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Janet Guthrie (born March 7, 1938, in Iowa City, Iowa) is a retired professional race car driver and the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
Guthrie was originally an aerospace engineer and after graduating from the University of Michigan, she worked with Republic Aviation.[1] She began racing in 1963 on the SCCA circuit in a Jaguar XK140[2] and by 1972, she was racing on a full-time basis.
In the 1976 World 600, Guthrie finished 15th, becoming the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup superspeedway race. Guthrie would go on to compete in four more races that season. The following season, she competed in her first Daytona 500, finishing 12th when her car's engine blew two cylinders with ten laps to go. For the race, though, she still earned the honor of Top Rookie. Overall, Guthrie went on to compete in 33 races in NASCAR over four seasons.[3] Her highest finish, sixth place at Bristol in 1977, is the best finish by a woman in a top-tier NASCAR race, now currently tied with Danica Patrick in 2014.[3]
Guthrie qualified for and competed in the 1977 Indianapolis 500, but finished 29th with engine troubles. She would compete in two more Indy 500s, finishing ninth in the 1978 race. Overall, she competed in 11 Indy car events with a best finish of fifth. During her unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 1976 race, many of the drivers in the male-dominated sport stated that the reason she did not qualify was mainly due to her gender. These comments angered then three-time champion A. J. Foyt to the point he lent Guthrie a back-up car to conduct a shake-down test. Her top practice lap in Foyt's car would have been adequate to qualify for the field.[4] Largely because of her gender, she was unable to obtain funding through corporate sponsorship, and was forced into retirement.[5][6]
Nevertheless, Guthrie's place in history was secure. In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Guthrie's name and picture.[7] Her helmet and race suit can be found in the Smithsonian Institution and Guthrie was one of the first elected to the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.[8] She was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on April 27, 2006. Her 2005 autobiography, Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle, has received critical praise in such publications as Sports Illustrated.[9]
Guthrie married Warren Levine, a pilot, in 1989. He died in 2006.[1]
Guthrie was originally an aerospace engineer and after graduating from the University of Michigan, she worked with Republic Aviation.[1] She began racing in 1963 on the SCCA circuit in a Jaguar XK140[2] and by 1972, she was racing on a full-time basis.
In the 1976 World 600, Guthrie finished 15th, becoming the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup superspeedway race. Guthrie would go on to compete in four more races that season. The following season, she competed in her first Daytona 500, finishing 12th when her car's engine blew two cylinders with ten laps to go. For the race, though, she still earned the honor of Top Rookie. Overall, Guthrie went on to compete in 33 races in NASCAR over four seasons.[3] Her highest finish, sixth place at Bristol in 1977, is the best finish by a woman in a top-tier NASCAR race, now currently tied with Danica Patrick in 2014.[3]
Guthrie qualified for and competed in the 1977 Indianapolis 500, but finished 29th with engine troubles. She would compete in two more Indy 500s, finishing ninth in the 1978 race. Overall, she competed in 11 Indy car events with a best finish of fifth. During her unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 1976 race, many of the drivers in the male-dominated sport stated that the reason she did not qualify was mainly due to her gender. These comments angered then three-time champion A. J. Foyt to the point he lent Guthrie a back-up car to conduct a shake-down test. Her top practice lap in Foyt's car would have been adequate to qualify for the field.[4] Largely because of her gender, she was unable to obtain funding through corporate sponsorship, and was forced into retirement.[5][6]
Nevertheless, Guthrie's place in history was secure. In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Guthrie's name and picture.[7] Her helmet and race suit can be found in the Smithsonian Institution and Guthrie was one of the first elected to the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.[8] She was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on April 27, 2006. Her 2005 autobiography, Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle, has received critical praise in such publications as Sports Illustrated.[9]
Guthrie married Warren Levine, a pilot, in 1989. He died in 2006.[1]
Janet Guthrie - Wikipedia
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The Adventures of Janet Guthrie: How her career changed NASCAR | NASCAR RACE HUB
'The Adventures of Janet Guthrie' marks the third and final installment of 'The Beyond the Wheel' short film series in 2019. SUBSCRIBE to get the latest FOX ...
Thank you, my friend Maj Marty Hogan for making us aware that March 7 is the anniversary of the birth of retired professional race car driver Janet Guthrie who was the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
Happy 81st birthday Janet Guthrie!
The Adventures of Janet Guthrie: How her career changed NASCAR | NASCAR RACE HUB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgSBIM6q_qI
Background from allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Janet+Guthrie/420704
"She was a pilot and flight instructor, an aerospace engineer, a technical editor, and a public representative for some of the country's major corporations. She had 13 years of experience on sports car road-racing circuits, building and maintaining her own racecars, before being invited to test a car for Indianapolis.
Janet Guthrie was born in Iowa City, Iowa, on March 7, 1938. Her family moved to Miami, Florida when she was three. She attended Miss Harris' Florida School for Girls for all but one of her elementary through high-school years, and then graduated from the University of Michigan in 1960 with a B.Sc. in Physics. Janet Guthrie joined Republic Aviation in Farmingdale, New York, as a research and development engineer, working on programs that were precursors to Project Apollo. In 1964, she applied for the first Scientist-Astronaut program, and got through the first round of eliminations. She treasures a letter from astronaut Deke Slayton, a memento of that attempt.
