Imagine being a professional NASCAR driver at a time when women were expected to stay at home and take care of the children. For Sara Christian, this was not an option. She spent years working hard to become the world’s first female NASCAR driver. By 1949, she drove her Ford at the Charlotte Speedway and finished in 13th place. She raced for a total of two years, starting in 1949 and finishing her racing career in 1950.
In 1949, the first female NASCAR driver competed in six out of eight events during her first and only full year. She came out in 13th place in the finals for that year. Also in 1949, Christian received the United States Drivers Association Woman Driver of the Year award. Later in 2004, Sara Christian was inducted into the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame. Our next driver actually began her career as a model, and became a NASCAR driver when she discovered her passion for racing…
Paige Decker
Paige Decker, Claire’s sister, also joined NASCAR at about the same time. Decker was named a NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver in 2014. Prior to that, she became the first woman and rookie to win the TUNDRA Super Late Model Tour at the Golden Sands Speedway event. Although she fared a bit better than her sister at the whole NASCAR experience, her time in the sport was also short-lived and ended in the same year as well.
The two sisters were joined by their cousin, Natalie Decker, who also managed to get into the NASCAR races through their Drive for Diversity program. Natalie was the most successful one of the three family members and continues racing to this day.
Erin Crocker
Erin Crocker began racing at just 7 years old and was winning Mini Sports competitions by the time she hit her first teen years. When Crocker transitioned into professional racing, her first race was the World of Outlaws. She was quickly noticed and after winning five races she earned a National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Outstanding Newcomer Award.
In 2006, she began racing full-time for NASCAR. Crocker has an impressive record which includes over 39 races in both stock car and truck races. Crocker is currently married to former auto racing crew chief Ray Evernham, who was her former boss and team owner. Needless to say, he had a major impact on her and her racing career. She has since retired from racing and became a broadcaster for SPEED in 2008.
Claire Decker
Clair Decker actually comes from a family of snowmobile racers. However, the athlete managed to get herself into the prestigious NASCAR sport through its Drive for Diversity program. The program's purpose is to attract females and other minorities to participate as drivers, owners, sponsors, and crew members in NASCAR, which is largely dominated today by men.
Decker has participated in two major NASCAR events throughout her career. These include the Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. In 2016 she finished in the 105th position during her only year in the sport and eventually stopped attending after her achievements were not where she wished they could be.
Danica Patrick
When it comes to sacrifices, hard work, and making it big, no female success story in the sport of NASCAR quite compares to that of Danica Patrick. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing and is the only woman to ever win an IndyCar Series race. Patrick was born in 1982 in Beloit, Wisconsin to a working-class family, and showed an interest in the sport since age ten.
In 1998, she made an extremely bold move and dropped out of high school to pursue a NASCAR career. By 2005, she was named the IndyCar Series’ “Rookie of the Year.” Just five years later, Danica Patrick already began racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. She officially retired last year and left behind her a legacy that will inspire many women for years to come. Patrick is also a highly successful business owner, which makes her a true superwoman. Our next driver is one of the most highly awarded NASCAR drivers of all time, and achieved that and more despite having multiple sclerosis…