Top Women Race Car Drivers

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Mar 21, 2007

Top Women Race Car Drivers

Danica Patrick

Patrick begins her third season in America's top open-wheel series. She has yet to reach Victory Lane, but a new team (Andretti Green Racing) should give her a better chance this year.

Melanie Troxel

Named the Sportswoman of the Year by Billie Jean King's Women's Sports Foundation, Troxel won two Top Fuel events last season and led the POWERade Series point stands through the first 12 races. She was nominated for two ESPY awards in 2006 (best driver and best female athlete).

Erin Crocker

Crocker is the only woman to compete full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and this year she will drive an Evernham Motorsports Dodge in both the ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series. Crocker, who started her career in open-wheel racing, is the only female to win a World of Outlaws race.

Sarah Fisher

Fisher's second-place finish in the IRL race at Homestead in 2001 remains the best result for a woman driver in Indy-style racing. Having spent the previous three seasons driving mostly in stock car events, Fisher signed with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and is back to the IndyCar Series.

Milka Duno

In late January, Duno and her CITGO Racing team finished second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the highest podium finish for a female driver in the 45-year history of the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Venezuelan native is in her fourth year of competing in the Rolex Sports Car Series Championship. Duno is expected to join the IndyCar Series in April.

Ashley Force

Driving for her father John Force's team, Ashley Force is racing against her dad in the Funny Car division. She won five NHRA national events in her Top Alcohol dragster, and finished top 10 in points in each of her three seasons in that series.

Katherine Legge

The British native drove for PKV Racing last season and finished 16th in points, including four top-10 finishes. She also became the first woman to lead a lap in series history. She's now waiting to sign with a new team in 2007.

Erica Enders

Enders began her Pro Stock career in 2005 and has raced to two final rounds while setting several personal-best elapsed time and top-speed marks.

Leilani Munter

Munter, who once worked as a photo double/stunt driver for actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, is working her way up the NASCAR ranks. Last June, she finished fourth in a USRA Super Late Model Series event at Texas Motor Speedway, the highest finish by a female driver in any race at the track.

Liz Halliday

The California native, who now lives in England, has enjoyed more success than any other female driver in the American Le Mans Series, winning three times while finishing runner-up in the P2 driver's championship. She is switching from ALMS to the Le Mans Series in 2007, and will race an GT1 Aston Martin in the European-heavy schedule.