The most famous woman in nascar is currently danica patrick. One heartbreaking case was the story of johanna long who raced in the then nationwide series when danica was in it. Once danica patrick runs her final lap at daytona international speedway, nascar will be lacking a female driver. As of the sams town 300 at las vegas motor speedway on march 5, 2011, two women have raced in the nationwide series, danica patrick and jennifer jo cobb. How many female drivers are there in nascar answers. The win made her the first female winner in indycar racing history. The following is a list of female nascar drivers who have participated in a national or regional touring series race since the organizations inception in 1949, along with statistical totals for their nascar careers. Female drivers claim championships across the ny region on the dirt track.
Nascar making strides in drive for hispanic diversity. Robinson is the first woman to win a top level nascar sanctioned race. Xfinity series driver chase briscoe announced on twitter tuesday. The promising 19year old driver has been chosen to represent nationwide insurance in conjunction with nascars drive for diversity initiative, which is further diversifying the sport by. There are no women in the secondtier xfinity series this season, and 45year old cobb is the only woman racing full time in trucks.
Jennifer jo cobb, female nascar nationwide series driver. Ana beatriz she is the first woman in history to win an indy lights series the indycar series feeder league event, which she did in 2008 and again in 2009. This series is just one notch below, the sprint cup series. The career of nascars first black female driver has been more fiction than fact. Is tia norfleet really the first africanamerican female. Danica patrick and the women of nascar photos abc news. This loosely resulted in the new nationwide series car making its debut in the 2010 subway. Her name is maryeve dufault and this is everything you. Then, she went on to become one of the first women in the camping world truck series.
Nascar has a full time female truck driver jennifer jo cobb. Delana harvick photos women drivers, nascar racing. Rising up from arca stock car racing to the nascar nationwide series, there is a new reason why people may tangentially care about nascar. Nascar has a full time female truck driver jennifer jo cobb although she was at daytona along with 4 other female nascar drivers, all eyes were on danicanow, as the only full time nascar driver in the campin. What is the highest finish by a woman in nascar history.
Robinson and nascar truck series driver jennifer jo cobb competed in the 16th installment of the amazing race but did not win the contest. Rab racing has signed driver milka duno to compete in select races over the remainder of the 2014 nascar nationwide series season. Top female drivers in racing today we obsessively cover. Jennifer jo cobb is a nascar driver running in the nationwide and camping world truck series. In 1994, robinson became the first woman to clinch pole position in one of the major series, topping the qualifying race for the xfinity series. The 2010 and 2011 seasons have seen several records broken by female drivers in nascar. Tia norfleet, daughter of bobby norfleet, who broke into nascar in the 1990s, has become sort of a media sensation for being the first and. While some female nascar drivers have transitioned or attempted to transition from openwheel racing and sports car racing sarah fisher, janet guthrie, danica patrick, most have.
Having this opportunity to add my name to the short list of female drivers to. In 20 danica patrick became the first woman to qualify for the brickyard 400, joining 18 drivers that have competed in both the 500 and 400. Female racing news news about women in motorsports. Arcas natalie decker seems like the next obvious driver to make it, but weve. The highest finish for a female driver is 4th, accomplished by danica patrick on march 5, 2011 at a nationwide series even. Even in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide calls to stay at home, nascars drivers are hardly at a standstill. Danica patrick and other famous female race car drivers. Bios, statistics, race results videos, news, photo galleries, car, team, shop gear, date of birth, rookie year xfinity series drivers official site of nascar. Find comprehensive information about every nascar player, including bios, stats, season splits, game logs, videos and more at fox sports. She has also run a limited schedule in arca and has competed in nationwide series events.
Danica patrick has been in the news ever since she. Tammy jo kirk starting racing when she was just nine, but it wasnt with cars. How many female drivers are in the nascar nationwide series. Are there female drivers at the low levels of nascar. Hailie deegan could transform nascar nascar talk nbc sports. Nationwide insurance to sponsor driver in nascars drive. Gone are the days of being a winning driver on a local track and. Jennifer jo cobb, female nascar driver, is interviewed by metro sports in kansas city about her nascar nationwide series race at kansas speedway. Display active women drivers only active and inactive nascar female drivers. Saudi arabia lifts ban on female drivers the country allowed women to drive for the first time on sunday. Two women danica patrick and johanna long raced in that event. Why arent there more female race car drivers like danica.