Meanwhile, Janet Guthrie had purchased a Jaguar XK 120 coupe, and began competing in gymkhanas, field trials and hill climbs. This led to the purchase of a Jaguar XK 140 for competition in Sports Car Club of America races. Her career in physics slowly yielded to the allure of sports car racing, and by 1972 she was involved in racing on a full-time basis. Along the way, Janet Guthrie posted two class victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Janet Guthrie's big break at the top level of the sport came in 1976, when long-time team owner and car builder Rolla Vollstedt invited her to test a car for the Indianapolis 500. That year, she also became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup supers-speedway stock car race. In 1977, she became the first woman to qualify for and compete in the Indianapolis 500; Janet Guthrie was also first woman and Top Rookie at the Daytona 500 in the same year. She finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500 in 1978.
Janet Guthrie's helmet and driver's suit are in the Smithsonian Institution, and she was one of the first athletes named to the Women's Sports Hall of Fame, and is listed in Who's Who. She does extensive platform and keynote speaking, and among her television credits are James Michener's Sports in America and over a dozen appearances on Good Morning America.
Nearly two decades in the making, Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle is Janet Guthrie's first book, published in May 2005. In Janet Guthrie, she has crafted an autobiography that stands as a testament to perseverance, resilience, and courage. An eloquent account of one athlete's demonstration that, physically, emotionally and mentally, women are as well equipped as men to compete in the utterly demanding and occasionally deadly sport of auto racing, Janet Guthrie provides an enlightening examination of changing attitudes in the 1970s. Always an adventurer, never a follower, forever a pioneer, Janet Guthrie smashed barriers to emerge as a heartfelt voice for females of her generation, an Amelia Earhart for the modern age."
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown 1stSgt Eugene Harless SCPO Morris Ramsey SSgt Robert Marx SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Michael Thorin Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson SP5 Robert Ruck CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SSgt Brian Brakke SPC (Join to see)
Happy 81st birthday Janet Guthrie!
The Adventures of Janet Guthrie: How her career changed NASCAR | NASCAR RACE HUB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgSBIM6q_qI
Background from allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Janet+Guthrie/420704
"She was a pilot and flight instructor, an aerospace engineer, a technical editor, and a public representative for some of the country's major corporations. She had 13 years of experience on sports car road-racing circuits, building and maintaining her own racecars, before being invited to test a car for Indianapolis.
Janet Guthrie was born in Iowa City, Iowa, on March 7, 1938. Her family moved to Miami, Florida when she was three. She attended Miss Harris' Florida School for Girls for all but one of her elementary through high-school years, and then graduated from the University of Michigan in 1960 with a B.Sc. in Physics. Janet Guthrie joined Republic Aviation in Farmingdale, New York, as a research and development engineer, working on programs that were precursors to Project Apollo. In 1964, she applied for the first Scientist-Astronaut program, and got through the first round of eliminations. She treasures a letter from astronaut Deke Slayton, a memento of that attempt.
Meanwhile, Janet Guthrie had purchased a Jaguar XK 120 coupe, and began competing in gymkhanas, field trials and hill climbs. This led to the purchase of a Jaguar XK 140 for competition in Sports Car Club of America races. Her career in physics slowly yielded to the allure of sports car racing, and by 1972 she was involved in racing on a full-time basis. Along the way, Janet Guthrie posted two class victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Janet Guthrie's big break at the top level of the sport came in 1976, when long-time team owner and car builder Rolla Vollstedt invited her to test a car for the Indianapolis 500. That year, she also became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup supers-speedway stock car race. In 1977, she became the first woman to qualify for and compete in the Indianapolis 500; Janet Guthrie was also first woman and Top Rookie at the Daytona 500 in the same year. She finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500 in 1978.
Janet Guthrie's helmet and driver's suit are in the Smithsonian Institution, and she was one of the first athletes named to the Women's Sports Hall of Fame, and is listed in Who's Who. She does extensive platform and keynote speaking, and among her television credits are James Michener's Sports in America and over a dozen appearances on Good Morning America.
Nearly two decades in the making, Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle is Janet Guthrie's first book, published in May 2005. In Janet Guthrie, she has crafted an autobiography that stands as a testament to perseverance, resilience, and courage. An eloquent account of one athlete's demonstration that, physically, emotionally and mentally, women are as well equipped as men to compete in the utterly demanding and occasionally deadly sport of auto racing, Janet Guthrie provides an enlightening examination of changing attitudes in the 1970s. Always an adventurer, never a follower, forever a pioneer, Janet Guthrie smashed barriers to emerge as a heartfelt voice for females of her generation, an Amelia Earhart for the modern age."
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown 1stSgt Eugene Harless SCPO Morris Ramsey SSgt Robert Marx SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber SGT Michael Thorin Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson SP5 Robert Ruck CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SSgt Brian Brakke SPC (Join to see)
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Nice biography!
COL Mikel J. Burroughs Maj Marty Hogan SGT John " Mac " McConnell LTC Stephen F. CW5 Jack Cardwell TSgt David L. Cpl (Join to see) Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPL Dave Hoover SPC Douglas Bolton LTC Greg Henning Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Alan K. Lt Col Charlie Brown SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL PO3 Phyllis Maynard PO2 Kevin Parker SP5 Mark Kuzinski Cynthia Croft PO1 John Johnson
COL Mikel J. Burroughs Maj Marty Hogan SGT John " Mac " McConnell LTC Stephen F. CW5 Jack Cardwell TSgt David L. Cpl (Join to see) Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPL Dave Hoover SPC Douglas Bolton LTC Greg Henning Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Alan K. Lt Col Charlie Brown SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL PO3 Phyllis Maynard PO2 Kevin Parker SP5 Mark Kuzinski Cynthia Croft PO1 John Johnson
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