This is a list of female motor racing drivers who have entered an Indianapolis 500 race. Ten women racing drivers have officially entered at least once, with Janet Guthrie being the first. Sarah Fisher has the most career starts with nine, and Danica Patrick has the best result with a third place in 2009. Lyn St. James, Patrick, and Simona de Silvestro have all won the Rookie of the Year Award.
Female participation of most sorts at Indianapolis was discouraged and essentially disallowed throughout the first several decades of competition. As such, female reporters were not even allowed in the pit area until 1971. [1] At the time, journalist Denise McCluggage was notably one of the first to challenge that antiquated norm. [2]
A number of female owners/sponsors participated in some capacity throughout the first several decades, and off-the-track duties were common. While not behind the wheel of race cars, women were frequently and routinely performers during the pre-race ceremonies, invited as dignitaries to attend the race, and many were employed by the track, working in the ticket office, motel, and other administrative positions. The first female owner to win the race was Maude "M.A." Yagle, who owned the car of 1929 winner Ray Keech.[ citation needed ]
In 1935, Amelia Earhart was selected to serve as the "Honorary Referee," a ceremonial position for a dignitary at the race. In 1972, Dolly Cole (wife of GM executive Ed Cole), became what is believed to be the first woman ever to ride in the pace car at the start of the race.[ citation needed ]
In 1974, Johnny Rutherford's wife Betty scored for him in his team's pit area. She was perhaps the first driver's wife to spend the entire race in the pits. Rutherford won the race, and Betty's presence drew some media attention, leading many other wives to follow suit in future years. [3]
The first female to arrive at Indianapolis looking to qualify was Janet Guthrie in 1976. However, she fell short on speed and preparation time. She was able to pass her rookie test, but suffered numerous mechanical problems during the month. On the final day of time trials, Guthrie was loaned a back-up car owned by A. J. Foyt. She quickly reached a suitable speed; however, she did not make an attempt to qualify. Guthrie returned to Indy and qualified for the first time in 1977, and made three total starts. She earned a 9th-place finish in 1978 and later revealed she drove with a broken wrist sustained during a charity tennis match earlier that week. [4] During her career, she received a mixed welcome among the competitors and fans, but was mostly viewed in a positive light by the media. Her experiences were at times frustrating, as setbacks and difficulties ranged from engine troubles to the total lack of female restrooms in the garage area at the time.
In the early 1980s, Desiré Wilson became the next woman to try to make the race, but she failed to qualify. Lyn St. James entered the 1992 race driving for Dick Simon Racing. Due to a services contract with Ford, St. James was initially relegated to the older, under-powered Cosworth DFX engine, and she had trouble getting up to speed. Later in the month, the team secured a Chevrolet engine, and St. James recorded a qualifying speed of over 220 mph. After starting 27th, she finished in 11th place and was named the Rookie of the Year. Overall, she made seven career starts, qualifying 6th in 1994. St. James never managed to finish in the top ten. In 1997, she was running 9th with eleven laps to go when she was taken out by another car in a crash. St. James entered every year from 1992 to 2000, qualifying each time except 1998–1999.
In 2000, two female drivers (St. James and Sarah Fisher) started the race, the first time multiple women qualified for the same race. At least two started every race between 2007 and 2015. Since 2001, seven women (five of them international drivers) have started the 500.
Before 2005, Guthrie held the record for best finish in the race. That year, Danica Patrick, made her Indianapolis debut, qualifying 4th. She led 19 laps, finished in 4th place, and was named Rookie of the Year. In 2008, she was the first female winner of an IndyCar race when she won at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. She bettered her record in 2009, finishing 3rd, and also led laps in the Centennial Race in 2011. As of 2017, she is also the first female driver to have led laps in the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, and the Coca-Cola 600.
In 2010, four women (Patrick, Fisher, Ana Beatriz, and Simona de Silvestro) started the race, while a fifth (Milka Duno) failed to qualify. Patrick finished 6th, and de Silvestro received the Rookie of the Year award. Four women also started in 2011, and three of them finished the race. Four women qualified for the 2013 500.
In 2020, no female drivers were on the official entry list. It marked the first time since 1999 that there would not be a female driver in the starting lineup. The 2020 race also marked the first time since 1991 that not a single female driver was entered. [5] Pippa Mann, who raced her seventh 500 in 2019, did not enter the 2020 race; because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was unable to secure corporate sponsorship, so lacked the funds needed to sustain an IndyCar season. [6]
Traditionally, the starting command for the race has been "Gentlemen, start your engines!" When female drivers are competing, the call has been amended to "Lady and Gentlemen..." or "Ladies and Gentlemen..."
In 1977, a controversy hovered over the starting command, after Janet Guthrie qualified for the race. Speedway officials did not want to alter the traditional phrase. After complaints and consideration, on race morning, Tony Hulman recited the following:
In company with the first lady ever to qualify at Indianapolis, gentlemen, start your engines.
