By Brenda Williams
The words traditionally used to start the Indianapolis 500 are "Gentlemen, start your engines." However, in 1977 those words changed. The word gentlemen by no means referred to deportment. Rather, it indicated gender. And, in 1977 unlike all years previous, not all of the starters were men as Janet Guthrie, a female race driver, had qualified for the Indy 500. So the announcement heard over the loud speaker was: "In company with the first lady ever to qualify at Indianapolis – gentlemen, start your engines." This was a moment in history for the Indy 500.
Janet Guthrie was born on March 7, 1938 in Iowa City, Iowa. She was the oldest of five children. When she was three years old, her father became employed as a pilot for Eastern Airlines and the family relocated to Miami, Florida. When Guthrie was seventeen years old she completed a pilot training course and obtained her license. She was employed as a commercial pilot and flight instructor prior to graduating from college. She did receive a bachelor's in physics from the University of Michigan in 1960. Following her graduation she accepted a job with Republic Aviation as an aerospace engineer.
She also applied for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's original Scientist-Astronaut program. After passing the first round of eliminations, she was rejected, as she did not have a Ph.D. In the interim, Janet had purchased a Jaguar XK120 with the intent of making it a race car. After disassembling and reassembling the engine, she started competing in auto races. She won two Sports Car Club of America races in 1964 and finished the New York Watkins Glen 500 in sixth place. Gradually her interest changed from aerospace to racing.
In 1976 she scored a real victory when she was the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup race. She tried for the Indianapolis 500 but did not qualify. However, she did attract the attention of Rolla Vollstedt who engaged her as second driver at the 1977 qualifying trials. Guthrie qualified and entered the race but was forced to retire early due to engine trouble. The following year she entered once more and this time she claimed 9th place out of thirty-three starters. She continued to race with impressive results. She was the first woman to enter the Daytona 500 and claimed twelfth place.
She ran her last major race in 1979, finishing fifth in the Milwaukee 200. She was forced to give up racing, as she didn't have the funds to continue. According to Guthrie, it is more difficult for a woman to obtain corporate sponsorship than for a man and corporate sponsorship is a basic requirement to survive in the sport. In 1989, Guthrie married Warren Levine. They now live in Colorado and she has written a book about her racing career entitled, 'Lady and Gentlemen.' In 1980, Guthrie was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame. Her driver's suit and helmet reside today in the Smithsonian Institute. She still keeps up with the sport and continues to encourage women drivers.
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