March 8th marked International Women’s Day, and in honor of this occasion, LWOS is excited to shine a spotlight on some remarkable women pioneers who have made their mark in IndyCar.
The Pioneers of Women in IndyCar
Janet Guthrie was the first woman to attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1976. Unfortunately, she didn’t meet the necessary speed and preparation. However, she returned to the race in 1977, marking the first of three appearances in the 500. Her best result came in 1978 when she finished in 9th place.
Following her, Lyn St. James debuted in the 500 in 1992. After starting 27th, she made her way up, finishing in 11th, earning the title of Rookie of the Year for her impressive performance. St. James participated in the race every year from 1992 to 2000, successfully qualifying each time except for the years 1998 and 1999.
These women were the pioneers of women in IndyCar and women participating in the 500. Their involvement led to changes to make the series more accepting and allowed the names mentioned below the opportunity to flourish.
Sarah Fisher
Sarah Fisher made her IRL IndyCar Series début at Texas Motor Speedway in 1999, qualifying in 17th place, making her the youngest person to participate in an IRL event. Throughout her 11-year career, Fisher set records and made history multiple times.
She was the first woman to compete full-time in the IRL in 2001. At the season’s second race, the Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami, she finished second, the best finish of her IRL career and the highest for a woman until Danica Patrick in 2008.
The next year, in 2002, Fisher set a Kentucky Speedway track record at 221.390 mph (356.293 km/h) to earn the pole position for the Belterra Casino Indy 300, the first time a woman had claimed a pole in American open-wheel racing.
Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick is the most successful female IndyCar driver to date. She immediately showed her talent in her rookie season in 2005. In her first Indy 500, Patrick found herself right at the top after starting and finishing fourth. She ended up leading 19 laps, just missing the podium due to fuel saving.
Patrick earned her first career pole at Kansas Speedway. She became the second woman in IndyCar Series history to do so. Later in the season, she secured two more pole positions at Kentucky Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway, tying Tomas Scheckter’s record for the most pole positions in a rookie season.
Patrick finished her rookie season 12th in the points standings and seven top-ten finishes. She was named Rookie of the Year for both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series. She continued to race in the Series, being a permanent fixture in the top 10.
At the 2004 Indy Japan 300, Patrick took the lead with only three laps left, capitalizing on the pit stops of the previous leaders who needed fuel. She held onto her position to achieve her first IndyCar win, marking a groundbreaking moment as the first woman to win a major open-wheel racing event.
She continued to race full-time until 2011. Her best finish in the championship was fifth in 2009, the same year she earned a podium in the Indy 500. After five attempts at the Indianapolis 500, she achieved her best career finish by securing third place. This remarkable achievement established a new record for the highest finish by a woman in the Indianapolis 500’s history.
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Simona de Silvestro
De Silvestro took on the challenge of the IndyCar Series with HVM Racing during the 2010 season. She qualified for the Indianapolis 500 starting from 22nd. Simona crossed the finish line in 14th place, earning her the title of Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.
That season raced in 17 races and recorded two top-10 finishes, with a best finish of eighth at Mid-Ohio. She finished 19th overall in the series standings and was runner-up to Alex Lloyd for Rookie of the Year.
In 2013, at the Grand Prix of Houston, de Silvestro finished second in Race 1 for her first podium finish, joining Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher as the only women in IndyCar history to record a podium finish. She ran 71 races over 7 years.
The Future of Women in IndyCar
These drivers, and Katherine Legge, have and continue to inspire young female drivers. This is evident in series like Indy NXT, which has seen more women join in recent years. This started with Jamie Chadwick, she became the first woman in 13 years to join the series when she joined in 2023. In 2024 she became the third woman to win an Indy NXT race and the first to accomplish the feat on a road course when she led for all 20 laps at Road America.
The 2025 NXT grid features two female drivers; Sophia Floersch and Hailie Deegan. You can follow INDY NXT races on FS1 and IndyCarLive.
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