Top 16 Best Female NASCAR Drivers

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Top 16 Best Female NASCAR Drivers!!! In the male-dominated sport of car racing, some women have chosen this sport as their career, proved they can compete, and even won the pole position. These female racers are setting an example for the females of the next generation who aspire to pursue racing as their career.

Are you looking for fast and fabulous women in the racing field? Then, keep on reading our list of best female NASCAR drivers.

Hailie Deegan, American Motorsports Racing Driver
Hailie Deegan, American Motorsports Racing Driver (Source: The Tennessean)

Stereotypically, women’s driving skills are a standing joke, among others. People tend to assume women lack physical strength and have no sense of road and direction. Therefore, they believe women can’t drive, let alone race.

But here we have brought you 16 Best Female NASCAR Drivers who prove they are here to change the stereotype. These women have made history in their field and continue to do so. 

Quick Overview

Before we get to know the drivers better, let us look at an overview of the list. 

Name Country
Jennifer Jo Cobb United States
Tammy Jo Kirk United States
Tina Gordon United States
Erin Crocker United States
Kim Crosby United States
Angela Cope United States
Danica Patrick United States
Hailie Deegan United States
Dominique Van Wieringen Canada
Johanna Long United States
Shawna Robinson United States
Patty Moise United States
Gracie Trotter United States
Natalie Decker United States
Brittney Zamora United States
Tony Breidinger United States

16 Best Female NASCAR Drivers Of All Time

This isn’t a rank-based list. We believe these NASCAR drivers are the best in their way and working their way up to the top. More power to them!

#Jennifer Jo Cobb

We shall talk about Jennifer Jo Cobb on our list of top female NASCAR drivers. Born in 1973, Cobb has been an active name in the industry.

She started her career in 2004 through the Xfinity Series, making 27 total starts.

jennifer-in-driven-2-honor-program
Jennifer In Driven 2 Honor Program (Source: U.S. Army)

Moreover, she finished in 29th position back in 2011, which is also her best. In 2008 at the Camping World Truck, Jennifer made her debut and had 92 starts in total.

However, she is still a racer to watch out for who drives for a team named after Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing and competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

She recently competed in the 2022 Baptist Health 200 (Homestead). Her 2022 racing stats: 31.00 average starts and 32.00 average finish while not finishing once in pole position.

#Tammy Jo Kirk

Born and raised in Georgia, Tammy started as a racer in the Xfinity series in 2003. There she made 15 starts and ended up in the 45th position.

In 1997, Kirk raced for the Camping World Truck Series and finished in the twentieth position. She also won the Snowball Derby in 1994.

In her career in the NASCAR Xfinity series, she appeared in 15 races in just a year and 32 races in the Camping World Truck.

Tammy Jo Kirk smiling
Tammy Jo Kirk NASCAR Racer (Source: Wikimedia)

Kirk’s last race in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was the 1998 Sam’s Town 250 (Las Vegas), and in NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 2003 Ford 300 (Homestead).

As of 2024, Tammy is happily retired, making her living as a motorcycle dealer, and has a net worth of $1.5 million.

#Tina Gordon

Born in 1969, Tina Gordon is one of the top female NASCAR drivers in history. Her love for racing began in her husband Gary’s short-track stock car.

In 1998, her full-time career as a racer began, and she flourished to the NASCAR Pro series by 1999.

Her first race was at the 2003 Florida Dodge Dealers, and her last was at the 2004 Infineon 200.

She drove the #10 Sticks N Stuff Chevy for Davis Motorsports at Talladega in 2004. She finished 28th even though she started 42nd.

Tina Gordon On Her Phone
Tina Gordon On Her Phone (Source: Briefly News)

Tina also entered for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2003. She retired from racing in 2005 after being released by Jay Robinson Racing.

Besides, she runs Tina’s Dream Ranch business and is also politically active. She announced to run for the District position on the Cherokee County, Alabama Commission post in 2008.

#Erin Crocker

Born in Massachusetts, Erin started in the NASCAR field in 2005, where she had ten starts and received the 67th-best finish the following year.

In 2005, she also raced in the Camping World Truck, where she made 29 starts in total.

She earned many accolades, including Quarter Midgets of the American Female Driver of the Year continuously from 1993 to 1995 and the Knoxville award for Best Rookie in 2003. 

Erin Mary Crocket Evernham
Erin Mary Crocket Evernham (Source: MassLive.com)

Although Erin never competed in the Sprint Cup, she made history as the top Female NASCAR Driver of all time.

Her last races for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series were in the 2005 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond) and 2008 San Bernardino County 200 (Fontana), respectively.

Erin Mary Crocker Evernham married former boss/team owner, Ray Evernham, on August 26, 2009. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, Cate Susan Evernham, on July 25, 2015.

