She was born in 1940 to belgium tex rock benedict roque, a cab driver. Shirley muldowney born june 19, 1940, also known professionally as cha cha and the. She was the first woman to receive a license from the national hot rod association nhra to drive a top fuel dragster. Muldowney, of course, cut her racing teeth with street cars, and her corvette was a regular winner at local tracks near the schenectady, n. Rare 2006 doug kalitta, chip foose, mac tools,top fuel dragster 1. She is a threetime nhra top fuel champion, winning in 1977, 1980, and 1982. Shirley muldowney born june 19, 1940, also known professionally as cha cha and the first lady of drag racing, is an american auto racer. Shirley cha cha muldowney drag racing cars, dragsters. He was the first driver to hit 200 mph in an nhra sanctioned event kalitta teamed up with shirley muldowney as the bounty hunter and bounty huntress, in a pair of ford mustangs, hers a buttera chassis, his a logghe. Shirley muldowney born june 19, 1940, also known professionally as cha cha and the first lady of drag racing, is an american race car driver. See more ideas about drag racing, racing and nhra drag racing. Shirley muldowney the queen of drag racing in her own. Before any of them, shirley muldowney smashed through all the barriers to become the first woman to truly excel as a professional racer.
Not only was she the first female drag racer of all time she also won the nhra top fuel championship in 1977, 1980 and 1982, becoming the first person to win two and three top fuel titles. Jon died of a blood clot thursday in springfield, mo. Vintage drag racing shirley muldowney i still have a tshirt representing her dragster from the she was way ahead of her time. Muldowney began street racing in the 1950s in schenectady, new york. Her boyfriend jack muldowney, who had a 51 mercury with a. Shirley was born in 1940s, in the middle of silent generation. Shirley muldowney was the first woman of drag racing, a certifiably macho sport that.
Shirley muldowney bakersfield 1982 championships nhra. Born shirley rocque in schenectady, new york, on june 19, 1940. A threetime nhra top fuel champion, muldowney was, in fact, the first driver to win more than. In 1965, muldowney earned her license to drive nhra top gas dragsters, becoming the first woman to do so in an nhra professional category. She won the nhra top fuel championship in 1977, 1980, and 1982, becoming the first person to win two and three top fuel titles. Shirley muldowney, top fuel, june, 1976, columbus, ohio. He ended the day as the nhra top fuel champion, the first african american driver in. Nhra top fuel champion, shirley muldowney mourns the loss of her son, john muldowney, who passed away at the age of 59 yesterday in springfield, mo. The only son of the drag racing trailblazer and her first husband jack, john muldowney. It was his love of cars that gave her the love of racing the quartermile.
Kalitta was born in michigan, grew up in mount clemens, and was a 1957 graduate of mount clemens high school he raced from the 1950s through the 1990s. Shirley muldowney scores first professional nhra win for. Top fuel driver antron brown started sunday with a losing effort and burned hands. Heart like a wheel is a 1983 biographical film directed by jonathan kaplan2 and based on the life of drag racing driver shirley muldowney. The only son of the drag racing trailblazer and her first husband jack, john muldowney grew up in the middle of the excitement surrounding shirley and her legendary drag racing career. It was jack muldowney who first taught me how to drive a car. Shirley muldowney, at the height of her nhra drag racing career. She once said, there is no room for bimboism in drag racing muldowney took her name from her first husband, jack muldowney. Top fuel driver shirley muldowney, also known as cha cha or the first lady of drag racing, had quite the motorsports career going by 1984. When she was sixteen, she married nineteenyearold jack muldowney, who would build her first dragster. Shirley muldowney race car driver life, age, zodiac. Shirley muldowney biography, life, interesting facts. Legendary nhra driver shirley muldowney to undergo cancer.
Shirley muldowney looking pretty hot a hero in her own right. Shirley muldowney biography birthday, trivia american. Shirley muldowney dropped the use of the nickname chacha, after 1973. Its only fitting that she was the first of her gender to win a. Muldowney, shirley 1940american drag racer who was the first woman to win a national hot rod association event title. She blew open racings gender barrier, survived lifethreatening injuries, and landed in the same honorary society as eleanor roosevelt. When the organization realized that muldowney was delivering packed stands at almost every event she entered, it stopped protesting, and her licensed was approved by three of the biggest names in the sport don garlits, connie kalitta and tommy ivo.
