A Trio of Women in Indy Cars
Written by Daniel Turner, Thursday May 13 2010
Three women could be behind the wheel at the 2010 Indianapolis 500 on May 30. That’s three more than female racing pioneer Janet Guthrie ever expected to see so soon after her career ended. Ms. Guthrie spoke from the heart when she said that having six other women who have the opportunity to race at Indy is surprising since she thought it would take two generations after her initial effort to place that many behind the wheel.
Guthrie ran her first Indianapolis 500 in 1977. She started 29th and finished 26th. Her best finish in her three 500 races was 9th in 1978. However, it should be noted that by 1979 she was an owner/driver.
After Guthrie the race lost its feminine touch until 1992 when Lyn St. James took the wheel at the Brickyard from 1992 until 2000. Her highest finish came in her maiden voyage when she finished 11th. Sarah Fisher followed and like Guthrie became an owner/driver.
However, Danica Patrick gained the most notice and exposure when she led the field for several laps in her rookie year of 2005 and finished a gender high 4th. In 2009 Patrick bested her record with a 3rd place finish. Milka Duno has competed in three Indy races with her highest finish being 19th in 2008.
This year Simona De Silvestro and Ana Beatriz will join their male counterparts when practice begins on May 15. Both will be new to the Indy 500 but Guthrie believes they have the skills to top the women they follow. Sarah Fisher will also attempt to qualify and thanks Guthrie for helping her learn the lessons needed to be an owner in Indy racing.
While Guthrie wishes all of the women well and has offered her experience and knowledge as assistance she will not be attending the race. As she noted she ran out of money and was forced to quit, so it is still painful to be at the track without competing. She’ll still be watching with interest to see if any of the three can take the final step.
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