Janet Guthrie's Wildcat-DGS, which she drove to 9th in the 1978 Indianapolis 500. Results of the 1978 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 28, 1978.

Janet Guthrie (born March 7, 1938, in Iowa City, Iowa) is a race car driver and the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Iowa City Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area which Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida.

Guthrie was originally an aerospace engineer and after graduating from the University of Michigan, she worked with Republic Aviation. Aerospace engineering is the branch of Engineering behind the design construction and science of Aircraft and Spacecraft. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research The Republic Aviation Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Farmingdale Long Island New York. She began racing in 1963 on the SCCA circuit in a Jaguar XK 140 and by 1972, she was racing on a full-time basis. The Sports Car Club of America ( SCCA) is a club and sanctioning body supporting Road racing, rally, and Autocross in the United States Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In the 1976 World 600, Guthrie finished 15th, becoming the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup superspeedway race. The Coca-Cola 600 (formerly the World 600) and also known as the "Coke 600" is a in length Stock car race held annually at Lowe's Motor Speedway An oval track is a dedicated motorsport circuit primarily in the USA, which differs from a road course in that it only has turns in one direction which is almost 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. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. 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, finishing as high as sixth place.

Guthrie qualified for and competed in the 1977 Indianapolis 500, but finished 29th with engine troubles. Results of the 1977 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 29, 1977. She would compete in two more Indy 500s, finishing as high as ninth in the 1978 race. Results of the 1978 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Sunday May 28, 1978. Overall, she competed in 11 IndyCar events finishing as high as fifth. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis

Nevertheless, Guthrie's place in history was secure. 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. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of She was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on April 27, 2006. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to Auto racing either as a driver owner Her 2005 autobiography, "Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle," has received critical praise in such publications as Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner.

Quotable

"There has been a big change in reaction to me. The hostility has cooled down quite a bit. I think the worst is over. The initial reaction to me was one of a lack of respect. What you really need is endurance. And some tests show women have more endurance than men. But that is not the point. I'm not trying to establish the superiority of one sex over another. I'm good driver but no superwoman. What I'm trying to emphasize is that a driver is primarily a person, not a man or a woman, and a great deal or driving is mental. You can not afford to get angry behind the wheel. A good driver needs emotional detachment, concentration , good judgment, and desire. "--Guthrie on the subject of women competing in NASCAR

Indy 500 results

External links

• Official web site
• nascar.com feature article
• Driver's statistics at racing-reference.info
• Guthrie's career data in NASCAR