Jerry Bonkowski


It’s been nearly 38 years since legendary Top Fuel driver Shirley Muldowney (photo) made history by becoming the first female drag racer to win a National Hot Rod Association national event, June 13, 1976 in Columbus, Ohio.
With Alexis DeJoria’s second win of the season and Erica Enders-Stevens’ first win of 2014, both at the last NHRA event two weeks ago at Las Vegas, female drivers are only two wins away from reaching 100 in the sport’s history.
Achieving that milestone could come as early as this weekend’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.
In total, 14 different women have won an NHRA national event. And with eight females entered in this weekend’s event across all four major pro classes – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – that historic mark could be reached in Sunday’s finals.
“To get the hundredth win for women, it would be amazing,” said Funny Car driver Courtney Force, daughter of 16-time NHRA Funny Car champ John Force. “(It’s) definitely going to be my goal at this point.
“If I had a picture-perfect world, honestly it would be me getting 99 and Brittany (Force) getting a hundred all in this weekend. Obviously, Top Fuel runs after us. That would be a picture-perfect world.
“I definitely hope Brittany gets on that list, too. To get the hundredth, it goes down in the history books. Your name is not going to be coming off that list. It would really be a proud moment if you can have your name next to 100.”
Heading into Friday’s first round of qualifying, Brittany Force and Leah Pritchett are entered in the Top Fuel category. Courtney Force and DeJoria are in the Funny Car class. Enders-Stevens is the only female in the Pro Stock ranks, and three other females will be competing in Pro Stock Motorcycle: Angie Smith, Katie Sullivan and Elvira Karlsson.
“It would be a wonderful accomplishment,” DeJoria said. “It would be great to go in the history books for something like that, for sure. If Erica (Enders-Stevens) gets it, I would be very happy for her. Same with Courtney, Brittany.
“I think we do support each other, but at the same time, we are racers at heart and very competitive. So we would love to get that for ourselves. If it goes to one of the other ones, I’d definitely be supporting that.”
Although retired since her “Last Pass Tour” in 2003, Muldowney has long been an inspiration for female drivers that followed her, including today’s ranks.
“Shirley certainly paved the way for all of the females who have followed in her footsteps,” Enders-Stevens said in an NHRA media release. “She is certainly a hero of mine, a legend in our sport. She’s an idol, she’s awesome.
“I looked up to her and to Angelle (Sampey) and Shelly Anderson Payne. Those were my heroes when I was a little kid going to the racetrack. My dad drove in the sportsman classes. I’d run around and get autographs.
“Those are my three favorite women and I’m sure I stood at the back of their pits more than they wanted to see me. She’s had a huge hand in us being able to accomplish the things we do now.”