Shirley Muldowney

She didn’t just break drag racing’s gender barrier—she obliterated it, then backed over it at 250 mph for good measure. Shirley Muldowney became the first woman to win an NHRA professional class race, the first to claim a major motorsports championship, and the first person—male or female—to win three Top Fuel titles.

EARLY YEARS

Born June 19, 1940, in Burlington, Vermont, Muldowney’s path to racing royalty began not on sanctioned tracks but on the streets of Schenectady, New York, in the late 1950s. While other teenage girls were at sock hops, she was street racing—because apparently, curfews and convention were never really her thing. At 18, in 1958, she made her dragstrip debut at Fonda Speedway, trading illegal midnight runs for the legitimacy of timed competition. It was a move that would eventually reshape the entire sport.

The transition from street racer to professional driver wasn’t instantaneous. Throughout the 1960s and early ’70s, she honed her skills in Top Gas dragsters, competing in match races across the East and Midwest. Her early machines were fuel-injected, supercharged 327-Chevy-powered beasts—some single-engine, some twin-engine—all built by Jack, who also taught her to drive. By 1969 and 1970, she was running a twin-engine Top Gas dragster at the U.S. Nationals, proving she had both the talent and the nerve to hang with the boys.

OTHER INTERESTS

Information about Muldowney’s life outside the cockpit remains elusive. No hobbies, charitable work, creative pursuits, or business ventures beyond racing have been documented. Either she was utterly consumed by drag racing—a distinct possibility given her relentless success—or she simply kept her personal life private in an era when female racers were already under enough scrutiny. What’s clear is that her focus stayed laser-locked on one thing: going faster than everyone else.

EARLY SUCCESS

Muldowney’s early career was defined by persistence in the face of hostility and discrimination that would have sent most people packing. In 1965, she earned her NHRA license for front-engined Top Gas dragsters, competing with fuel-injected and supercharged machines Jack built for her until 1971. When she wanted to move up to nitro racing, Jack didn’t. “He didn’t want to go nitro racing and we parted, but we stayed friends all those years until he passed away [in 2007],” she later said. Their split marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Undeterred, Muldowney bought a Funny Car from Connie Kalitta and notched her first Funny Car race win. Her partnership with Kalitta continued from 1972 to 1977 in match races where she earned the nickname “Bounty Huntress.” In 1971, she claimed her first major event win at the IHRA Southern Nationals. By 1973, she’d secured the signatures of Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, and Connie Kalitta—legends vouching for her ability—and earned her Top Fuel license. She ran Poncho Rendon’s dragster that year, setting the stage for the dominance to come.

June 13, 1976, in Columbus, Ohio, changed everything. Muldowney became the first woman to win an NHRA professional class race, taking the Spring Nationals in Top Fuel. She didn’t just squeak by, either—she was the #1 qualifier by 0.05 seconds, posted the low ET and top speed of the meet, recorded low ET in every elimination round, and broke her own top speed record in the final. It was a clinic, and the boys’ club had officially been put on notice.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 1958: Dragstrip debut at Fonda Speedway at age 18[4][5].
• 1965: Earned NHRA license for front-engined Top Gas dragsters[2].
• 1971: First major event win at IHRA Southern Nationals[4][5].
• 1973: Earned Top Fuel license with endorsements from Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, and Connie Kalitta[5].
• 1976: First woman to win an NHRA professional class race (Top Fuel, Spring Nationals, Columbus, Ohio, June 13)[2][5].
• 1977: Won three consecutive NHRA National Events (Columbus, Ohio; Englishtown, New Jersey; Montreal, Canada)—first Top Fuel driver to accomplish this[1][2].
• 1977: First woman to win an NHRA Top Fuel championship[1][2][3][4][5].
• 1977: Named Drag News Top Fuel Driver of the Year (second straight year) and Car Craft Person of the Year[1].
• 1977: Received Outstanding Achievement Award from U.S. House of Representatives on October 14[1].
• 1980: Won second NHRA Top Fuel championship—first person to win two titles[1][2][3][5].
• 1980: Car Craft All-Star Team/Top Fuel Driver of the Year (second straight year)[1].
• 1981: First and only female AHRA/IHRA Top Fuel champion[1][2][3].
• 1981: Car Craft All-Star Team/Top Fuel Driver of the Year; named to Auto Racing All-American team (fifth time)[1].
• 1982: Won third NHRA Top Fuel championship—first person to win three titles[1][2][3][4][5].
• 1982: Won NHRA U.S. Nationals Top Fuel at Indianapolis Raceway Park on September 6 in a supercharged, nitro-fuel-injected, Hemi-powered Pioneer Electronics entry[2].
• 1984: Survived a severe crash that left her with broken bones in all 10 fingers, a broken pelvis, and mangled legs[3][5][6].
• 1986: Comeback of the Year, AARWBA[3].
• 1989: First driver in the 4-second club with a 4.970 ET at Keystone Nationals; first to run sub-5-second ETs in three consecutive nationals[6].
• 1989: Won NHRA Fall Nationals in Phoenix[5].
• Career: 18 NHRA national event wins, 9 runner-up finishes, 27 finals appearances, 13 #1 qualifiers (1973–2003)[1][2][5][6].
• 2004: Retired from Top Fuel competition[5].

INSPIRATIONS

No documented influences, mentors beyond Jack (who built her early cars and taught her to drive), or racing heroes have been recorded. Muldowney’s motivation appears to have been intrinsic—she wanted to race, and she wanted to win, and she didn’t need anyone’s permission or inspiration to do either. Jack’s technical mentorship was critical in her formative years, but beyond that, she carved her own path with stubborn, unapologetic determination.

REPUTATION

Known as the “First Lady of Drag Racing” and “Cha Cha,” Muldowney changed the sport forever by proving—emphatically—that women could compete equally with men at the highest levels. Her perseverance through discrimination, hostility, and outright resistance from an industry that didn’t want her there made her both controversial and inspirational. She’s been described as fiercely honest, and her career forced everyone to reconsider what was possible for female racers in a male-dominated world.

She appeared in finals in one out of every five starts and led Top Fuel qualifying 13 times over an 18-year professional career. Her comeback from the devastating 1984 crash—which could have ended not just her career but her ability to walk—cemented her reputation for toughness. The documentary “Shirley” is considered a definitive biography and essential NHRA history lesson, underscoring her status as a trailblazer whose impact transcends wins and championships.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Muldowney retired from Top Fuel competition in 2004. No current racing schedule, team affiliations, or future plans have been documented. At this stage, her legacy speaks for itself—three championships, 18 NHRA national event wins, and a permanently shattered glass ceiling.

References:

Wikipedia – Shirley Muldowney
Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
Automotive Hall of Fame
Shirley Muldowney Official Site – History
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
YouTube – Shirley Muldowney Documentary
Autoweek – Shirley Muldowney Feature