May 30, 2018 3 min read

Memorial Day weekend is my favorite weekend of the year, and it’s not just because it’s the unofficial start to the summer season.

May means it’s time for the Indianapolis 500, and I’ve been fortunate enough to attend it 17 times. That’s nothing compared to some fans who sport T-shirts or buttons touting it’s their 55th Indy 500. I marvel at the changes to the track, cars and drivers through those years.

I remember watching the race (on tape delay) as a child when A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford and Al Unser Sr. were the big names. One brave woman named Janet Guthrie joined the field for the first time ever in 1977, and that fascinated me. Guthrie was the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. Lyn St. James was the next female driver to race in the Indy 500, competing several times starting in 1992. Next came Sarah Fisher, who not only raced nine times at Indy but also became the first female and youngest race team owner in IndyCar. Then came Danica Patrick in 2005. She has led laps at Indy, finished third in 2009 and is the only woman to win an IndyCar race. Danica retired after Sunday’s race, leaving a lasting impression on the sport and on many young girls.

I started thinking about women’s impact on the sport while at the race Sunday. I noticed a young lady who worked for the Verizon IndyCar Series, and I asked about her job. “I’m in tech inspection,” she said. Turns out this bright young woman was a college student at nearby IUPUI studying motorsports engineering. I didn’t even know you could major in that! When I asked how she got interested in auto racing, she looked at me with a smile and said, “Danica Patrick.” It was the first time I’d met someone who’d started a career in racing after being inspired by her. Many young girls started to follow in her footsteps on the track, but there’s also been an infusion of women behind the scenes.

Did you know women reporters weren’t allowed in the pits until 1971? Now, women are race team owners, engineers and pit crew members. The head of Firestone racing on the car side is female, as is the director of events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Meeting that young tech inspector made me smile and remember how badly I wanted to be Terry Bradshaw when I grew up back in the 1970s. My mom broke the news to me that girls didn’t play football. That’s when I made up my mind to follow Howard Cosell and go into broadcasting. My, how times have changed! I admire and envy those female race car drivers and wonder who inspired them as little girls. I’m also eager to see which female drivers make the Indy 500 field next year.

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.