The Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation today announced the winners of its Leadership Award, the Mildred Marcum Pioneer Award, the USAC Kara Hendrick Spirit Award, and the Opportunity Award. The honorees were recognized at the Foundation’s 6th annual Women in the Winner’s Circle luncheon held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Foundation presented its inaugural Leadership Award to Director of Ford Racing, Dan Davis. For 11 years, Davis has managed Ford’s North American auto racing programs, including their commitment to furthering grassroots racing efforts and young driver development. In 2005, Davis led the charge to create the Ford Female Driver Development Program, the first time a manufacturer created a program to identify and develop young female talent. Through this ongoing program, women are provided opportunities and resources to help them reach the winner’s circle. Ford Racing has a long history in developing diverse driver talent. Ford was an early supporter of Lyn St. James’ road racing career in the 1980s, as well as a supporter of prominent African-American driver Willy T. Ribbs’ road racing career in that same time frame. Currently they are supporting the racing efforts of Stephanie Mockler and Alison MacLeod in the USAC Midgets Series.
The Foundation also recognized Paul Newman and Newman’s Own Foundation for being the inaugural partner in Project Podium, the Foundation’s matching grant program. Thanks to Newman’s support and leadership, Project Podium awarded grants last month to five young women drivers to help further their careers.
The 4th annual Mildred Marcum Pioneer Award was presented posthumously to two individuals: Sara Christian and Louise Smith. This award was created to honor Mildred Marcum, who co-founded the ARCA Re/Max Series in 1953 in Toledo Ohio, and who represents what it takes to be successful in racing: show up, work hard, love what you’re doing, and be the best at what you do.
On June 19, 1949, Sara Christian became the first woman driver in NASCAR history. Three weeks later, in her second race, she competed in the first field to feature three women drivers and she competed against her husband, Frank, making them the only married couple to compete in a NASCAR race. Through seven races in 1949 and 1950, Christian had two Top 10 finishes. In 1949, she was named United States Drivers’ Association Woman Driver of the Year, and was inducted into the Georgia Automotive Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. She passed away in 1980.
Louise Smith was known as “the first lady of racing,” winning 38 races in her career. She started her career on local short tracks in 1945. On July 10, 1949, she began racing in NASCAR, competing in the first stock car race she ever saw and driving in the first race to include three women – Louise Smith, Sara Christian and Ethel Mobley. She stopped racing in 1956, but returned to the industry in 1971 to sponsor cars for drivers on their way up. In 1999, she became the first woman inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Smith passed away on April 15, 2006.
Previous winners of the Mildred Marcum Pioneer Award are: Mildred Marcum (2005) Barbara Parks (2006) and Denise McCluggage (2007).
The USAC Kara Hendrick Spirit Award honors a woman driver whose spirit, determination and driving ability are reminiscent of the excellence demonstrated by Kara Hendrick during her brief career. This year’s honoree is 19-year old Alison MacLeod. Since stepping foot into her first go-kart at age seven, MacLeod’s passion in life has been to go racing. Graduating from 4-cycle sprint karts to 80cc shifter karts by age 11 MacLeod proved she was not just a competitor but also a champion. By 2004 MacLeod racked up numerous championships and caught the attention of Ford Racing as an up-and-coming competitor. She was given the opportunity to showcase her talent in the Ford Racing Sponsored Driver Development Program managed and operated by open wheel car builder Bob East, of B. East chassis. Competing in the USAC Ford Focus division Alison scored her first victory in 2005, just 3-weeks after her 16th birthday. The 2007 season included a win in Plymouth, IN, and set her on the path for 2008 to tackle the USAC Regional Midget series.
Previous winners of the USAC Kara Hendrick Spirit Award are: Sarah McCune (2003), Erin Crocker (2004), Sondi Eden (2005), Melanie Troxel (2006), and Stephanie Mockler (2007).
The Opportunity Award was developed to honor racing teams, race Series and sponsors that create significant opportunities for women drivers to excel within the industry. The 2008 honorees are: Bob East for providing opportunities in the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series; Jim Jordan, Mazda for providing opportunities in the Mazda Ladder Series; Sam Schmidt Motorsports for providing opportunities to Ana Beatriz, Mike Ashley/Roger Burgess for providing opportunities to Melanie Troxel, Newman Wachs Racing for providing opportunities to Simona De Silvestro, Jon Lewis, American Spirit Racing for providing opportunities to Cyndie Allmann, and Erin Crocker for providing opportunities in the Tobias SpeedSTR Series, Kalitta Motorsports for providing opportunities to Hillary Will, Golden State Racing for providing opportunities to Kristin Bumbera.
