Shirley Muldowney
#196,218 Most Popular
About
Female racing pioneer who was dubbed the "First Lady of Drag Racing" and nicknamed "Cha Cha"; the first woman given a license by the NHRA.
Before Fame
She skipped school to race up and down the streets of Schenectady, New York, saying that's all she wanted to do growing up.
Trivia
Her racing career was sidelined in 1984 after a crash left her with injuries to her hands, pelvis, and legs; she eventually returned to the tracks later in the decade and continued racing until 2003.
Family Life
She married her first husband, 19-year-old Jack Muldowney, when she was 16; he built her first dragster.
Associated With
She was played by Bonnie Bedelia in the 1983 movie about her life, "Heart Like a Wheel."