In 2017 and 2018, Tony George recited the call as "Drivers, start your engines," but reverted to "Lady and Gentlemen..." for the 2019 race. [7] In 2020, with no women entered in the race, Roger Penske reverted to "Drivers, start your engines." [8]
| Name | Country | First | Last | Entries | Starts | Best Start | Best Finish | Wins | Top Ten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janet Guthrie |  United States | 1977 | 1980 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Desiré Wilson |  South Africa | 1982 | 1984 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Amber Furst * | United States | 1983 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Lyn St. James | United States | 1992 | 2000 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Sarah Fisher | United States | 2000 | 2010 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Danica Patrick | United States | 2005 | 2018 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Milka Duno |  Venezuela | 2007 | 2010 | 4 | 3 | 27 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Simona de Silvestro |  Switzerland | 2010 | 2021 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Ana Beatriz Figuereido |  Brazil | 2010 | 2013 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Pippa Mann |  United Kingdom | 2011 | 2019 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Katherine Legge | United Kingdom | 2012 | 2024 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Country | Drivers | Entries | Starts | Top 10 | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
 South Africa | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 Switzerland | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
 United States | 4 | 31 | 27 | 7 | 0 |
| Venezuela | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Upon the death of Tony Hulman in 1977, his wife, Mary Fendrich Hulman, became chairman of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When she retired in 1988, her daughter, Mari Hulman George, took over and held the position until 2016.
There have been several female car owners at the Indianapolis 500. The first and only female car owner to win was Maude "M.A." Yagle, who owned the 1929 race winning car for driver Ray Keech. Other notable female owners include Mari Hulman George (who owned the car of husband Elmer George) and former driver Sarah Fisher.
The first professional female competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was not an automobile race, but the LPGA 500 Ladies Classic in 1968. [10] It was played at the Speedway Golf Course.
Four women (Mishael Abbott, Cyndie Allemann, Ana Beatriz, and Pippa Mann) have participated in the Freedom 100, a Firestone Indy Lights race held at IMS on the Friday before the 500. Beatriz had a best finish of 5th in 2008, and Mann won the pole for the event in 2010.
Angela Ashmore was part of Marcus Ericsson's race winning crew at the 2022 Indianapolis 500, as an assistant race engineer. [11] She is believed to be the only female crew member to win the Indianapolis 500. [12]
Twice, a woman has driven the pace car at the start of the race: Elaine Irwin Mellencamp (2001) and Robin Roberts (2010). Prior to that, in 1972, Dolly Cole (wife of GM executive Ed Cole), rode as a passenger in the pace car. At the time, it was common for celebrities and dignitaries to ride as passengers in the pace car, and Cole is believed to be the first woman ever to do so.
Only two female drivers have ever attempted to qualify for NASCAR's Brickyard 400, the other major event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. In 2001, Shawna Robinson attempted, but failed to qualify. [13] The NASCAR Nationwide Series came to the track for the first time in 2012 with the Indiana 250. Two women (Danica Patrick and Johanna Long) raced in that event. [14] In 2013, Danica Patrick became the first woman to qualify for the Brickyard 400, joining 18 drivers that have competed in both the "500" and "400."
Partial list
Sarah Marie Fisher is an American retired professional race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis 500 intermittently from 1999 to 2010. She also raced in the NASCAR West Series in 2004 and 2005. Fisher took part in 81 IndyCar Series events, achieving a career-best finish of second at the 2001 Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami—the highest placing for a woman in the IRL until Danica Patrick's victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300. In 2002, Fisher was the first female driver to win a pole position in a major American open-wheel race and competed in the Indianapolis 500 nine times, more than any other woman.
Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racing driver and model. She is one of the most successful women in the history of American open-wheel car racing—her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in an IndyCar Series race.
Katherine Anne Legge is a British professional auto racing driver who competes part-time in the IMSA SportsCar Championship and part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 51 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing with backing from e.l.f. She holds the record for the fastest qualifying effort for a woman in Indianapolis 500 history, set in 2023, and was the first woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America in 2005.
Janet Guthrie is an American former racing driver. She is the first female to qualify and race in either the Indianapolis 500, or the Daytona 500, both of which she competed in during 1977. She had first attempted to enter the Indianapolis 500 in 1976 but failed to qualify. She raced in three Indianapolis 500s: 1977 through 1979. She is also the first woman to lead a lap in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
The 60th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1976. Polesitter Johnny Rutherford took the lead on lap 80, and was leading when rain halted the race on lap 103. Two hours later, the race was about to be resumed, but rain fell again. USAC officials called the race at that point, reverted the scoring back to the completion of lap 102, and Johnny Rutherford was declared the winner. Rutherford famously walked to Victory Lane, his second career Indy 500 triumph, having completed only 255 miles (410 km), the shortest official race on record. Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to enter the Indianapolis 500. However, her team was underfunded, and she experienced numerous mechanical and engine problems during the month. While she managed to pass her rookie test, and ran numerous practice laps in multiple cars, she was unable to make an attempt to qualify. She would return with a successful effort a year later in 1977.
