![]() Possibly one of the most famous women in motorsports, Shirley ‘ChaCha’ Muldowney was well-known for her grit and determination at the strip, earning herself 18 NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) victories during her 45-year career. Often still hailed as a pioneer for women in motorsports, Marie-Claude Beaumont worked hard to secure her place in French racing history as one of the best female racing drivers.Ģ- Shirley Muldowney – First Woman to receive an NHRA Top Fuel license Racing a heavily modified Chevrolet Corvette C3 for Greder, Beaumont achieved her best result in the 1973 24 Hour Le Mans twelfth overall.īeaumont retired in 1982 to pursue her passion of racing photography, covering the events of Grand Prix and Le Mans. In 1971, the French motorsport authorities relaxed their position on female competitors and accepted Greder Racing’s entry for Le Mans, making her the first woman to compete in the event since Gilberte Thirion in 1954. Driving a Chevrolet Camaro in the 1969 Tour De France, teamed with Michele Dubosc, she placed eleventh. Racing for Greder, she took part in the French Ladies’ Rallying Championship in both 19, where she finished fourth in the overall standings. Supported by General Motors, Beaumont drove a series of Opels and Chevrolets, mostly Corvettes. ![]() Impressed with her driving skills, Greder started up his own team for the 1969 rally season and made her his lead driver. After taking the wheel of the Mustang, Beaumont decided she would rather drive than navigate. She was hired by Henri ‘Titi’ Greder (French rally champion) as his co-driver in his Ford Mustang. Starting off as an interpreter for the English rally teams, Marie-Claude got her break through her father’s links with Citroen. 1- Marie-Claude Beaumont (Charmasson) – The First Lady of Corvette ![]() Yet, plenty of motorsports fans aren’t aware of of the badass babes of racing history who paved the way for female competitors (and spectators) to be where they are today. European FIA drag racing is even dominated by women currently, and there’s a reason for that: Finnish racer Anita M ä kel ä is collecting Top Fuel and other drag racing championship titles like they’re going out of fashion.īut it wasn’t always that way: the fact that women in motorsports are still to this day being attributed as ‘the first woman to…’ shows that we’ve come a long way, but the journey isn’t over.įor female gearheads, gaining licenses for motorsports was as revolutionary as milestones such as bra-burning and being allowed to wear slacks in public. By Niamh Smith The First Ladies of Motorsportīetter reactions, tighter control, sharper clarity… factors that influenced a significant number of people I meet at the track to attest that the best racing drivers are women. ![]()
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