Hats Off to the Ladies of Drag Racing

Lets not forget Annette Summer 2 time pro street world champion.Ellen Paveo pro street.Elaine Larson jet dragsters and jet funny cars

 

Yeah im scannin up all their photo albums onto the computer at the moment...im hopin to do a thread dedicated to em in order with most of their cars....glad to see some interest!

 

ASHLEY FORCE MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE FUNNY CAR WINNER

Beats Dad in Storybook Final Round to Win Summit Southern Nationals
JFR RACE REPORT
2008 NHRA Race Summary
6th race of 2008 season
28th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals
Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia
April 24-27, 2008
Castrol/JFR Highlights: Ashley Force wins historic first Funny Car title….John Forces races to final round en route to 999th career round wins….Three JFR drivers in Top 5 of POWERade point standings.
Ashley Force put a new face on Funny Car drag racing Sunday by becoming the first woman to win a national race in a category that once was considered the last bastion of male superiority.
The 25-year-old did so with a flair for the dramatic, beating her father, drag racing icon John Force, in the final round of the 28th annual Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals to deny him his 1,000 winning round in his 500th NHRA tour event.
The result enabled the second generation driver to pad her points lead and dispel any lingering doubts anyone may have harbored about either her commitment to the sport or her competence at the wheel of one of the world’s most powerful race cars.
Her first win came in her 27th pro race and in her fourth trip to the final round. Denied in the two most recent events in the POWERade Series, first on March 30 by Del Worsham at Houston, Texas, and then on April 13 by Tim Wilkerson at Las Vegas, Nev., Ashley left no doubt this time.
With her father in a left lane that was the bane of every racer during eliminations, she sprinted down the favored right lane in 4.837 seconds at 320.36 miles per hour. Her dad was never in it, losing traction almost at the hit of the throttle and slowing to 11.223 seconds.
It was her second career win against her father, drag racing’s biggest winner, who lost the first ever meeting between father and daughter in the first round of the 2007 Southern Nationals.
“There are a lot of mixed emotions,” John Force said before the final. “I turn off the switch. If I win, that’s great but if she wins, that’s something really special, too. I’m just going to go out there and let my car do what it does.”
For the champ, who had won seven times previously at Atlanta Dragway and was appearing in his 14th Southern Nationals final round, most at any event in the series, his car let him down for the first time all day.
Now, he’ll move on to Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis where he’ll have another opportunity to reach 1,000 round win at next week’s O’Reilly Midwest Nationals.
“I guess the third time’s a charm,” said the woman who now leads the Funny Car point standings by 59 points. “We just knew that if we kept getting to the finals, we’d eventually get one. I kinda hated that it had to be against dad but I’m just happy to win an event.”
“We went a whole year last year and the biggest win I had was off the track (in AOL sports’ “world’s hottest athlete” poll),” joked the second year pro. “To finally get it done here in Atlanta, where I beat dad last year (in the first round in the first meeting between father and daughter), was special. He came over and he congratulated me. He told me, ‘good job.’ He told my team ‘good job.”
“I never saw him,” she said of her father, “and I never saw my win light, but they told me on the radio (that I had won) while I was coasting. I know he wanted his 1,000th win, but mom and I had it all figured out – he can just go do that next week (at the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis), on his (59th) birthday. That would be special.
“Antron (Top Fuel winner Antron Brown) and I are seeing a pattern here,” she continued. “When I saw him win in the semis, I suddenly got all kind of confidence because every final he’s been in (this year) I’ve been in, too. Not that that has anything to do with anything, but it’s little things like that where you feel a little bit more confident, like when we did our team dinner (on Thursday). Every race that we’ve done a team dinner, ever, we’ve gone to the final and now we’ve done it again.
“It’s an exciting time, you know, with Danica winning. There are a lot of women in a lot of different motor sports and we’re getting our practice, we’re getting our experience and we’re making our way toward those wins. It’s a good week for women and it’s exciting for the fans to finally have a woman winner in Funny Car, but I know that it’s the 10 guys on my team who got me to this point. I would never be here without them and without ‘Guido’ (crew chief Dean Antonelli) and Ron (assistant crew chief Ron Douglas). I’m proud to be a female in the seat but it’s those guys who got me here.”

