The history of women racing in the NASCAR Cup Series
There are 17 women who have made at least one NASCAR Cup Series start in the 77-year history of the series.
Katherine Legge became the 17th in 2025. Of those 17 women who have made a NASCAR Cup Series start in series history:
- 11 have made multiple starts
- 6 have made five starts or more
- 3 have made 10 or more starts
- 1 has made more than 33 starts
Women who have made at least one NASCAR Cup Series start
- Ethel Mobley
- Two starts in 1949
- Finished 11th of 28 in Daytona Beach, Florida, July 10, 1949
- Second-ever Cup Series race
- Finished 44th of 45 at Langhorne Speedway, Pennsylvania, Sept. 11, 1949
- Finished 11th of 28 in Daytona Beach, Florida, July 10, 1949
- Two starts in 1949
- Sara Christian
- Six NASCAR Cup Series starts in 1949, one in 1950
- Only woman to score top five finish in Cup Series
- Fifth in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 2, 1949
- Sixth at Langhorne Speedway on Sept. 11, 1949
- 14th in Hamburg, New York, on Aug. 27, 1950
- Only woman to score top five finish in Cup Series
- Six NASCAR Cup Series starts in 1949, one in 1950
- Louise Smith
- 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts (Three in 1949, five in 1950, three in 1952)
- Best finish: 16th at Langhorne Speedway, Pennsylvania, Sept. 11, 1949
- 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts (Three in 1949, five in 1950, three in 1952)
- Ann Chester
- Two starts in 1950
- 21st after crash in Hamburg, New York, on Aug. 27, 1950
- 22nd after engine failure in Vernon, New York, on Oct. 1, 1950
- Two starts in 1950
- Ann Slaasted
- One start: 22nd in Dayton, Ohio, on June 25, 1950
- Ann Bunselmeyer
- One start: 18th after a crash in Vernon, New York, on Oct. 1, 1950
- Marian Pagan
- One start: 18th at Oakland Stadium in Oakland, California, on Aug. 1, 1954
- FiFi Scott
- Two starts in 1955 with her own car
- Finished 23rd of 29 drivers after tire issues at Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, May 8, 1955
- Finished 13th of 19 drivers at the Tucson, Arizona, Rodeo Grounds, May 15, 1955
- Two starts in 1955 with her own car
- Goldie Parsons
- One start: 14th in Moyock, North Carolina, Nov. 7, 1965, driving for Buck Baker
- Janet Guthrie
- 33 NASCAR Cup Series starts
- Five in 1976, 19 in 1977, seven in 1978, two in 1980
- Five top 10 finishes
- Four in 1977, one in 1978
- 33 NASCAR Cup Series starts
- Lella Lombardi
- One start: Italian driver finished 31st in 1977 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway
- Christine Beckers
- One start: Belgian driver finished 37th after brake issue in 1977 Firecracker 400 at Daytona
- Robin McCall
- Two starts in 1982, all at Michigan
- 29th in first race after engine failure on lap 107 of 200, 33rd in second Michigan race after crash on lap 47
- Youngest woman to qualify for Cup race, at age 18
- Two starts in 1982, all at Michigan
- Patty Moise
- Five starts
- 33rd at Watkins Glen in 1987
- 26th in Firecracker 400, 30th at Watkins Glen in 1988
- 39th in Firecracker 400, 33rd at Talladega in July 1989
- Five starts
- Shawna Robinson
- Eight starts
- Michigan in June 2001, seven starts in 2002
- Best finish: 24th in 2002 Daytona 500, 13 laps down
- Michigan in June 2001, seven starts in 2002
- Eight starts
- Danica Patrick
- 191 NASCAR Cup Series starts
- Only woman to race full schedule – from 2013 to 2017
- Won the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500
- Seven top 10 finishes
- One in 2013, three in 2014, two in 2015, one in 2017
- Best finish: Sixth at Atlanta, September 2014
- 191 NASCAR Cup Series starts
- Katherine Legge
- Three NASCAR Cup Series starts in 2025
- Best finish: 19th in Chicago in July on the lead lap
- 30th at Phoenix Raceway in March after lap 211 crash
- 32nd in Mexico City in June, one lap down
- Three NASCAR Cup Series starts in 2025
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com