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Women Racing - Culture, Family, Travel, Consumer Reviews - Posted: 1st May, 2006 - 12:47am
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Women In Racing
Most people who follow racing know the name of Danica Patrick. She is in her second full season in the IRL open-wheel series. Every series of racing (with the exception of F1) is looking for their "Danica Patrick." The CART series has Katherine Legge, a rookie. NASCAR is currently looking for their next female star. But I was pleasantly surprised that NASCAR had their own version of Danica Patrick back in the fifties. Her name was Louise Smith. This is a great article from ESPN that made me smile and sad at the same time.
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| Louise Smith, the first woman inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999, has died. She was 89. Smith, remembered as "the first lady of racing," was on the NASCAR circuit from 1945-56. Known for her fearless style, she won 38 modified events. "It was hard on me," she told The Associated Press in an interview in 1998. "Them men were not liking it to start with and they wouldn't give you an inch." Smith died Saturday, and the family was to receive friends and hold funeral services Monday, according to the Westville Funeral Home in Greenville. Smith had battled cancer and been in hospice care, one of her nieces, Dora E. Owens, told The Greenville News. Smith, a native of Barnesville, Ga., lived in Greenville for most of her life. She got her start in racing when young promoter Bill France was looking for a way to get people to the track. He asked about female drivers, and someone mentioned Smith. France started NASCAR on the road to its dynasty in part by sending Smith to tracks in the Northeast and Canada. "We didn't think this was going anywhere," Smith said. "If we went out of state, it was like we went to heaven." Benny Parsons, a longtime NASCAR star, former series champion and now a TV analyst, said Smith's death was like losing a piece of history. Parsons said it's been hard for racing to find female drivers, noting the hype Danica Patrick brought to open-wheel racing last year when she became the first woman to lead a lap at Indianapolis and was the race rookie of the year. "If we could find a Louise Smith here in 2006 to get in there and finish fourth in the Daytona 500, imagine what that would do for NASCAR Nextel Cup racing," Parsons said. Smith was married to the late Noah Smith, a junkyard owner who didn't approve of her job. Her father and brothers were mechanics. She never had children of her own. Smith was a barnstormer who ran for $100 to $150 in first prizes and some extra appearance money. She mixed with Curtis Turner, Ralph Earnhardt, Bill Snowden, Buddy Shuman and Buck Baker. "We traveled in a gang. If one of us had a hot dog, we'd all get a bite as long as it held out," she told AP. Smith was remembered for some spectacular crashes, too. In 1947, she went to watch the beach races at Daytona in her husband's new Ford coupe, but when she arrived, she had to race. So she entered the shiny new car -- and you guessed it -- wrecked. Parsons called it "the greatest story of all." "Her husband said, 'Where's the car, Louise?' And she said, 'That ol' trap broke down in Augusta [Ga.],"' Parsons said. "He showed her the newspaper. The wrecked car was on the front page." Smith quit racing in 1956, but stayed close to the track, working with Darlington Raceway's pageant before she resigned as grand patron in November 1989 after serving more than a decade. "It's still hard for me to leave a race track," she said. "I could stay forever." |
She sounds like a great woman and I'm sorry to see that NASCAR has not mentioned her more often when talking about women drivers trying to get in the sport. She sounds like a great inspiration and I hope more people can learn about her and others like her that forged the way for Danica Patrick and the current female drivers of today.
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Post Date: 19th Apr, 2006 - 1:13pm / Post ID: #
Racing Women
While I do not really have any interest in racing, I think it is great what these women are doing. They are beating against a stereotypical "man" sport, and proving that women can be just as efficient as a man can be. It is women like these who pursue their loves, despite what society may tell them, that pave the way for the rest of us to do the things we want to do. I think they are a great example to use for young girls that, even though we live in a male dominated society in our country, they can show strength and stand up against what people say to do something they want to do, even if it is a "boy sport" as some of my girls would say.
Women In Racing Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture
Before Danica, I didn't know that other female racers had entered the sport, much less back in the 50's. Danica has certainly made a name for herself in the sport of racing, and I for one, am glad to see a female 'superstar' if you will, get involved in the sport. It will certainly help young girls realize their potential in racing if they so desire. Great topic, cwahsheh!
Racing Women
I wanted to update this thread with some information about other female drivers trying to make it to the elite divisions of racing. I found an article that profiles several different drivers. Hopefully we'll see them soon winning races and kicking the boys butts.
Article about Racers
TOPIC: Women In Racing