The 61st 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 29, 1977. Considered one of the most historically significant editions of the Indianapolis 500, several sidebar stories complemented the unprecedented accomplishment of race winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. As of 2024, Foyt's record has been tied by Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves, but still stands as an Indy 500 record. Foyt's victory is also the last time the winning car was built entirely within the United States.
The 62nd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1978. Danny Ongais dominated the early stages of the race but eventually dropped out with a blown engine. Al Unser Sr. dominated the second half, and held a large lead late in the race. However, Unser bent the front wing of his Lola during a pit stop on lap 180, causing his handling to go away over the final twenty laps. Second place Tom Sneva charged to catch Unser's crippled Lola but came up 8 seconds short at the finish line – the second-closest finish in Indy history to that point. Unser held off the challenge, and became a three-time winner of the 500. It was Al Unser's third Indy victory in the decade of the 1970s, and the fifth of nine overall victories by the Unser family.
The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race, his first of two Indy victories. Wheldon became the first British-born winner since Graham Hill in 1966. It was the second consecutive Indy victory for Honda, and the first victory for the Dallara chassis since 2002. It was also the long-awaited first Indianapolis 500 victory for car owner Michael Andretti of Andretti-Green Racing. After many years of failing to win the race as a driver, Andretti finally achieved victory at Indianapolis as an owner.
HVM Racing was an auto racing team owned by Keith Wiggins that competed in the IndyCar Series. It competed in the Champ Car World Series in 2007 as Minardi Team USA when it was co-owned by Paul Stoddart. It has a long history of changes of ownership, including a previous incarnation as CTE-HVM Racing, co-owned by actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer.
Ana "Bia" Beatriz Caselato Gomes de Figueiredo, or Bia Figueiredo is a Brazilian racing driver. She won her first Indy Lights race at Nashville Superspeedway on 12 July 2008, becoming the first woman to win a race in the Indy Lights series. On June 20, 2009, Bia won her second Indy Lights race and became the first woman to win a race car event at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.
Milka Duno is a former Venezuelan race car driver who competed in the IndyCar Series and ARCA Racing Series. She is best known for holding the record of highest finish for a female driver in the 24 Hours of Daytona. She entered the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2014.
The 92nd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 25, 2008. It was the fifth round of the 2008 IndyCar Series in DIRECTV HD season. Scott Dixon of New Zealand won the race from the pole position. It marked the first Indy 500 victory for Chip Ganassi Racing since 2000. Dixon led 115 laps, taking the lead for the final time during a sequence of yellow-flag pit stops on lap 172. Dixon held off Vítor Meira and Marco Andretti over the final 24 laps to secure the win.
Simona de Silvestro is a Swiss-Italian racing driver, who is currently employed by Porsche as a factory driver. She has previously driven for Amlin Andretti in the 2015/16 season of the FIA Formula E Championship as well as several years competing in the IndyCar Series. Her nicknames are the "Iron Maiden" and "Swiss Miss".
The 94th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 2010. It was the 15th Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and was the premier event of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The race was won by Dario Franchitti, ahead of Dan Wheldon and Marco Andretti. Tony Kanaan, who had started in the final position, ran as high as second during the race before finishing eleventh.
Pippa Mann is a British racing car driver who currently competes in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. She has also competed in the IndyCar Series. She was born in London, United Kingdom.
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series was the 16th season of the IndyCar Series and the 100th recognized season of American open-wheel motor racing. The season was sanctioned by IndyCar and was part of the Mazda Road to Indy. The season began in March and concluded in October, consisting of seventeen events.
Carmen Jordá Buades is a Spanish motor racing driver. From 2015 to 2017, she was a development driver for the Lotus and Renault Sport Formula One teams. Her appointment by Lotus saw her become just the eleventh woman in history to be part of a Formula 1 team's driver line-up.
The 95th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 29, 2011. The race was part of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The track opened for practice on May 14 and time trials were held from May 21 to 22. Alex Tagliani won the pole position, and the race was won by Dan Wheldon. It was his second Indy 500 win after the 2005 race, and the last win of his racing career. It was the first of two Indy victories for car owner Bryan Herta.
The 2010 Cafés do Brasil Indy 300 was an IndyCar motor race held in front of approximately 14,000 people on October 2, 2010, at the Homestead–Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. It was the 17th and final showdown of the 2010 IndyCar Series, the final annual edition of the event in the IndyCar Series, and the 15th anniversary of the running of the race. Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon, who started from the second position, won the 200-lap race. Andretti Autosport's Danica Patrick finished second and her teammate Tony Kanaan took third.
12:40 p.m. - 'Lady and Gentlemen: start your engines!'