In 1946, three years before he started nascar, bill france sr. Once danica patrick departs, who will be next female. While her racing career was far from successful, she booked a few races in various nascar series, like nationwide, canadian tire, and arca. Kirk is one of the best female nascar drivers of all time because she scored 37 topten finishes and two pole positions in the allpro series. That led to her finishing 10th place for the season, making her the top female driver in nascars three national racing series. This attractive 33yearold blond racer has the time clock clicking against her for major backing in any series. In 2001, shawna robinson attempted, but failed to qualify. What nascar drivers are doing during the coronavirus stay. Only two female drivers have ever attempted to qualify for nascars brickyard 400, the other major event at the indianapolis motor speedway oval. Yes, there are some female drivers trying to get to the highest levels, but it all comes down to bringing millions of dollars of sponsership to the team, just like with male drivers. Female crew chiefs could be next for nascar sporting news. Below are eight female race drivers who bump danica out of the starting field in the looks department. The hottest and most talented female race car drivers.
The nascar nationwide series came to the track for the first time in 2012 with the indiana 250. Once danica patrick departs, who will be next female nascar driver. Delana harvick not only is married to one of the sprint cup series top drivers kevin harvick she is coowner of kevin harvick inc. This aggressive americanborn nascar racer competes in the camping world truck series as well as the nationwide series. Nov 14, 2017 she has been called one of the most powerful women in nascar.
The career of nascars first black female driver has been. Susie wolff british professional racing driver who has made her participation in the formula renault, formula three, and dtm series as well. These female race car drivers are a force to be reckoned with, even if theyre not the household name that danica patrick is today. Danica patrick and the top 12 upandcoming female drivers. The christian science monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website, weekly magazine, online daily edition, and email newsletters. There are not many female drivers in nascar right now. Female drivers hit daytona with eyes on the nascar cup series. Best points standing by a female driver in each of the. Considering this and danicas accomplishments in irl, its certainly no joke. They are not allowed in the garage, on the track, nor permitted to. Danica patrick and the top 12 upandcoming female drivers in motorsports. While nascars drive for diversity program might be perceived as an effort to draw more africanamericans into professional racing, the reality is that the campaign is aimed at developing a full range of minority and female drivers and crew members and to expand its fan base in numerous directions. It may seem that in the history of motorsports, racing has been a display of male diligence and it comes as no surprise in consideration of the stereotypical nature of a career involving mechanics, ph. To date, no female driver has won a race in either of the three series.
Jennifer jo cobb jennifer jo cobb is a nascar driver running in the nationwide and camping world truck series. Female drivers history and stats jayskis nascar silly season site. Deegans triumph was the first for a female nascar driver since shawna robinson three decades back. Bell will be one of only a few female drivers to compete in the nationwide series, following in the footsteps of patty moise, erin crocker, joanna long, jennifer jo cobb and danica patrick, whos now a sprint cup regular. Bell is also the only female graduate of nascars drive for diversity program to race in the nationwide series.
All monster energy series nationwide series camping world series. Lookin forward to danica patrick she dominates the f1 division of racing so why not nascar too there. From louise smith to janet guthrie, female drivers have played roles in the development of stock car racing. She is one of the 16 women to ever participate in the nascar cup series and one of only three female drivers to race in the daytona 500. Considering patty moise had 3 xfinity series starts between the years of 1986 and 1998, she earned her spot as one of the best female. Nascar cup series drivers have admitted that driving the xfinity car the day before the race does little to help with the nascar cup series race, as the cars differ greatly. The experience i expect to gain can only be positive for my 2015 race season.
While some female nascar drivers have transitioned or attempted to transition from openwheel racing and sports car racing sarah fisher, janet guthrie, danica patrick, most have climbed the stockcar racing ladder tammy jo kirk, johanna long, shawna robinson, beginning to race fullsized stock cars in their teenage years. Previously, women in saudi arabia depended on chauffeurs and male relatives to travel. That is a little surprising to hear because patty moise and shawna robinson were driving in the xfinity series and some cup races around that. Danica patrick has established herself as the hottest female driver around, but we beg to differ. I just watched the nationwide series race at daytona last night with danica patrick and jennifer jo cobb running in the race. Duno becomes the first hispanic female driver in history to. She was the first female driver selected to the nascar next program. Of all the current female drivers, she probably has the most impressive record of wins and podiums at venues such as petite lemans in road atlanta and a win at the famous 12 hours of sebring. Who will be the next female driver in the cup series.