135) Janet Guthrie
Retired Professional Race Car Driver
Born: 7 March 1938, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
In 1977 she became the first woman to qualify for and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
Before becoming a race car driver Janet was a flight instructor, aerospace engineer, technical editor, and public representative for several major corporations.
In 1964 she applied for the scientist astronaut program and made it through the first round of eliminations.
Before racing at Indianapolis, she spent thirteen years racing in other venues and building her own cars.
In 1976 she became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup Superspeedway stock car race.
Her driver’s suit and helmet now reside in the Smithsonian.
Badges Earned:
Located in My Personal Library:
The Only Woman by Immy Humes
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