For as long as NASCAR has existed, it has been a male sport. But women have been breaking down barriers and paving their way on and off the track. From trailblazers like Sara Christian to modern stars like Hailie Deegan, remarkable women have faced grueling challenges and changed the sport, proving racing talent doesn’t have a gender.
The pioneers: Sara Christian and early trailblazers
Sara Christian jumpstarted the history of women in NASCAR as the first woman to race in NASCAR’s inaugural season in 1949. She made her NASCAR debut on June 19, 1949, at Charlotte Speedway in NASCAR’s first official race.
Between 1949 and 1950, she competed in 18 races, with five top-10 finishes, her best finish being fifth place at the 1949 Heidelberg Raceway event, which is still the best finish by a woman in NASCAR’s top division. At the time, it was common for women in motorsports to have only a limited number of opportunities. Most female drivers had trouble getting teams to hire them. Or, as was the case with later drivers such as Patty Moise, had to create their own teams.
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Overcoming financial barriers
To race successfully, you need financial backing and sponsorships, but these proved troublesome for many women.’ So Christian had to rely solely on personal funds and frequently on the support of family and friends, which made competing on a higher level even harder.
While these challenges ultimately led to the end of Sara Christian’s racing career, her achievements, including top-five finishes and being the first woman to lead laps during a NASCAR race, paved the way for the next generation of female drivers. So Christian did well (by any standard). The fact that she inspired so many women to take up racing laid the foundation for future generations.
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Breaking the mold: Janet Guthrie
Christian’s footsteps were followed in 1977 by Janet Guthrie, who became the first woman to race in the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.
This talented driver struggled to build momentum and secure sponsorships and support, mostly because of her gender. When she raced in the 1970s, she was frequently viewed skeptically by her competitors, and there always seemed to be an uphill battle in finding a team willing to work with a female driver. Guthrie often had no other choice but to rely on the help of experienced NASCAR male drivers — like Cale Yarborough — who helped set up the car for her first NASCAR race in 1976.
Despite the adversity, Guthrie was the first woman to compete in the two of NASCAR’s crown jewels. She finished 12th in her Daytona debut in 1977 and 6th at Bristol later that year, a record that stood for decades. While male competitors at first refused to have anything to do with her, Guthrie’s persistence helped her to nine top 10 finishes during her NASCAR career.
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A breakthrough in the 1990s: Shawna Robinson
Among the women who made significant headway in NASCAR in the 1990s, perhaps none made more inroads than Shawna Robinson when she became the first woman to win a pole for a superspeedway race in 1994. She set a record lap speed of 174,330 mph in the Busch Light 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Such a performance was good enough to beat seasoned drivers like Joe Nemechek, who congratulated her on a job well done.
But this pole win was just one part of Robinson’s career in NASCAR. She raced throughout several series, from the NASCAR Dash Series winning races and Rookie of the Year in 1988. She earned her spot in the history books in the Busch Series (Xfinity Series) where she finished in the top positions on several occasions, securing her as a trailblazer in a sport very much dominated by men.
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Fighting for respect
But still, Robinson’s journey was not a walk in the park. She said her major difficulty was to be respected or even considered a driver rather than being regarded as just a ‘’female driver’’. Sponsorship was a problem, and she spent most of the time using substandard backing and this restrained her from competing effectively.
However, Robinson did not give up and continued. She qualified under a new unfunded team for the 2002 Daytona 500, where he placed 24th.
Her determination was fueled by skepticism from her peers in the early days of truck racing. The respect of other drivers was earned on account of her grit and talent. But her accomplishments in and out of themselves tended to be overlooked.
Recently, Robinson pointed to the fact that when Danica Patrick qualified for the Daytona 500, it was declared a first, even though Robinson first qualified for the same race a decade before. She paved the way for other women to continue women’s legacy in NASCAR.
