1986â€"2002)
Goody's Dash Series (1992â€"2003)
Formerly Baby Grand Division (1975â€"79), International Sedan Series (1980â€"82), Darlington Dash Series (1983â€"84), Daytona Dash Series (1985), Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series (1986â€"89) and Dash Series (1990â€"91)
Note: Only partial statistics available for the late 1970's
Whelen Southern Modified Tour (2005-2016)
Notes
- a1 Pagan's one NASCAR start came at a combination race between NASCAR's premier national touring series and its West Coast series. It is listed in both sections.
- a2 Robinson's one Busch North (now K&N Pro Series East) start came at a combination race with what was then the Busch Grand National Series (now Xfinity Series). It is included in both sections.
- a3 Hiss failed in her attempt to qualify for the Winston Cup Series and Winston West Series companion race in 1976. 81 drivers entered and only 40 made the race. She is listed in both sections.
See also
- List of female racing drivers
- List of female Formula One drivers
- List of female Indianapolis 500 drivers
- List of female 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
References
External links
- Racer Chicks website
- Jayski's Silly Season Site page
- Racing Reference racing statistics