Challenging Stereotypes: Female Athletes Excelling in the Male-Dominated NASCAR World

There is a reason why gender equality is so strongly promoted around the globe. Over time, the female population has only gotten stronger with their skillset and eagerness to be involved in everything. While the same has been noticed in sports, it isn’t quite different when it comes to NASCAR.

In a male-dominated NASCAR world, the presence of female athletes is only increasing with time. Rightly so, why should boys have all the fun? Jokes aside, it is imperative for female athletes to be recognized. While slowly but surely they are getting that attention, these are positive signs for the future of NASCAR.

Are There Any Female Drivers In NASCAR?

Ever since its inception 75 years ago, NASCAR has had at least 125 women qualify for and start a race. Unfortunately, not many of them have done it on a full-time basis. Having said that, NASCAR’s Driver for Diversity program has played a big role in encouraging and luring female drivers to take part in the sport.

Some of the notable female athletes in NASCAR have been Sara Christian, Janet Guthrie, Shawna Robinson, Danica Patrick, Hailie Deegan, and many more. While many young female drivers are currently involved in the sport, it is important to acknowledge those who have already made it big in NASCAR.

Meet the Top Female Drivers

In recent times, there are a few female athletes who have impressed plenty and made a name for themselves in NASCAR. Without a doubt, one of those names includes Danica Patrick. Having retired now, Patrick remains one of the best female athletes to grace a NASCAR track.

Amazingly, she has 191 Cup Series races to her name with seven top-10 finishes to show. While that was an impressive achievement, nothing beats the proud moment when he won the pole position in the qualifying race of the Daytona 500. By doing so, Patrick became the first-ever woman to achieve this feat.

In the main race, she finished in the eighth position which is also the highest finishing position for a woman in the “Great American Race”.

Patrick’s heroics in the IndyCar series are also well-known but it is her time in NASCAR which gave her much more recognition. Another name that cannot be currently ignored is that of Hailie Deegan. The 22-year-old started her NASCAR career in 2018 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. By registering race wins in 2018 and 2019, she became the first-ever female driver to do so in the West Series.

From there on, Deegan has only gone on to progress in her career and is seen participating in the Craftsman Truck Series. In 62 races so far, she has earned four top-10 finishes as she continues her way up the ladder. Other than Deegan, another young female driver who has looked impressive is Natalie Decker.

The 26-year-old has been breaking records throughout her career. She became the first-ever female racer to earn a podium finish in the ARCA Midwest Tour. She competed part-time in the Truck Series in 2020 with Niece Motorsports as she started off the season with a fifth-position finish at Daytona. Hopefully, with time, she is more frequently seen in NASCAR’s top series.

Some Notable Drivers in NASCAR History

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While some female drivers have gained popularity this decade, many others make it big before the 20th century.

Despite female drivers doing well, there are some glaring issues at hand.

Gender Disparities in NASCAR: Unraveling the Lack of Female Drivers

All said and done, the NASCAR world still requires more female drivers to make it more competitive. Realistically speaking, while it is an interesting prospect, it is not an easy journey for most females. There are plenty of issues coming their way before they have a chance to show their talent on the track.

Primarily, not all parents are open to the prospect of their daughters taking racing as a career option. Instead, many would willingly allow their sons to do so. While that is a stereotypical problem, hopefully with time, more parents would learn and encourage their daughters to explore this opportunity.

For most racers, their NASCAR journey starts by entering the world of go-karting. It is the foundation for any racer aspiring to become a motorsport driver. Over time, there is a small increase in the number of females who have joined the go-karting arena, the number isn’t quite enough to make it significant.

Naturally, if more female drivers are present, young females aspiring to join NASCAR will have more role models to choose from. There is no denial about the greatness of the already present role models but the prospect of having more options is certainly more tempting.

READ MORE – Hailie Deegan Reveals the “Big Struggle” of Being a Female Racing Driver as She Talks About the “Very Different” Treatment From Men

Another big reason for female athletes not being motivated to join NASCAR or as a matter of fact, any motorsport racing, is the lack of sponsors. While there is a slight stereotypical reason for the unavailability of sponsors, the attitude needs to change from the roots. Should the body proactively encourage more female drivers, others associated with the sport will be left with no other choice.

Regardless, prompt actions and an unorthodox approach will help the cause.

Female NASCAR Drivers Share Struggles in Male-Dominated Sport

Irrespective of the gender of a driver, the primary struggle is getting an appropriate amount of funding to participate in NASCAR. New young sensation Toni Breidinger highlighted it while speaking to ABC News. She said, “It’s great that men and women can compete in NASCAR. But I think that inequality is still there and it kind of stems off of the fact that we are lacking on funding,”

While funding is a challenge, getting the appropriate respect has also been a challenge for female drivers. Natalie Decker recently explained these types of obstacles. She said, “It’s really difficult to gain respect, be trusted and for someone to really understand that you know what you’re doing. And that’s difficult coming into the sport with little funding and maybe not a lot of seat time. When you’re new and then you’re also a woman on top of that? There’s so many obstacles.”

Last but not least, having a role model has equally been important for young female racers. Canadian driver Amber Balcaen explained the importance of this. She said, “When I saw Danica Patrick in the Cup Series, that made me believe that I could somehow, someday be in the Cup series. It’s a lot easier when you see that it’s been done before for you to believe in yourself to achieve that as well.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Does Hailie Deegan Deserve a NASCAR Seat Despite Her Hopelessly Terrible 2023 Run?

In a nutshell, there are plenty of obstacles for a female driver to overcome. However, with a strong initiative from everyone involved, the future could see the male-dominated sport see more female participants and narrow the gap.