ST JAMES: Saluting the trailblazers
Maria Teresa de Filippis. Motorsport Images
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Lyn St. James | March 1, 2021 9:27 AM
March is annually recognized as Women’s History Month; an opportunity to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, with International Women’s Day falling on March 8. This year will have extra significance, with a woman as Vice President in Washington DC.
For me, it it’s all the more special because it’s a great time to celebrate the women in motorsports whose shoulders we stand on, as well as for the current and future women successfully competing on racetracks all over the world. You may recognize some of the names, but many will be new and might surprise you.
First, let’s take a look at some of the women who did so much before women were considered able to do such things:
Women have been competing in motorized vehicles since the beginning of the sport –
Camille du Gast competed in the 1901 Paris to Berlin, finishing 33rd out of 122 participants, and then was banned from racing by the Automobile Club de France after she competed in the Paris to Madrid in 1903, on the grounds of ‘feminine excitability’!
On the English circuit of Brooklands, women were excluded from racing until 1908, although even then, they were only allowed to race each other in Ladies’ Cups. At around the same time,
Joan Cuneo raced successfully in the U.S. until a ban on female racers relegated her mostly to exhibition events.
Kay Petre takes a break in the stalls in the paddock during the Inter Club Meeting at Brooklands in 1934. Motorsport Images
With the end of World War I, new careers were evolving in numerous sports disciplines throughout Europe and the United States which brought many women to compete on circuits and rallies:
Gwenda Stewart-Hawes, Helle Nice, Kay Petre, Elisabeth Junek, Elsie “Bill” Wisdom, Anne Cecile Itier, and many others.
Nothing would be the same after World War II, including women’s roles in society. The 1950s & 60s included international road rallies and endurance circuit races for drivers such as
Annie Bousquet, Pat Moss, and American
Denise McCluggage. One of most profound drivers of this era was
Maria Teresa de Filippis (main image), who raced in three Grands Prix in a Maserati 250F. Only four other women have attempted to qualify a grand prix.
Lella Lombardi went on to make 12 starts, and scored half a point after being classified sixth in the shortened 1975 Spanish GP), while
Divina Galica (1976, 197
,
Desire Wilson (1980), and
Giovanna Amati (1992) took part in qualifying but did not secure a place on the race grid.
Pat Moss and navigator Elisabeth Nystrom put their Lancia Fulvia through its paces at the 1968 Acropolis Rally. Motorsport Images
Another significant landmark achieved by a female in racing was
Shirley Muldowney, who became the first female licensed NHRA Top Fuel drag racer. Shirley went on to win three NHRA Top Fuel Championships, the first person (male or female) to win two and three Top Fuel titles. NASCAR (National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing) was formed in the 1950’s for stock cars to race mostly on oval tracks, and
Louise Smith and Sara Christian competed in the early races.
The 1970s brought consumerism into motorsports, and sponsorship became the norm. At the same time, the women’s lib movenent opened some minds and doors. Some significant outcomes in the 1970s were when women racers were accepted at Le Mans after a 20-year absence;
Michele Mouton became a French rally champion in an Alpine Renault; and
Marie-Claude Beaumont raced in rallies around the world and at Le Mans between 1971 and 1976 Le Mans with Corvette, Alpine and Porsche.