Janet Guthrie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Janet Guthrie
Guthrie at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2011
Born	Janet Guthrie (1938-03-07) March 7, 1938 (age 87) Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
Champ Car career
11 races run over 5 years
Best finish	15th (1979 (USAC))
First race	1976 Trenton 200 (Trenton)
Last race	1979 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (Milwaukee)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Cup Series career
33 races run over 4 years
Best finish	23rd (1977)
First race	1976 World 600 (Charlotte)
Last race	1980 Coca-Cola 500 (Pocono)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 5 0

Janet Guthrie (born March 7, 1938) is a famous American former race car driver. She made history as the first woman to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500 in 1977. She first tried to enter the Indianapolis 500 in 1976 but didn't qualify that year. She raced in the Indianapolis 500 three times, from 1977 to 1979. She was also the first woman to lead a lap in a NASCAR Cup Series race.

Before racing, Janet was an aerospace engineer. She studied physics at the University of Michigan and worked for Republic Aviation. In 2024, she received the NASCAR Landmark award.

Janet Guthrie's Racing Career

Janet Guthrie started her racing journey in 1963. She began racing on the SCCA circuit. By 1972, she was racing full-time. Her sports car career included two wins in the famous 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race.

Making History in NASCAR

In 1976, Janet competed in the World 600 race. She finished 15th, becoming the first woman to race in a NASCAR Winston Cup superspeedway event. She raced in four more events that season.

The next year, she raced in her first Daytona 500. She finished 12th, even though her car had engine trouble near the end. For her great effort, she earned the "Top Rookie" honor. Janet competed in 33 NASCAR races over four seasons. Her best finish was sixth place at Bristol in 1977. This was the best finish by a woman in a top-tier NASCAR race for a long time. Later, Danica Patrick tied this record in 2014.

Indy 500 Achievements

Janet Guthrie's Wildcat 3-DGS, which she drove to ninth place in the 1978 Indianapolis 500

Janet Guthrie qualified for and raced in the 1977 Indianapolis 500. She finished 29th because of engine problems. She raced in two more Indianapolis 500s. In the 1978 race, she finished ninth. She did this even though she had a fractured wrist, which she kept secret from race officials.

Overall, she competed in 11 Indy car races. Her best finish was fifth place. When she tried to qualify for the 1976 race, some male drivers said she couldn't qualify because she was a woman. This made three-time race winner A. J. Foyt angry. He let Janet test his backup car. Her practice lap in his car was fast enough to qualify for the race.

Janet faced challenges getting money from company sponsors. Because of this, she had to stop racing.

Her Lasting Legacy

Even though she retired, Janet Guthrie's place in history was secure. In 1979, she was featured on a Supersisters trading card. Her racing helmet and suit are now in the Smithsonian Institution. She was also one of the first people chosen for the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2006, she was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Her book, Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle, was published in 2005. It received great reviews from magazines like Sports Illustrated.

Battling Challenges in Motorsports

Janet Guthrie often spoke about the difficulties female drivers faced in getting sponsors. In an interview in 1987, she explained that men received sponsorships while women struggled. She pointed out that a successful woman driver could get much more attention than a man. However, many companies still preferred to sponsor male drivers.

Supporting Women in Racing

The problem of female drivers finding sponsors continued for many years. In 2020, Pippa Mann could not find enough money to enter the Indianapolis 500. This meant there were no women drivers in that race, which disappointed Janet Guthrie.

Janet herself was at first unsure about talking about sexism in racing. But her mind changed after she qualified for her first Indianapolis 500 in 1977. During a parade, she saw fathers holding their little girls on their shoulders. They were waving as if Janet represented hope for the future of these girls.

In 2011, Janet Guthrie signed a petition. This petition supported the right of women in Saudi Arabia to drive. The petition asked the Saudi King to support a Saudi Women's Grand Prix. This idea came from human rights activist David Keyes.

Acknowledging Her Impact

An episode of ESPN's 30 for 30 series, called Qualified, covered her racing career. It aired in 2019. In the episode, Janet said that women have always done amazing things. However, their history is often forgotten. She believes women will continue to achieve great things.

In 2019, Janet Guthrie was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. She was the fifth woman to receive this honor for her achievements in motorsports.

Janet Guthrie's Personal Life

Janet Guthrie was born in Iowa City, Iowa. Her parents, Jean Ruth Guthrie and William Lain Guthrie, were both pilots. She is the oldest of five children. When Janet was three, her family moved to Miami, Florida. Her father took a job with Eastern Air Lines. Janet herself earned her pilot's license when she was 17 years old.

In 1989, Janet married Warren Levine. He was a charter airline pilot. Warren passed away in 2006 from a sudden heart attack. A movie about Janet Guthrie, called Speed Girl, is expected to be released in 2025.

Awards and Honors

Janet Guthrie has been recognized for her amazing career. She has been inducted into several halls of fame:

• International Women's Sports Hall of Fame (1980)
• International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2006)
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame (2006)
• Automotive Hall of Fame (2019)
• NASCAR Hall of Fame (2024)