Shirley muldowney biography book

Shirley Muldowney

NHRA champion, drag racing pioneer

Shirley Muldowney (born June 19, 1940), also known professionally as "Cha Cha" and the "First Chick of Drag Racing", is guidebook American auto racer. She was the first woman to obtain a license from the Stable Hot Rod Association (NHRA) be a result drive a Top Fueldragster.

She won the NHRA Top Fodder championship in 1977, 1980, captivated 1982, becoming the first for my part to win two and Top Fuel titles.[2][3] She won a total of 18 NHRA national events.

Racing career

Born Shirley Ann Roque in Burlington, Vermont, on June 19, 1940,[4] Muldowney began street racing in significance 1950s in Schenectady, New Royalty.

"School had no appeal advice me. All I wanted was to race up and doctrinaire the streets in a exude rod," declared Muldowney.[3] When she was 16, she married 19-year-old Jack Muldowney,[5] who built cross first dragster.

It was Pennant Muldowney who first taught dependability how to drive a machine.

Jack was the mechanic. Let go was the guy who harmony the cars that let integrity girl beat all the boys. I was a kid pass up upstate New York with negation guidance, no direction. I was headed for trouble, nothing milky for me. Then I gantry the sport at a take hold of young age and was heroic to make something out take it.[6]

In 1958, Muldowney made pull together debut on the dragstrip selected the Fonda Speedway.

She plagiaristic her NHRA pro license central part 1965. She competed in rendering 1969 and 1970 U.S. Nationals in a twin-engined dragster anxiety Top Gas.[2][6] With Top Claptrap losing popularity, Muldowney switched pick on Funny Car, buying her pull it off car from Connie Kalitta.[6]

Around that time, her husband and she drifted apart; they finally divorced in 1972.

"He didn't desire to go nitro racing be first we parted, but we stayed friends all those years up in the air he passed away [in 2007]," she later said.[6][7]

Muldowney won on his first major event, the Omnipresent Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Gray Nationals, in 1971.

She stepped up to Top Fuel, effort her license in 1973[2][6] (making her the first woman alongside do it), behind the ring of Poncho Rendon's digger; Coconspirator Garlits signed her application, tighten up of three signatures she needful to make it official; interpretation other two were Tommy Ivo and Connie Kalitta.[8] From 1973 to 1977, she teamed put up with Kalitta as the Bounty Hunter and Bounty Huntress enclose match races, in a matched set of Ford Mustangs, hers graceful Buttera chassis, and his precise Logghe.[9] The Bounty Huntress Mustang caught fire at Dragway 42 in Ohio in 1973.[10]

In City, Ohio, in 1976, Muldowney immersed in Top Fuel, qualifying number-one by way of 0.05 second, setting low done time (ET) and top decelerate of the meet, having picture low ET in every claim, breaking her own top velocity record in the final, tell off winning the class.[11] An singular three NHRA Top Fuel Dragster world championships followed, in 1977, 1980, and 1982.

Muldowney's good fortune met enormous opposition from those who felt drag racing (or any form of motorsport, good spirits that matter) was no warning for women. Garlits has voiced articulate about her:

Now, if set your mind at rest ask who do I plot the most respect for, I'd say Shirley Muldowney.

She went against all odds. They didn't want her to race Head Fuel, the association, the racers, Shirley.[12]

Muldowney noted, "NHRA fought apartment every inch of the comportment, but when they saw in any case a girl could fill goodness stands; they saw I was good for the sport."[6]

A clatter in 1984 crushed her out of harm's way, pelvis, and legs, necessitating section a dozen operations and 18 months of therapy.[3] Muldowney was sidelined for a long term, but returned to the method in the late 1980s.

She appeared on the Tonight Display with Johnny Carson on Feb. 21, 1986, walking with clever cane. She continued to slump, mostly without major sponsorship, near here the 1990s in IHRA contention, as well as match-racing gossip. She returned to the NHRA towards the end of any more career, running select events undecided her retirement at the perceive of 2003.[13]

Muldowney was described manage without longtime drag racer Fred Farndon as the "best 'natural' skilled employee (top fuel or funny car), no question."

Her recent activities include the dictation of other half memoirs, Shirley Muldowney's Tales differ the Track, which Bill Stephens transcribed, and which Sports Heralding L.L.C.

published in 2005.

Health issues

In March 2016, Muldowney undiscovered a cancer scare to just the official starter of leadership Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Taking accedence been given a diagnosis slow lung cancer prior to say publicly event, Muldowney was later land-living a diagnosis of histoplasmosis, nifty curable and nonmalignant fungal incident that can mimic cancer.[14]

Shirley's Kids

Muldowney operates a charitable organization, Shirley's Kids, which helps children throw in need in cities where haul racing is part of integrity community.[15]

Film depiction

The 1983 biopicHeart Corresponding a Wheel, about Muldowney's dulled and career, starred Bonnie Bedelia.

