Women Of The Historic 94th IZOD Indy 500

The Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

Women Of The Historic 94th IZOD Indy 500

For the first time in its 94 event history, four women have qualified for the Indianapolis 500, motorsport's most sought after and watched auto racing event.

The four women that will appear on the grid of the preset and traditional 33 car field in the following order of qualification are Brazilian Ana Beatriz, driving the Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21, Swiss driver, Simona De Silvestro, driving Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing car #78 starting from Row 8/P22, American Danica Patrick, driving the Go Daddy/Andretti Autosport car #7 starting from Row 8/P23, and the woman to qualify for more Indy 500 starting fields of 33 cars than any other woman, American Sarah Fisher, driving the Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21.

Brazilian Ana Beatriz, driving the Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)


Swiss driver, Simona De Silvestro, driving Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing car #78 starting from Row 8/P22. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)


American Danica Patrick, driving the Go Daddy/Andretti Autosport car #7 starting from Row 8/P23. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)


American Sarah Fisher, driving the Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing car #25 starting from Row 7/P21. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

There would have been five women to qualify if IRL regular, Venezuelan Milka Duno had qualified her Citgo/Dale Coyne Racing car #18.

What is a bit more amazing is that these four women qualified for a 33 car field that was separated by only 3.0622 seconds from P1 to P33 (the fastest to the slowest qualifiers) - the field for the 2010 Indy 500 is the closest matched field, by time, in the event's 94-year history. Also, the shortened format for this year's Indy 500 offered new and unique challenges to the 41 entries vying for a spot in the coveted 33 car starting field. This is the first year in modern history that the qualifying format for the legendary race was scaled back to a single weekend, making the challenges of car set-ups, weather conditions and the luck of the draw all crucial factors.

Milka Duno and her Dale Coyne team had only two attempts remaining to bump their way into this year's Indy 500. An average four-lap speed of 223.8mph was needed. Trying twice in the last hour a 223mph flat was the best time that could be generated. Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2010)

We have come a long way since 1977 when Janet Guthrie became the first woman to ever qualify for this grueling test of man (woman) and machine. She was Top Rookie and set set fastest time of day at Indianapolis on May 7 and May 22, 1977. The very next year (1978), her ninth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500, with a team she formed and managed herself, was the best by a woman until 2005 when Danica Patrick was able to post a fourth place finish.

The only other woman to compete at the "Brickyard" was Lyn St. James starting in 1992, qualifying 27th and finishing 11th. She went on to compete in six more Indy 500's qualifying as high as P6 but never bettering or equaling her first finishing experience.

UPDATE:

How They Finished

Pos - Driver - Team - Gap
6. Danica Patrick - Andretti - + 21.7560s
14. Simona de Silvestro - HVM - + 1m01.6745s
21. Ana Beatriz - Dreyer & Reinbold - + 4 laps

Retirements:

Sarah Fisher - Sarah Fisher Racing - 125 laps

... notes from The EDJE