Articles for further information

Women in racing:
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/womenfamilies/articles/116692/article.html

Iran's top female race car driver banned from competition:
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Sport/?id=1.0.1630367850

The only female driver to score world championship points: RIP Lella Lombardi
http://www.girlracer.co.uk/motorsport/kate-walker/3793-blast-from-the-past--lella-lombardi.html

Sara Christian

Sara Christian was the first woman driver in NASCAR history, paving the way for women in racing. She competed in NASCAR's first race in 1949 at Charlotte Speedway and finished 13th. Christian finished 18th in her second race at Daytona Beach Road Course on July 1oth, 1949. Her last race in 1950 ending her influential racing career was at the Hamburg Speedway in New York where she finished 14th.

Sara Christian was inducted in the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame in 2004, and recieved the United States Drivers Association Woman Driver of the Year award in 1949.

http://www.americanstock.us/heroes/heroes13.cfm

Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick is one of the few women that have bridged the gap between men and women in Racing.

In 2007, Danica Patrick became the first woman to win an Indy500 in Japan. Here is a video of the race that made history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWHWcgnoCkc

Still, Danica Patrick's racing record is not without hinderances. Danica Patrick finished 35th in the 2010 NASCAR race at Daytona after being involved in a 12 car crash. She escaped major injuries, and was praised by Dale Earnheart Jr. who said, "It's just amazing. But it's great for the sport. It's good for our company. But I'm really pleased. I think she's attacking this opportunity." clearly there is still headway being made by Danica Patrick to bridge the gap between men and women in racing.

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/nationwide/news/story?id=4911450

Women as Racecar Drivers

It is no surprise that women have not been as widely accepted in the racing world as men. Even though women have competed in NASCAR since 1949, they have been relatively unable to come close to aquiring the achievements as men have. The following site gives a brief history of women in NASCAR:

http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Articles/06/053006Madding.asp