Women in the auto racing industry are breaking barriers, setting records and paving their way through this male-dominated field. Although there may be few, these powerful women — racers, engineers and fans — are determined not only to make their mark on the sport’s present, but shape its future for generations to come. The numbers below highlight their impact and growing relevance in the industry.
Timeline:
- 1876: The Milwaukee Mile, the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, was built
- 1901: Camille du Gast of France was one of the first women to compete in the Paris-Berlin race
- 1975: The last, and only, time a female driver, Lella Lombardi, scored in a Formula One championship in the Spanish Grand Prix
- 1977: Janet Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for and race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500
- 1980: Janet Guthrie became the first woman to hold a major corporate sponsorship in partnership with Texaco Star
- 2008: Danica Patrick, who was born in Wisconsin and raised in Illinois, became the first woman to win an IndyCar race at the IndyJapan 300
- 2018: Natalie Decker became the highest-finishing female on a superspeedway, placing fifth in an ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway
- 2024: e.l.f. became the first beauty brand to sponsor a driver, Katherine Legge, in the Indy 500
Statistics:
- 9% of employees of Haas, a Formula One team, are women
- 10% of motorsport participants are female
- 13% of total lower-level go-kart racers are female
- 40% of Formula 1 fans are women
- 1 to 5 years: the average female racer career length, compared to 12 years for male drivers