GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 4) — NHRA legend Shirley Muldowney will serve as the Honorary Starter for the 47th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 18-20 at Gainesville Raceway.
“I’m honored that Amalie thought of me and I’m really excited to get back out to the races and see all the fans and my buddies in the pits,” Muldowney said. “Who doesn’t want to visit Florida for spring break? It’ll be fun.”
Muldowney’s grit and determination helped pave the way for the current generation of female superstars, like two-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, one of Muldowney’s favorite drivers. Muldowney herself was a true pioneer, as she was the first woman to earn a Top Fuel license, to win a national event, and to win a championship in any form of professional motorsports.
“Amalie is so happy that Shirley Muldowney has agreed to be the Honorary Starter for the 47th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals,” said Amalie Sr. Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing Dennis J. Madden. “Shirley represents all that is good about NHRA racing. To be sure, she was one of the people to help drag racing become the sport it is today and she is still a huge presence in the sport. We are happy that Amalie and Shirley have had such a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
Muldowney is a three-time Top Fuel champion, teaming with Amalie Motor Oil for her 1977 and 1980 titles and for numerous national event victories. She’s also a two-time winner of the Gatornationals, winning at Gainesville Raceway in 1981 and 1982.
“I had a great partnership with Amalie,” Muldowney said. “I really loved my time with them, and our relationship was better than it had to be, just like their slogan says. Amalie really worked in our race cars. I swore by it.”
In addition to her duties as Honorary Starter, Muldowney will make several appearances during the weekend, including numerous autograph sessions at the PiranaZ merchandise trailer.
Muldowney became the first woman to earn an NHRA Top Fuel license in 1965, and a year later she became the first woman to win an NHRA national event when she won in Stock at the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.
She became the first woman to win in Top Fuel when she reached the winner’s circle in Columbus, Ohio, in 1976. She won Top Fuel championships in 1977, 1980, and 1982.
Muldowney and Lucille Lee were the first two women to meet in a Top Fuel final in 1982, a mark recently matched by Leah Pritchett and Brittany Force in Phoenix.
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