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Breaking records and perceptions: Danica Patrick
Any conversation about women in NASCAR cannot be initiated without mentioning one of the most famous female racers — Danica Patrick. Patrick moved to NASCAR after having significant achievements at IndyCar and created history in 2013 by becoming the first woman to achieve a pole position for the Daytona 500, which is NASCAR’s most important race. Her eighth place at that race remains a record for the best performance by a woman at Daytona.
One of her major challenges was directly related to a change of car type: from an open-wheeled IndyCar series car to a stock car, in the NASCAR category. She said the pressure affected her psychologically and challenged her to seek ways of dealing with pressure and expectations of being a female in a male-dominated field of sport.
Despite some achievements, Patrick’s racing results were inconsistent; she never won a NASCAR race. Often, due to this winless streak, critics would question this success. The pressure to win was heavy, and she heard criticism every step of the way — some arguing wins were the ultimate measure of success in NASCAR.
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Off-Track challenges
However, there were even more difficulties for Patrick off the track. She also had to deal with the difficulty of navigating the sport’s culture and facing stereotypes and biases. She explained that such scrutiny was one of the things that could be extremely frustrating at times.
Patrick’s impact goes beyond the racing track. She was, and still remains, arguably one of the most marketable athletes in the world and helped bring higher visibility to NASCAR. She paved the way for a fresh wave of young girls to consider viable careers in motorsports. Her success also played an important role in changing the perception of women’s roles in motorsport. She proved that they were capable of competing at the highest level and under immense pressure.
Breaking barriers off the track: Brehanna Daniels and Ashley Parlett
NASCAR’s Brehanna Daniels made history as the first Black woman to be a pit crew member, a job typically held by men. In 2016, she got into the sport through NASCAR’s ‘Drive for Diversity’ program, a program that races to hire, train and provide opportunities to minorities and women in the sport.
Facing both sexism and racism, her journey was not easy. On the internet, she was getting called the N-word and being asked why race should matter. Though these things might have defeated many, Daniels’ courage and grit have made her a trailblazer, and she’s helping to pave the way for others to come after her.
Daniels made her debut as a tire changer in 2017 and, later on, made history as the first Black woman to work as a pit crew for the NASCAR Cup Series and participate in the biggest races such as the Daytona 500. Her contributions have helped open the door toward more diversity in race and gender, in NASCAR’s teams.
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From race cars to pit crews
In addition to Brehanna Daniels breaking barriers by being the first African American woman to work as a pit crew member in NASCAR, Ashley Parlett has done the same as a mechanic. Aspiring to one day be a crew chief, Parlett started working on race cars from a young age, as a race car driver.
The 39-year-old mechanic grew up racing open-wheel sprint cars. She has since built a career as a full-time NASCAR mechanic in a male-dominated field. She has worked her way up to get where she is today and worked hard, including roles as a brake and suspension specialist.
Now Parlett works at Chip Ganassi Racing and is another example of women making contributions behind the wheel in NASCAR and in technical roles beyond that, laying a path for future women in those traditionally male roles.
The next generation of women in NASCAR: Hailie Deegan
Hailie Deegan is one of NASCAR’s rising stars, the next generation of female racers. In 2018, she became the first woman to race her way to a win at the K&N Pro Series level, where she started her journey. Deegan’s success in the ARCA race early on and her strong finishes set her apart from other drivers. After that, she moved to the NASCAR Truck Series, where she still is the first woman to make multiple top-10 finishes.
Deegan’s move to the Xfinity Series in 2024 with AM Racing is a new chapter after a big three-year struggle to win a race in the Truck Series. And backed by her dogged determination and the support of Ford’s driver development program, she has kept moving forward despite setbacks.
Her success marks the arrival of a new phase of opportunities in the sport for female drivers to compete at the highest level. Deegan has proven versatility by being able to race both stock cars and off-road. Today, she continues to encourage other girls to follow in her footsteps and pursue their racing dreams.
The journey for women in NASCAR has an exciting future. It’s a great step for women like Deegan, but it’s even more the premise of a future still to come that will feature even more women on the front lines ‘genderblazing’ the status quo.
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