Janet Guthrie, the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 27, at the Speed Channel Dome, in the Hall of Fame in Talladega, Alabama. About 1,500 guests attended the black-tie event.
Guthrie was inducted in a class that also included the late seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR driver Harry Gant, team owner Jack Roush, and promoter Humpy Wheeler. “This is really a great and unexpected honor,” Guthrie remarked.
Guthrie’s 9th-place finish in the 1978 Indianapolis 500, with a team she formed and managed herself, was the highest finish by a woman until 2005. In her total of 11 Indy-car races, her 5th-place finish at Milwaukee and her 4th-place qualifying run at Pocono in 1979 were the best by a woman for more than 20 years. In her 33 NASCAR Cup races, she was Top Rookie at the Daytona 500 and four other races in 1977. Her 6th-place Cup finish at Bristol remains the best by a woman in NASCAR Cup’s superspeedway era. She placed among the top dozen in 10 Cup races. She even led the Cup race at Ontario, CA, in 1977. Earlier in her career, Guthrie had 13 years of experience in sports car racing, including two 1st in class finishes in the Sebring 12-Hour International Manufacturer’s Championship race.
