Gary Trobaugh wrote:
I remember Donna Mae Mims as one tough driver,who hung with
the tough Yenko crowd.
Here is a photo of her in the pink Sprite,taken at Road
America June Sprints 1963.
http://www.ezl.com/~gtactionphoto/graphic12.jpg/Image1.jpg
"Think Pink"
I think the greatest woman driver of all time was
Elizabetta Junek.See Road & Track Feb.,1960,pages 53-56.
With kind regards,
Gary Trobaugh
See 120 photos of sport car racing from 1960 at my website :
http://my.voyager.net/gtactionphoto
Sadek Charles H DLVA wrote:
>
> A bit about Donna Mae Mims: She was the first of three women to win an SCCA
> Nat'l Championship, had and used a horn (in a race) on one of her Sprites!,
> came to the VA Vair Affair last year in a pink Corvette where she answered
> questions about her racing, Don Yenko, etc. She is still a real character!
> We enjoyed her visit immensely.
> Chuck Sadek
> YS 73
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mark Palmer [SMTP:mgvrmark@hotmail.com]
> > Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2000 8:41 PM
> > To: LMR356@aol.com; vintage-race@autox.team.net
> > Subject: RE: Real Women Racers....
> >
> > Lee's last paragraph reminded me of a vintage race a few years ago at New
> > Hampshire Int'l (formerly Bryar), a VSCCA event. In the Under-2-Litre
> > Production class, as I was sitting on the grid, I realized that 4 out of
> > the
> > top 6 or 7 qualifiers were women -- including the pole sitter. As I
> > recall
> > they were Deb Abraham, Kathy Bain, Sandy McNeil and Mari Ryan. Can't
> > recall
> > exactly how the race finished but I know I trailed Deb and Sandy, at
> > least.
> >
> > As someone observed at the time "the fast cars & beautiful women of VSCCA,
> >
> > or is that the beautiful cars and ..."
> >
> > Maybe I better not sign this one.
> >
> >
> > >From: LMR356@aol.com
> > >Reply-To: LMR356@aol.com
> > >To: vintage-race@autox.team.net
> > >CC: denmac@rt66.com
> > >Subject: RE: Real Women Racers....
> > >Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 15:22:08 EST
> > >
> > >The discussion has centered on women racers for the past few days.. but
> > >perhaps some of the real history has been overlooked....so here'some of
> > my
> > >thoughts:
> > >
> > >There were many more competitive women racers in the 1950-1960 era than
> > in
> > >the past 30 years combined. From the left coast, Ruth Levy and and
> > Denise
> > >McCluggage were the most recognizable women in motorsports, but there
> > were
> > >others, particularly on the East coast, that have not heretofore been
> > >mentioned ...and also deserve some recognition.
> > >
> > >Levy and McCluggage drove some serious cars and competed in national
> > SCCA
> > >and in FIA races at Nassau against each other for years. In 1958, they
> > >teamed at Sebring driving a Momo entered a 750cc Abarth-Fiat Zagato
> > coupe,
> > >which DNF'd at 116 laps. Denise went on to race at Sebring 6 more times
> > >through 1967, with her best finish at 10th in 1961, co-driving a Ferrari
> > >250
> > >GT with Allen Edgar. Denise almost got to drive at Le Mans, but the
> > gender
> > >issue prevailed...it was still a race for men only! ( You should read her
> > >wonderful little book... By Brooks Too Broad For Jumping.)
> > >
> > >I last saw Denise at the Monterey Historic Tribute to Porsche in
> > >1998...looking quite natural in the cockpit of a Porsche Spyder with her
> > >famous "polka dotted" helmet on!
> > >
> > >In the East, Evelyn Mull was the dominant 1950s driver in the AC Bristol
> > >from Watkins Glen, to Cumberland. Pinkie Rallo was a strong competitor
> > who
> > >also raced at Sebring. Suzy Dietrich was another great driver and Sebring
> > >competitor in many different marques. Lady Greta Oakes of Nassau was
> > also
> > >a
> > >competitor at the Annual Speed Week as well as Sebring with her husband,
> > >Sir
> > >Sidney.
> > >
> > >Donna Mae Mimes of Bethel Park became the dominant woman driver in the
> > >early
> > >1960s, winning a National SCCA H Production Championship in her "Think
> > >Pink"
> > >Sprite in 1961.
> > >Donna Mae went on to drive for Don Yenko in his Yenko Stinger Corvairs
> > and
> > >Camaros in SCCA Regional competition and at Sebring from 1966 through
> > 1970.
> > >Donna Mae is perhaps one of the funniest too. She came out of
> > retirement
> > >to
> > >drive a 914/6 at a Jefferson 500 vintage race at Summit Point a few years
> > >ago... climbed out of the car saying it was ...'almost' as good as sex!
> > >
> > >The late '60s saw Janet Guthrie as the dominant motorsports woman driver.
> >
> > >In
> > >1968, she teamed at Sebring with Liane Engeman in an AMC Javelin to
> > finish
> > >32nd. This is the race where Australian, Paul Hawkins (co-driving with
> > >David
> > >Hobbs in a Ford GT-40) blasted the women's team for driving dangerously!
> >
> > >In
> > >1969, Guthrie drove with Engeman and Donna Mae in an Austin-Healey Sprite
> > >that finished 23rd overall. Janet Guthrie later went on to become the
> > >first
> > >woman driver to qualify and race at the Indy 500 in 1978. Guthrie also
> > >distinguished herself as a pretty good IMSA endurance pilot in a Porsche
> > >935
> > >during the same time, appearing at Sebring eight times.
> > >
> > >Other women of the post-1980s that should be recognized as true
> > competitors
> > >are: Deborah Gregg ( Peter's widow), Kathy Rude ( who was burned
> > seriously
> > >at
> > >Brainard). and Lynn St. James, who is perhaps the most well known today,
> > >having raced at Sebring 1978-1990) and finishing as high as 6th in 1990
> > >co-driving with Robby Gordon, and Calvin Fish in a Mercury Cougar. Lynn
> > St.
> > >James has also been a competitor at LeMans, and a strong contender at
> > the
> > >Indianapolis 500. Lynn has been a a commentator for motorsports..
> > >
> > >This is just a little historic trivia stuff off the top of my head....to
> > >keep
> > >the subject going.
> > >
> > >I think it's great to see many more women vintage racing today.... kudos
> > >goes
> > >out to: Karen Miller, Sandy McNeil, Olga Reindlova, Lauren Fix, Dana
> > >Horn,
> > >Lynn Alexander, Connie Schmitt, Ann O'Brien, Cheri Marshall, Ryan Giffin
> > >..and lots of others for showing some real vintage spirit on the track!
> > >
> > >Lee Raskin, Arnolt-Bristol and 356er.
> > >
> >
|
