She Survived 258 MPH — The Incredible Story of Paula Murphy | Paula Murphy

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Paula Murphy was one of the most versatile and fearless racers of the 1960s and 1970s yet for decades, her story remained largely forgotten.

Before becoming “Miss STP,” Paula Murphy was already a serious road racer. She competed in sports cars, raced at Indianapolis, set official USAC land speed records at Bonneville, and became the first woman to drive a jet-powered car at Bonneville.

Then she entered drag racing.

Driving the STP sponsored Miss STP Mustang Funny Car, Murphy became the first woman to receive an NHRA license to drive a nitro fueled Funny Car. She was running low nine second passes and building a career on the match race circuit.

Then, in 1967, NHRA pulled the competition licenses of women running nitro cars.

Murphy’s career was suddenly caught in a battle that had little to do with what she could do behind the wheel.

With STP’s Andy Granatelli pushing back, the ban was eventually lifted. Murphy returned to racing and continued getting faster.

She broke into the seven second zone, exceeded 200 MPH in the Miss STP Mustang, raced a second generation Funny Car, competed at Talladega, set women’s closed course speed records, raced in England, and eventually climbed into hydrogen peroxide rocket dragsters.

Then came 1973.

At Sears Point Raceway, Murphy crossed the finish line at approximately 258 MPH in a rocket dragster. The rocket engine failed to shut down. Both parachutes were lost, and the car crashed after striking a hill.

Murphy suffered a broken neck and spent four months in a full-body cast.

She came back.

This is the story of Paula Murphy a racer who competed in sports cars, Funny Cars, jet cars, rocket cars, stock cars and compact cars, while setting records across multiple forms of motorsport.

Her story wasn’t simply about being the first woman.

It was about being fast enough that the barriers eventually had to move.

And for decades, almost nobody remembered.

Paula Murphy died on December 21, 2023, at the age of 95.

This is her story.

Based on historical records, interviews, archival material and documented motorsports history.

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