By They say you never forget the firsts. Whether it be someone’s first steps, their first day of school, or in this case, the first woman driver to ever compete in a NASCAR race, firsts are always the most special moments, no matter what comes after.
That is why this iteration of the celebration of the influential women drivers in NASCAR history focuses on Sara Christian.
Christian is the ultimate pioneer, not just of women in NASCAR, but of all NASCAR drivers throughout history. You see, Christian competed in the first ever NASCAR race all the way back in 1949. On June 19, 1949, she finished in 14th place out of a field of 33 cars at Charlotte Speedway.
NASCAR Career
Christian would go on to run just six more races in her NASCAR career, but within those six races, there was a lot of success that would start NASCAR on the path to becoming a suitable environment for not just men, but women as well. In her brief time in the sport, she proved that she was fully capable of hanging with the best of the best in the sport.
In the inaugural 1949 NASCAR season, Christian would go on to finish 13th in the final standings despite only running in six of the eight races that year. To this day, that is the best points finish by a woman in NASCAR Cup Series history.
She also managed to achieve two top ten finishes in that 1949 season, one of which was a top five finish. That top five finish, a fifth-place effort at Heidelberg Raceway, still stands today as the best finish by a woman driver in NASCAR Cup Series history, besting sixth place efforts by both Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.
After the 1949 season, Christian would go on to run just one more race in her career. On August 27, 1950, Christian finished 14th at Hamburg Speedway in her final career race.
While her career in racing was short, Christian gained much acclaim for her time in the sport. In 1949, she was named the Woman Driver of the Year by the United States Drivers Association. Then, in 2004, 24 years after she passed, she was named to the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame.
The Path Christian Took to Get to NASCAR
The latter honor is a significant one for the legendary racer, as Christian was born in Dahlonega, Georgia on August 25, 1918. This is a significant date in history, as it is the day that one of the most remarkable women in all of sports history started on her path to become a racer.
This path eventually took a pit stop before she made her way to the NASCAR scene, as legend has it that she was showing off her skills behind the wheel long before running with NASCAR’s best.
Her path first took her through the legendary Looper’s Speedway. While the speedway is now completely submerged under Lake Lanier, in 1949 it was the site of a historic day in racing history. On that fateful day in 1949, everyone saw Christian not only win the pole, but then proceed to win her heat race and then eventually the feature over a field of some of the top male drivers in the country at the time.
It was in this event where everybody truly saw the talent that Christian had behind the wheel on a firsthand account, especially her competitors on that fateful day, as after that race, her next would be at the NASCAR level.
The Other Christian
When she did get to NASCAR, it was a family affair, as she mainly drove a car owned by her husband and fellow Georgia native, Frank Christian. Her husband also happens to be a NASCAR pioneer in his own right, as he is one of the first premier NASCAR team owners in the history of the sport.
In fact, Frank even got behind the wheel for one race on July 10, 1949, finishing sixth in his only career start. With Sara also in the field, they became the first married couple to ever compete against each other in a NASCAR race, that is until Patty Moise and Elton Sawyer raced against one another on numerous occasions many years later.
That race was also notable for another reason, as Ethel Mobley and Louise Smith were also in that race, which made it the first race to include three woman drivers. While the three women would race each other again later that year, after that there would not be another race with three women entered until 1977.
Her Legacy
This goes to show how much of a barrier that Sara Christian was able to break through, as she entered the spot far before it even seemed possible.
It would not be until many years later when another woman driver would make her way into the sport and make the same level of impact in the sport that Sara Christian had, if that is even possible. Likely, it is not, as Christian is not just any sports pioneer.
She is the ultimate pioneer, not just of women in NASCAR, but of all NASCAR drivers throughout history.
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