Previous winners include: Evernham Motorsports; Rahal Letterman Racing; Richard Childress Racing; Bobby Hamilton Racing; Frank Pedegron Racing; Don Schumacher Racing; Roush Racing; and Harold Matthews.
The final television ratings are in for the six (6) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races broadcast nationally on TNT this summer and the June 8th Pocono 500 from Pocono Raceway had the highest rating of all the TNT races. The Pocono 500 drew a 4.6 cable rating, up 28 percent over the 2007 race. It was the only TNT race that showed an increase over 2007 with the other five races showing flat or negative ratings.
The 2008 Pocono 500 was the number one sporting event on cable and the # 3 sporting event televised that weekend. An average of 4.4 million TV households and 6.1 million viewers tuned in to the Pocono 500.
Pocono Raceway’s next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 set for this, August 1-3, weekend. Action begins this Friday August 1 with ARCA and NASCAR practice followed by ARCA qualifying at 1:45 p.m. and NASCAR qualifying at 3:40 p.m. Additional NASCAR practice and the Pennsylvania 200 ARCA RE/MAX race headline Saturday racing activities.
Gates open on Sunday August 3 at 9 a.m. with pre-race activities beginning at 11:30 a.m. Driver introduction is set for 1:30 p.m. with the start of the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 set for 2 p.m.
Children 12 and under (accompanied by an adult) are admitted free to the grandstands on Friday and Saturday and are admitted free to the infield the entire weekend.
Tickets for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 weekend are still available by calling 1-800 RACEWAY (1-800-722-3929) or by visiting www.poconoraceway.com
Office Depot and Old Spice will serve as co-primary sponsors of Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet Impala SS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry beginning in 2009. Officials from the two companies, as well as from Stewart-Haas Racing, made the announcement today near Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
NASCAR still has a lot of fires to put out. We’ve mentioned a bunch of them previously. Now, there’s even more with the Goodyear tire problems at Indianapolis (Brickyard 400) last weekend, which the tire manufacturer claims, is due to the new COT. The results were a mutual embarrassment for both NASCAR and Goodyear. Also, with Toyota running away with a bunch of races in the Cup Series, NASCAR has mandated that the manufacturer reduce some 15 horsepower from their engines. With those two new ones, Brian France, CEO of NASCAR, has an overflowing plate of things that need to be resolved.
Yes, She REALLY Said That -Danica Patrick, on her confrontation with Milka Duno at Mid-Ohio. “Unfortunately, things involving me tend to evolve. I’m on the hot seat when I do something and when others do something (regarding her). It’s kind of the line that I walk because I’m popular.” This came from last weekend’s Valvoline Track Talk Newsletter.
Let’s see what’s doing for motorsports on the tube this weekend. On Friday it’s F1 Practice from Hungary on Speed at 8 a.m. Speed returns at noon with Sprint Cup Practice from Pocono. ESPN2 kicks in at 2 p.m. with the Nationwide Series Practice from Montreal. ESPN2 returns at 3:30 p.m. with NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying from Pocono. Speed comes back at 8 p.m. with the Grand-Am Rolex event from Montreal, SDD.
Saturday has an early start with Speed/TSN offering F1 Qualifying from Hungary. The Duce offers NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice from Pocono at 10 a.m. More Nationwide Practice from Montreal airs on ESPN/TSN at 12:30 p.m. At 3:30 p.m. ESPN/TSN/RDS all offer the NASCAR Nationwides Series race from Montreal. Speed returns at 6 p.m. with the AMA Super Bike action, Round 1, from Mid-Ohio at 6 p.m.
Sunday is reasonably busy with the GP2 Championship event from Hungary at 6 a.m. on Speed followed by the F1 event from Hungary. At 2 p.m. ESPN/TSN both air the NASCAR Sprint Cup race from Pocono and it’s Round 2 of the AMA Superbikes from Mid-Ohio at 6 pm. on Speed, SDD. (END)
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