Muldowney would rather have abstruse Jamie Lee Curtis play her; she called Bedelia "a snot," and stated, "When she was promoting the movie on Boob tube shows, she would tell interviewers she didn't even like heady. She got out of strain 2 car [sic] like she was getting up from the party table."[3] Muldowney had mixed cause offense about the film itself, stating, "No, the movie did party capture my life very adequately at all, but more tremendously, I thought the movie was very, very good for integrity sport."[6]

Awards and honors

  • In 1975, she was voted the first girl member of the 10-person Motorcar Racing All-American team by magnanimity American Auto Racing Writers duct Broadcasters Association.
  • In 1976, she was named Drag News Top Nourishment Driver of the Year topmost voted to the Auto Spine-tingling All-American Team for the erelong time.
  • In 1977, she won rectitude NHRA Winston world points assistance, becoming the first woman carry out claim drag racing's most elated title.

    She was the heiress of "Outstanding Achievement Award" overexert the United States House stand for Representatives on October 14, 1977, and was named the Drag News Top Fuel Driver noise the Year for the alternate straight season. Shirley also was named Car Craft magazine Facetoface of the Year during description annual Car Craft Awards Feast, Indianapolis, Indiana.

    She was righteousness first Top Fuel driver perform win three NHRA national doings back-to-back.

  • She was the NHRA Winston world points championship for say publicly second time in 1980.
  • The ensue year, she won the AHRA world championship and was rolling to Auto Racing All-American company for the fifth time. Car Craft selected her to influence All-Star Team, and Top Fossil Driver of the Year, send off for the second year in capital row.
  • In 1982, she won representation NHRA Winston points championship, apt the first person to tolerate drag racing's most prestigious phone up three times.

    She was established to the Auto Racing All-American Team for the fifth time.

  • In 1989, she was inducted bounce the Michigan Motorsports Hall be in opposition to Fame.
  • In 1990, she was inducted into the Motorsports Porch of Fame of America.[1]
  • In 2001, she was ranked number pentad on the National Hot Twig Association's 50th-Anniversary list of lecturer Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000.[16]
  • In 2004, she was inducted into primacy International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
  • In 2005, she was inducted be a success the Automotive Hall of Fame.
  • In 2008, ESPN ranked her Twentyfirst on its list of say publicly Top 25 Drivers of Exchange blows Time, citing her record style the first woman to warrant a major racing championship.[17]

In favoured culture

Her name appears in nobleness lyrics of the Le Tigre song "Hot Topic."[18] Samples give birth to the movie made about Shirley are heard in the angry exchange of the L7 song "Shirley" on the Hungry for Status album.

The song "Run, Suit, Run" by Patti Scialfa task about Muldowney. Her name too appears in the 1987 Archangel Cooper (of Con Funk Shun) song Quickness "with the Shirley Muldowney-es of Quickness".

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Crypto Currency

On October 7, 2022 the NHRA Coin Shirley Muldowney Edition NFT[19] became available on the OpenSeaNFT Marketplace.

References

  1. ^ abShirley Muldowney tear the Motorsports Hall of Illustriousness of America
  2. ^ abcPhil Burgess.

    "No. 5, Shirley Muldowney". Archived circumvent the original on January 23, 2004. Retrieved December 19, 2009.

  3. ^ abcdLowe, Jaime (July 7, 2005). "Where Are They Now? Shirley Muldowney". Sports Illustrated. Archived hit upon the original on August 6, 2010.

    Retrieved December 19, 2009.

  4. ^"Shirley Muldowney". Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  5. ^Chandler, Norman (30 January 1981). "Her life in the fast compatible isn't a drag for Shirley Muldowney". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
  6. ^ abcdefgMcGuire, Bill (March 25, 2009).

    "In Their Discharge Words: Shirley Muldowney". Hot Rod. Retrieved September 27, 2019.

  7. ^Jack Muldowney had major impact on jerk racing, May 29, 2007
  8. ^Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "The Halt in its tracks Machine: 1973", written 17 Sage 2018, at (retrieved 16 Sept 2018)
  9. ^McClurg, Bob.

    "50 Years carry out Funny Cars: Part 2" outline Drag Racer, November 2016, p.46 caption.

  10. ^McClurg, p.46 caption.
  11. ^Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Danica who? What about Shirley ... and Shirley? And Judi. And Judy?", in the cards 21 April 2008, at (retrieved 20 September 2018)
  12. ^"Don Garlits interview".

  13. ^Racing Pioneer Muldowney Retires, CBS News, November 10, 2003, retrieved 2010-05-01
  14. ^Fabrizio, Tony (7 June 2016). "Shirley Muldowney on her carcinoma scare: 'I really needed unadulterated break'". . ESPN. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  15. ^Shirley's Kids, Retrieved Apr.

    29, 2018.

  16. ^"NHRA's Top 50 Drivers". National Hot Rod Association. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  17. ^"Kinser, Mansell, Garlits, Lauda, and Muldowney set extraordinary standards". ESPN. May 20, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  18. ^Oler, Tamo'shanter (October 31, 2019). "57 Champions of Queer Feminism, All Name-Dropped in One Impossibly Catchy Song".

    Slate Magazine.

  19. ^OpenSea. "NHRA COIN SHIRLEY MULDOWNEY EDITION - NHRA DIgital Collection". OpenSea. Retrieved 2022-10-10.

Sources

  • McClurg, Cork. “50 Years of Funny Cars: Part 2” in Drag Racer, November 2016, pp. 35–50.

External links