You can check out her Instagram, where she keeps posting pictures of her family.

#Kim Crosby

Kim Crosby, born in 1964, is 59 years old talented NASCAR female driver who has won 10 races over three years.

Before starting her career as a racer, she was a principal of a Louisiana Middle School, where she ended her tenure in 2004, leading to her first race in 2004 at Aaron’s 312.

She signed with Black Cat Racing the same year but ended her ties with the racing team during Speedweeks. Then she started working for GIC-Mixon in 2005.

Kim Crosby
Kim Crosby (Source: WBKR)

Her last race for NASCAR Xfinity Series was in the 2006 AT&T 250 (Milwaukee). She was listed as one of the drivers for the #15 truck for Billy Ballew Motorsports as a teammate to Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck.

#Angela Cope

Born and raised in Washington, Angela Cope is one of this time’s most famous NASCAR drivers. Cope made her debut in NASCAR through the Xfinity Series back in 2011.

She managed to grab the 55th position in her debut season, making her a solid contender to watch out for.

Cope had a total of one start and achieved her record of World Truck Series at the Camping World Truck in 2010, where she finished in 111th place.

Angela Cope Inside Her Truck
Angela Cope Inside Her Truck (Source: Wikipedia)

She made her debut in NASCAR Xfinity Series in the 2011 Iowa John Deere Dealers 250 (Iowa), and her last race was in the 2018 Ford EcoBoost 300 (Homestead).

She was 42nd in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2020 and her best finish was 31st in 2019.

Similarly, her first race in this series was in the 2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville), and her last was in the 2020 Vankor 350 (Texas).

#Danica Patrick

A former NASCAR driver, Danica Patrick is one of the most successful women in open-wheel race history. She bagged the 2008 Indy Japan 300, the only woman in the scene.

Born and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, her go-karting fascination started at the age of 10, and it only grew further.

Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick In 2019 Camping World 500 (Source: Wikimedia)

Patrick bagged numerous winnings in the auto racing field, including the IndyCar, NASCAR Cup, Indianapolis 500, and Daytona 500. Some of her other awards are the 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie and the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Although now retired, Danica has successfully won 191 races in seven years of her racing career.

Patrick removed the implants after having them for seven years and opened up about her breast implant and her struggles after that in May 2022.

#Hailie Deegan

Hailie Deegan, born and raised in Temecula, California, is a 22 years old female NASCAR driver to have dominated the scene.

Deegan debuted in 2018 through NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and has 18 wins in just under three years.

She made history by being the first female driver to win West Series races in 2018 and 2019.

Hailee Deegan
NASCAR Driver Hailee Deegan (Source: Wikimedia)

Her passion for racing began at the tender age of 7, inspired by her father, Brian Deegan. But it was in 2016 she shifted towards asphalt races and made her asphalt professional debut in 2017.

In 2016, she became a NASCAR Drive for Diversity team member and got awarded a Young Racer category prize.

In 2018, Hailee started driving full-time and won the West Series Championship, making history. Deegan also has a family YouTube channel called The Deegan’s, where she posts her everyday life and beyond.

She received the most popular driver award in THE 2021 and 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Hailee debuted for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2020 Clean Harbors 200 (Kansas) and 2022 Alsco Uniforms 302 (Las Vegas), respectively.

Deegan made her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on October 4, 2022, in the SS-Green Light Racing at Las Vegas. She also shared a car with Briscoe for the Michelin Pilot Challenge at Daytona.

#Dominique Van Wieringen

Dominique Van Wieringen is a Canadian stock car racer who last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards for Rette Jones Racing.

Born in Ontario, she got her degree in Mechanical Engineering. The Canadian racer bagged her first win at the Spartan Speedway in Mason.

Dominique won Super Late Model Track Champion in 2012 Springport Motor Speedway Outlaw. She also became the first woman to win the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race in 2013 (Lucas Oil).

Canadian Stock Car Racing Driver, Dominique Van Wieringen
Canadian Stock Car Racing Driver, Dominique Van Wieringen (Source: Instagram)

Moving forward in her career, after concluding the 2016 NASCAR K&N, she debuted at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2020, she competed at the ARCA’s Daytona.

#Johanna Long

Johanna Robbins (nee Long) was born on May 26, 1992, and is a historical name in NASCAR history.

She started loving racing karts at 5 and started to race at the age of 8. As her father used to run late models, Long got her inspiration from him.

A Professional Stock Car Racer, Johanna Robbins
A Professional Stock Car Racer, Johanna Robbins (Source: AL.com)

At the age of 12, she progressed to Legends car races. Then in 2009, she debuted in NASCAR races, namely ASA Late Model Series, ARCA, and more.

