Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Sara Christian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Born: | 1918 | |
| Birthplace: |  Dahlonega, Georgia |
|
| Died: | 1980 | |
| Cause of Death: | Natural causes | |
| Awards: | 1949 United States Drivers Association Woman Driver of the Year
inducted in the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame in 2004 |
|
| NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Statistics | ||
| 7 races run over 2 years. | ||
| Best Cup Position: | 13th - 1949 (Strictly Stock) | |
| First Race: | 1949 Charlotte Speedway (NASCAR's first race) | |
| Last Race: | 1950 Hamburg (NY) Speedway | |
| Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
| 0 | 2 | 0 |
Sara Christian (1918 — 1980) was the first woman driver in NASCAR history.
Contents |
She competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway (not Lowe's Motor Speedway). She qualified 13th in the #71 Ford owned by her husband Frank Christian. She let Bob Flock drive car part way through the race after his engine expired on the 38th lap. He drove the car until it overheated, and finished 14th.
She competed in the second race at the Daytona Beach Road Course on July 10, 1949, and finished 18th. The 28 car field also included Flock's sister Ethel Mobley and Louise Smith which made it the first race to include three woman drivers. Frank also competed in the race, and they became the only married couple to compete in a NASCAR race. Frank finished sixth in his only career start.
She finished sixth at the fourth race at Langhorn Speedway, and became the first woman to earn a Top 10 finish. Race winner Curtis Turner invited Christian to join him in victory lane. Mobley and Smith again competed against Christian in the race, and it was the last NASCAR race to have three women drivers.
She finished fifth at the ninth race at Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The finish was the only Top 5 finish by a woman in NASCAR history [1].
She raced in six of the eight events in the 1949 season, and finished 13th in the final points standings.
She competed in one event in 1950. She finished 14th at the 12th race at the Hamburg (NY) Speedway before she retired.
- She was inducted in the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame in 2004.
- She received the 1949 United States Drivers Association Woman Driver of the Year.