When my daughter was born my old
friend Len Frank sent a copy of "Women
in Sports Car Competition" by Evelyn
Mull. This nice little book offers a wonderful
view of the scene in the mid 1950s. But just
the idea that Anna might grow up to race cars
scared my wife's mother.
--Carter
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Trobaugh <gtactionphoto@ezl.com>
To: Sadek Charles H DLVA <SadekCH@nswc.navy.mil>
Cc: 'Mark Palmer' <mgvrmark@hotmail.com>; LMR356@aol.com <LMR356@aol.com>;
vintage-race@autox.team.net <vintage-race@autox.team.net>; 'ldial@lmi.org'
<ldial@lmi.org>
Date: 15 February, 2000 6:35 PM
Subject: Re: Real Women Racers....
>Gary Trobaugh wrote:
>
>I remember Donna Mae Mims as one tough driver,who hung with
>the tough Yenko crowd.
>
>Here is a photo of her in the pink Sprite,taken at Road
>America June Sprints 1963.
>
>http://www.ezl.com/~gtactionphoto/graphic12.jpg/Image1.jpg
>
>"Think Pink"
>
>I think the greatest woman driver of all time was
>Elizabetta Junek.See Road & Track Feb.,1960,pages 53-56.
>
>With kind regards,
>Gary Trobaugh
>
>See 120 photos of sport car racing from 1960 at my website :
>http://my.voyager.net/gtactionphoto
>Sadek Charles H DLVA wrote:
>>
>> 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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