Today, representatives of the beautiful half of humanity feel more than comfortable at the event's most prestigious tournament, where set-off is only a quarter of a mile, if not a thousand feet.
In the classroom Funny Car girls very confident after the mother's pilots go four seconds dominance Erika Ender Stephens this season looks like a matter of course, and Brittany Force like and not enough stars in the sky, but a month ago, took third place in the standings among pilots. But it was not always, and today we will talk about women who for half a century for its delicate hands year after year have forged the history of NHRA.
Maldauni Shirley (Shirley Muldowney) is considered to be the First Lady of drag racing. She was the first woman in almost everything that concerns the glued strips, nitromethane and unbelievable acceleration. It was the first lady Shirley, come down to the final (1975), which became the winner in the event of the national championship (1976) and won the league title (1977). In addition to her no one becomes a double and three-time champion in the class Top Fuel.
In those years the best pilots, including himself Garlitsa Don (Don Garlits), this could only dream, but in fact gritted his teeth in a fit of impotent rage, looking at how pink dregster once again crossed the finish line first.
More wins than Angell Sempa (Angelle Sampey), did not achieve any woman in drag racing, and in any other sports discipline, which implies the presence of steering, throttle and brakes. She has three league titles, won the stage 41 NHRA, and a complete lack of chances absolutely all pilots at the beginning of zero. Not impressed? Then think about how many seconds need a motorcycle to overcome the distinction between good and evil, with the proviso that one kilogram accounts for about 1.25 hp, and adhesion to the road surface close to absolute.
Even back in 1964, Barbara Hamilton became the first in the world of the pilots, which received a license to operate NHRA dregster equipped with a supercharger. She was never able to never bring your Willys «37 to win, but it was with her, it all started, and it is well worth it, considering that at the time of the fairer sex is not allowed in all the bars and seskizm advertising and the media was commonplace. In 1992, Barbara has received well-deserved place in the International Hall of Fame drag racing (International Drag Racing Hall of Fame).
Twenty-seven year Two years later, the owner of a lush head of hair and part-time mother of three children Shane Shirley (Shirley Shahan) traveled in the final NHRA Winternationals «66 Ken Heinemann (Ken Heinemann) and thus opened the scoring victories in the women's races in the history of the world Quarter. This happened in the classroom Stock Eliminator.
Paul Murphy (Paula Murphy) in the sixties had to be noted almost everywhere had the opportunity imbedded right pedal deeper than permitted by federal law.
She repeatedly participated in the record run on the salt lakes and the first lady, cut circles at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway driving a car IndyCar, and also received a license to pilot NHRA Funny Car dregster. The racing straight Paula has achieved impressive results, however, before her barrier of 200 mph did not submit any pilotess both in the classroom and in drag racing in general.
Long before Erica Enders Stephens was born, another Texas woman in 1972 received approval to perform in the classroom Pro Stock. Despite the fact that Shay Nichols (Shay Nichols) was the first in this division, she never once came out the winner of the knockout rounds. Anyway, Mrs. Nichols in parallel with its albeit not very successful, but still racing career highlights various game events taking place under the auspices of the NHRA for ten periodicals staff. And in 1970 she won the annual award for journalists, established the largest association of drag racing — NHRA Media Award.
Reychell Splatt (Rachelle Splatt) began her career in Australia where, having absolutely no experience in professional motorsport, once sat in the cockpit Top Fuel dregster, and in the same year chalked up the championship ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association ), crushing passing two national records in the class. In 1994 Reychell moved across the ocean, to try luck in the NHRA, and was the last of the sixteen pilot included in the «Club 300 mph». Great Shirley Maldauni and failed to jump on this train uezzhayuschy, after the racers with the Green continent door shut.
In 1997, Kristen Powell (Cristen Powell) made a splash in Inglishtaune shaped by winning the regular season event NHRA Top Fuel class at the age of seventeen. Unfortunately, the trophy has remained the only achievement of the young Kristen, who obtained a license in the NHRA's fastest class for a week before she was given the civil crust, giving the right to drive a vehicle on public roads.
Later, Miss Powell few years competed at the wheel Funny Car dregster, earning a reputation as a pilot, able to squeeze every last drop out of his car, despite the frankly weak technical base of the team and the lack of sponsorship. Frankly, I do not think that such a sensation in any way possible in our time.
However, the story does not end here, ladies and continue to make it a significant contribution of their achievements, perseverance and a total unwillingness to concede to men in their ancestral territory.
