Who Was Sara Christian – NASCAR’s First Ever and Best Finishing Woman Driver in Its 75 Years History

It’s not every day that a woman dons a firesuit and a helmet to take a seat behind the wheel. The last time a woman did and that sent furor in the racing community was back in 2017 when Danica Patrick flaunted her Go Daddy-sponsored racing suit. It’s been a long time since, and the sport is yet to find its next Patrick, or perhaps the next women’s driver, in NASCAR’s premier series.

While Patrick may have been the last one to match the strides of her male counterparts and outmaneuver them on the track, she was the first woman to bedazzle the tracks of NASCAR. The scepter of which goes to Sara Christian, the first woman to race in NASCAR. The name might not ring a bell to many, but her records are sure to enthrall racing enthusiasts.

NASCAR’s first women paved way for the future female drivers

If one glances into the paddocks of NASCAR during the racing weekends in its long 75 years, one will be able to discern the glaring absence of females. Males have crowded the NASCAR garage areas, excluding the better halves of the drivers. Call it gender discrepancy or simply the lack of diversification of the sport, NASCAR is yet to make a stride in providing a platform for aspiring female drivers.

However, to juxtapose there are names like Hailie Deegan and Toni Breidiner trying to break the glass ceiling and carve their path in a male-dominated sport. Amidst these women who have tried to make a difference in the sport, the flagbearer among them who paved the way for the future was Sara Christian. Hailed as one of the ultimate pioneers of the sport, Christian was the first woman to compete in the Winston Cup Series at Charlotte Speedway in 1949. 

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To turn back the pages of history, Sara Christian along with her husband Frank Christian who also served as the driver’s team owner and crew chief, appeared on the track of Charlotte as the only female driver amongst the thirty-three drivers qualifying 13th. However, the car was driven to the start-finish line by Bob Flock as a relief driver after Flock’s car suffered an engine problem. Nonetheless, Christian finished 14th in the race.

The turning point in Christian’s career was her appearance on the half-mile dirt track of Heidelberg, in October 1949. The driver in the inaugural season of the Cup Series notched a fifth-place finish, which remains the highest to date. Sara Christian in the 1949 Cup Series raced in six of the eight races and finished 13th in the points standings.

The Christian couple marks history together in Daytona Beach

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What remains remarkable in the driver’s illustrious career, was the unconditional support from her team owner and husband, as well as fellow driver Frank Christian. The couple competed as drivers in 1949’s 40-lap Daytona event.

While Mrs. Christian finished 18th in the race driving the Ford, her husband ended the race in the sixth position driving the Oldsmobile. Moreover, this marked the only instance in the history of NASCAR of a husband and wife competing against each other on the old Daytona Beach and Road Course.

To add to the records, Sara Christian was touted as “America’s No.1 driver” during the souvenir program in the 1949 season finale. Nevertheless, the driver and her husband were later inducted into Georgia’s Hall of Fame for their illustrious career.

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These instances reinforce that, there is no domain where women are lacking. With the gendered narrative on the verge of being changed, it will be interesting to see whether new female faces foray into the sport.