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The script for this video was created using various online sources and research. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, I am not an expert and errors may occur. If you notice any factual mistakes, please leave a comment below. I am committed to accuracy and will do my best to address or correct any misinformation.

In the 1960s, the racing world saw Paula Murphy as “Miss STP,” a smiling corporate spokesperson often dismissed as a marketing gimmick. They were wrong. This is the true story of the woman who forced the integration of professional drag racing, piloted the most volatile machinery of the 20th century, and survived a catastrophic rocket car crash that should have been fatal.

From her early days breaking land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats to piloting the legendary “man-killer” Novi engine at Indianapolis, Paula Murphy was a polymath of speed. This video deconstructs how she leveraged corporate backing from Andy Granatelli to fight the NHRA’s infamous 1967 license revocation crisis—a moment when the establishment tried to ban women from the sport entirely.

We also analyze the terrifying engineering behind the rocket dragsters of the 1970s and the mechanical failure at Sears Point in 1974 that turned her car into a 300mph missile without brakes. Discover how the “Fastest Woman on Wheels” paved the way for modern champions.

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