Janet Guthrie was a remarkable woman seemingly from the moment she was born. She excelled throughout school and went on to graduate with a B.Sc. in physics. She was a pilot, flight instructor, an aerospace engineer and an aspiring astronaut, but we’re going to salute her today for her contribution to the auto industry.
Born in Iowa City in 1938, Janet seemed to always have a thirst for danger and adventure. Her family moved to Miami, Florida shortly after, and that is where she was raised. She started her fantastic career in aerospace early, and by the 1970s, she had decided to turn her full attention to her love of racing. She purchased a Jaguar XK 140 for the Sports Car Club of America races, and she was all in.
Janet was no stranger to firsts; in 1976, this pioneer was the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup superspeedway race. In 1977, she became the first female driver in the Daytona 500 where she took a hardy 12th place and earned Top Rookie honors. That same year, Janet became the first woman to qualify for and compete in the Indy 500. She had to drop out due to mechanical failure, but was back the next year taking 9th place. Until 2005, Guthrie held the record among female drivers.
By 1983, Janet was done racing. After the publication of her autobiography, Janet was inducted into the international Motorsports Hall of Fame. She will always be a wonderful idol and inspiration to women in the auto industry.
No Comments