 

Don't forget Queen of Diamonds jet car driver Jessie Harris! She held track record at Norwalk and to date has not been beaten.

 

How about up and coming Pro Stock Bike hottie Angie McBride?

And.....the other Force daughter Courtney.

And.............Hillary Will.

 

Used to see Shirley Shahan around Visalia about 1970.
Drove an AMC big wagon.
Blue with white woodgrain sides.
Think she lived in Tulare.
Whatever happened to HL Shahan?

 

There is also Dee Morris from Wahington State who drives a blown alcohol altered. She and her husband Phil publish Gasser Wars Magazine.

 

I met Shirly Shahan....The Drag-On-Lady....last year

 

I first met Jim and Alison at York Nostalgia Event a few years ago. Saw them race but never met them back in the day. They are very approachable and easy to talk with. Just last Saturday they were at the Jalopyrama and donated a signed diecast "Great Expectations " dragster for the charity auction. I think your thread would be well received on the HAMB. What's the latest on Brian Beattie's restoration?

 

Shirley.....

 

One more.....

 

I do not care what generation you are from that is H-O-T !

 

Somebody needs to make a movie about Veda and Karl. I'm still so thrilled to have been the lucky one,to buy the copy of her pictorial from 1948, from Zach Suhr. That publication is a priceless source of inspiration.

 

My vote? Paula "Miss STP" Murphy.

Incredibly versatile and accomplished... And she's a survivor. To wit (in her own words, describing her rocket car crash at SPIR):

​

”… supposedly when I lifted off the throttle, that was one fuel shut off device and when I popped the chute it was supposedly another one. Well, none of the fuel shut off devices worked so both chutes pulled off the car because it wasn’t very firmly anchored to the chassis and off I went, till I ran out of fuel. When I got down to the end, there were two guys waiting to pick up the chute and help me get off of the track. Well, here they start walking out in my lane, I‘m in the left lane, I mean, I knew I was in trouble, but they didn‘t realize that the chutes came off and then I steered the car — not knowing the chutes came off — I pulled over to the right and that aimed me, fortunately down a dirt road, when I went through a 14 foot cattle gate and missed a chain link fence. Otherwise I would have impaled myself right through the fence… I went up a hill and I don‘t remember anything else, I remember seeing blue, then that‘s the last thing I remember…“ — Paula Murphy, on her crash in the ”Miss STP“ rocket dragster when she set both a local speed and an altitude record in a race car.


(excerpted from : "ZARATHUSTRA POSTSCRIPT")


Another sentimental favorite: The Funny Car Driver Known as "Nitro Kitty" (pic from last month's California Hot Rod Reunion, courtesy of McCain's Bomb Squad website...)

 

Siw Nystad, Norwegian TF driver

Courtesy of Rune Fjeld Motorsport@

 

There is allot that could and should be said about the she folk, whether they have hold of the steering wheel or not. Lots of courage.

 

Did I miis Hillary Will mentioned? She is certainly a mighty little top fuel driver. Dana Patrick the Indy car zoomer also. I am embarrased to say I can't recall a hot little sprint car chick that was touring in the World of Outlaws shows as well. I respect these ladys so much, I met Shirley Muldowney in Pomona and she knocked me out with her sweetness and total presence was magic. Go cuties Go!!~Sololobo~

 

All of these women past and present are lookers....not an ugly or even marginal one to be found!!!! Way ta go girls!!!!

I believe that we will see significantly larger numbers of women in all forms of motorsports going forward!!!!

 

Um, Danica Patrick? And the sprint car driver is Erin Crocker.

 

Thanks, Jeff! I wondered how long it would take? She was the beginning - hands down!
Kathy

 

What about Aussie girl Rachelle Splatt

 

What about these two? Hilary Will and Melanie Troxell

 

Danica Patrick: High maintenance, low yield.

cf. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=njvm1K64ZsE

She had definitely jumped the shark.

 

Cole! Good to see you on the HAMB!

Yeah, Danica is overrated.

Jesse C.

 

Embry riddle jet dragster driver Elaine Larson

 

Is Erin still crashing in the Truck Series. She sucks! But perhaps that is why Ray Evernham has her driving for him!

 

Great thread!

Growing up Shirley Muldowney was one of my idols. I still think she's pretty cool, love to meet her someday!

 

Be careful what you wish for....