A bit about Donna Mae Mims: She was the first of three women to win an SCCA
Nat'l Championship, had and used a horn (in a race) on one of her Sprites!,
came to the VA Vair Affair last year in a pink Corvette where she answered
questions about her racing, Don Yenko, etc. She is still a real character!
We enjoyed her visit immensely.
Chuck Sadek
YS 73
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Palmer [SMTP:mgvrmark@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2000 8:41 PM
> To: LMR356@aol.com; vintage-race@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: Real Women Racers....
>
> Lee's last paragraph reminded me of a vintage race a few years ago at New
> Hampshire Int'l (formerly Bryar), a VSCCA event. In the Under-2-Litre
> Production class, as I was sitting on the grid, I realized that 4 out of
> the
> top 6 or 7 qualifiers were women -- including the pole sitter. As I
> recall
> they were Deb Abraham, Kathy Bain, Sandy McNeil and Mari Ryan. Can't
> recall
> exactly how the race finished but I know I trailed Deb and Sandy, at
> least.
>
> As someone observed at the time "the fast cars & beautiful women of VSCCA,
>
> or is that the beautiful cars and ..."
>
> Maybe I better not sign this one.
>
>
> >From: LMR356@aol.com
> >Reply-To: LMR356@aol.com
> >To: vintage-race@autox.team.net
> >CC: denmac@rt66.com
> >Subject: RE: Real Women Racers....
> >Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 15:22:08 EST
> >
> >The discussion has centered on women racers for the past few days.. but
> >perhaps some of the real history has been overlooked....so here'some of
> my
> >thoughts:
> >
> >There were many more competitive women racers in the 1950-1960 era than
> in
> >the past 30 years combined. From the left coast, Ruth Levy and and
> Denise
> >McCluggage were the most recognizable women in motorsports, but there
> were
> >others, particularly on the East coast, that have not heretofore been
> >mentioned ...and also deserve some recognition.
> >
> >Levy and McCluggage drove some serious cars and competed in national
> SCCA
> >and in FIA races at Nassau against each other for years. In 1958, they
> >teamed at Sebring driving a Momo entered a 750cc Abarth-Fiat Zagato
> coupe,
> >which DNF'd at 116 laps. Denise went on to race at Sebring 6 more times
> >through 1967, with her best finish at 10th in 1961, co-driving a Ferrari
> >250
> >GT with Allen Edgar. Denise almost got to drive at Le Mans, but the
> gender
> >issue prevailed...it was still a race for men only! ( You should read her
> >wonderful little book... By Brooks Too Broad For Jumping.)
> >
> >I last saw Denise at the Monterey Historic Tribute to Porsche in
> >1998...looking quite natural in the cockpit of a Porsche Spyder with her
> >famous "polka dotted" helmet on!
> >
> >In the East, Evelyn Mull was the dominant 1950s driver in the AC Bristol
> >from Watkins Glen, to Cumberland. Pinkie Rallo was a strong competitor
> who
> >also raced at Sebring. Suzy Dietrich was another great driver and Sebring
> >competitor in many different marques. Lady Greta Oakes of Nassau was
> also
> >a
> >competitor at the Annual Speed Week as well as Sebring with her husband,
> >Sir
> >Sidney.
> >
> >Donna Mae Mimes of Bethel Park became the dominant woman driver in the
> >early
> >1960s, winning a National SCCA H Production Championship in her "Think
> >Pink"
> >Sprite in 1961.
> >Donna Mae went on to drive for Don Yenko in his Yenko Stinger Corvairs
> and
> >Camaros in SCCA Regional competition and at Sebring from 1966 through
> 1970.
> >Donna Mae is perhaps one of the funniest too. She came out of
> retirement
> >to
> >drive a 914/6 at a Jefferson 500 vintage race at Summit Point a few years
> >ago... climbed out of the car saying it was ...'almost' as good as sex!
> >
> >The late '60s saw Janet Guthrie as the dominant motorsports woman driver.
>
> >In
> >1968, she teamed at Sebring with Liane Engeman in an AMC Javelin to
> finish
> >32nd. This is the race where Australian, Paul Hawkins (co-driving with
> >David
> >Hobbs in a Ford GT-40) blasted the women's team for driving dangerously!
>
> >In
> >1969, Guthrie drove with Engeman and Donna Mae in an Austin-Healey Sprite
> >that finished 23rd overall. Janet Guthrie later went on to become the
> >first
> >woman driver to qualify and race at the Indy 500 in 1978. Guthrie also
> >distinguished herself as a pretty good IMSA endurance pilot in a Porsche
> >935
> >during the same time, appearing at Sebring eight times.
> >
> >Other women of the post-1980s that should be recognized as true
> competitors
> >are: Deborah Gregg ( Peter's widow), Kathy Rude ( who was burned
> seriously
> >at
> >Brainard). and Lynn St. James, who is perhaps the most well known today,
> >having raced at Sebring 1978-1990) and finishing as high as 6th in 1990
> >co-driving with Robby Gordon, and Calvin Fish in a Mercury Cougar. Lynn
> St.
> >James has also been a competitor at LeMans, and a strong contender at
> the
> >Indianapolis 500. Lynn has been a a commentator for motorsports..
> >
> >This is just a little historic trivia stuff off the top of my head....to
> >keep
> >the subject going.
> >
> >I think it's great to see many more women vintage racing today.... kudos
> >goes
> >out to: Karen Miller, Sandy McNeil, Olga Reindlova, Lauren Fix, Dana
> >Horn,
> >Lynn Alexander, Connie Schmitt, Ann O'Brien, Cheri Marshall, Ryan Giffin
> >..and lots of others for showing some real vintage spirit on the track!
> >
> >Lee Raskin, Arnolt-Bristol and 356er.
> >
>
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