Bedelia for a golden globe award for best actress motion picture drama, and william theiss for an academy award for. When the pair met jack was a local mechanicgas pump jockey as ms. Nhra mello yello series victories by female drivers. Shirley muldowney had to fight harder than any other female in drag racing to gain acceptance. She won the nhra world championship three times, the ihra championship once, and she earned 18 career nhra victories.
Antron brown becomes first africanamerican driver to win. Heart like a wheel is a 1983 biographical film directed by jonathan kaplan and based on the life of drag racing driver shirley muldowney. She married her first husband, 19yearold jack muldowney, when she was 16. Shirley muldowney 1 1940 american race car driver professional drag. John muldowney right with his mother shirley muldowney. Shirley muldowney was the first woman licensed to drive a top fuel dragster in 1973. Muldowney was licensed to drive top fuel dragsters in 1973, but the nhra initially fought this as hard as they fought her initial licensing. Pictured here with her first husband and mechanic jack muldowney in the. John muldowney was the only child of shirley muldowney and her.
It is the top competition series of the nhra, comprising competition in four classes, including top fuel dragster, funny car, pro stock, and pro stock motorcycle. When speaking about female motor racing legends, you can never leave out the name shirley muldowney. Shirley mourns loss of son, john muldowney horsepower. Shirley married jack, who was an amateur racer, at the age 17. It stars bonnie bedelia as shirley muldowney and beau bridges as drag racing driver connie kalitta the film garnered two award nominations. It did put her in the right place to meet jack muldowney, and jack muldowney had a really. John muldowney, the son of drag racing icon shirley muldowney, died of thursday at the age of 59 in springfield, mo. By 1975, shed made her first two nhra final rounds, and in june 1976, became the first woman to win an nhra national event in a pro category by taking top fuel at the springnationals. First top fuel driver to win three nhra national events backtoback. John muldowney was the only child of shirley muldowney and her first husband jack. Shirley, johnny and jack muldowney shirley muldowney, dorothy hamill. American race car driver p rofessional drag racing driver shirley cha cha muldowney is not just good for a girl. The fearless female drag racers of the and female race car driver.
She won the nhra top fuel championship in 1977, 1980, and 1982. Jack muldowney, who not only shared his last name with one of drag racings greatest legends, threetime nhra top fuel world champ shirley muldowney, but more importantly helped launch her career, passed away may 24 of cancer. Nhra legend shirley muldowney speaks out against bernie. Winner of three nhra winston top fuel championships and 18 nhra national events, muldowney helped break the gender barrier in drag racing, laying the path for hundreds of women who followed. He was the the son of the late john and elizabeth muldowney and the brother of the late the son of the late john and elizabeth muldowney. Also known as, first lady of drag racing, muldowney is the first female top fuel dragster driver licensed by the national hot rod association nhra. Shirley muldowney broke onto the circuit in 1965, going on to win three top fuel championships. Shirley, johnny and jack muldowney with images shirley. The nhra mello yello drag racing series is a drag racing series organized by the national hot rod association nhra. Remembering shirley muldowneys 250 mph drag racing crash. John muldowney, son of legend shirley muldowney, dead at 59 april 28, 2017 career highlights 2003.
Fred farndon as the best natural driver top fuel or funny car, no question. She won the nhra top fuel championship in 1977, 1980 and 1982, becoming the first person to win two and three. Shirley cha cha muldowney drag racing cars, dragsters, racing. John muldowney, the son of drag racings threetime nhra top fuel champion shirley muldowney, died of a blood clot thursday in springfield, mo. With top gas losing popularity, muldowney switched to funny car, buying her first car from connie kalitta. Earlier this year, muldowney established the shirleys kids charity to help kids in need. Shes been feted by congress, immortalized by hollywood, and awarded slot number five on nhra s 50 greatest drivers list. Though she was the first woman to accomplish many feats in the sport, many of her records and claims are for the sport as a whole, regardless of gender she is. Doubtless, there were other personal issues as shirley moved in with kalitta in 1972. Shirley won three nhra top fuel world championships, in.
Jack muldowney was a master mechanic who, among his other accomplishments, amassed a stunning 150 race wins at fonda speedway drag strip, where his former wife began her driving career. Jack muldowney bent the tubes and gaswelded together shirleys first. The man who started shirley muldowney on her way to dragracing greatness, jack muldowney, passed away earlier this month due to cancer. Since then, 11 other women female drivers have won nhra event titles in.