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Janet Guthrie, 'First Lady' of the Indy 500

NPR | By Steve Inskeep
Published May 27, 2005 at 12:00 AM EDT
Janet Guthrie became the first woman to compete at the Indy 500 in 1977.
Janet Guthrie became the first woman to compete at the Indy 500 in 1977.

The running of the 89th Indianapolis 500 this weekend boasts only the fourth woman ever to qualify for the legendary race, driver Danica Patrick.

Steve Inskeep talks with Janet Guthrie, who broke the gender barrier at Indianapolis in 1977 when she became the first woman to compete in America's premier auto race.

She recently published a new book about her experiences, Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Steve Inskeep
Steve Inskeep is a host of NPR's Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.
See stories by Steve Inskeep
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