During the Camping World Races of 2010, Long was booked to race only three races but ended up racing seven. She also won the 2010 Snowball Derby.

Robbins debuted for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010 AAA Insurance 200 (IRP), and her last race for this series was in 2011 Winstar World Casino 350k (Texas).

In 2011, she started driving the No. 20 Toyota, owned by her family. Then in 2015, Long joined Obika Racing.

#Shawna Robinson

Born and raised in Iowa, now retired, Robinson started her racing career at the Spring Cup Series in 1995. However, she officially started racing in 1993 from the Xfinity Series and then made her Camping World Truck debut in 2003.

During her NASCAR Xfinity Series career, she finished once in the pole position and once in the top ten.

In addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde, and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series.

Robinson Signing Autographs For Her Fans
Robinson Signing Autographs For Her Fans (Source: ESPN)

Shawna is among the top 16 females competing in the NASCAR Cup. Robinson is known as a competent racer who left a legacy in the male-dominated industry.

After being diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Robinson underwent several treatments and finally became cancer-free in 2015.

#Patty Moise

Patricia Moise-Sawyer is a former NASCAR driver born on December 29, 1960, and is married to a former fellow NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer.

Making her Sprint Cup debut in 1987, the Jacksonville superstar Patty Moise-Sawyer is one of the 16 best female NASCAR drivers in history.

She started racing by driving road course races at the age of 16 in the IMSA series.

Patricia made her debut in Busch Series in 1986 (Road Atlanta), driving the no.47 Buck Regal for Randy Hope.

Patricia Moise-Sawyer, A Former NASCAR Driver
Patricia Moise-Sawyer, A Former NASCAR Driver (Source: Twitter)

She had further raced at the Xfinity Series and Road Atlanta in 1986. From 1987 to 1989, Moise has driven in 5 Winston Cup races.

Patty appeared in 133 races from 1986 to 1998 for Busch Series. Her last race was in 1998, and she is now happily retired, leaving her legacy behind.

#Gracie Trotter

Born August 27, 2001, Gracie Trotter is the 2nd female to win a West Series Race. Starting with her love for go-karting at the tender age of 8, she later progressed to competing in legends cars.

In 2007, she earned the title of the first female driver to win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Young Lions division.

Gracie Trotter
Gracie Trotter (Source: Twitter)

Then in 2018, Trotter was chosen as one of the 12 racers for NASCAR’S Drive for Diversity. Later, she was signed by Rev Racing for 2019 and 2020.

She finished 3rd in the 2020 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. On January 14, 2020, she signed for Bill McAnally Racing in the ARCA Menards Series West.

In September, Trotter became the 4th woman to win a late model race at Hickory Motor Speedway.

For the 2021 ARCA Menards Series, Grace decided to compete part-time, driving No. 15 and No. 25 Toyotas, for a total of ten races.

#Natalie Decker

Natalie Decker is a young racer competing part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series. She was born on June 25, 1997, in Eagle River, Wisconsin, U.S.

Decker also participated in the Drive for Diversity in 2015 and was one of the seven drivers to compete in the 2016 Alan Kulwichi Driver Development program.

She finished 5th at Daytona, the highest finish for a female, in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series in 2020.

Natalie Decker
Natalie Decker (Source: The Spun)

Decker also won the 2021 Trans Am Series SGT Class ProAm Challenge.

Regardless of having the talent, she had to beg her father to buy her a go-kart when she was nine years old.

She would not have seen her days of collecting numerous wins and awards if she had not pursued her passion.

On February 8, 2023, she was announced to drive part-time for Emerling-Gase Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series.

#Brittney Zamora

Britany is a young stock car racer competing part-time in the ARCA Menards Series. She used to drive as a full-timer for Bill McAnally Racing in the ARCA West and part-time in ARCA Menards Series East.

Even before she started competing in NASCAR, Zamora was a super late model racer.

Driving in the Northwest Super Late Model Series in 2017 and 2018, Zamora became the 1st female to win a race and a championship in the series.

Brittney Zamora, The First Woman To Win 100-Lap Pro Late Model Feature Race
Brittney Zamora, The First Woman To Win 100-Lap Pro Late Model Feature Race (Source: ENEOS)

In 2018, she won Washington State Rookie and was invited to NASCAR’s 2019 Drive for Diversity.

She drove full-time for Bill McAnally Racing in the K&N Pro Series West and part-time in the K&N Pro Series East.

Zamora debuted in the ARCA Menards Series’ preseason test session in January 2021. On October 9, 2021, she won a 100-lap Pro Late Model feature race, becoming the first woman to win a race in the track’s premier division at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

#Tony Breidinger

There is no stopping Tony Breidinger as she became the first NASCAR driver of Arab-American heritage in the NASCAR national series.

Similarly, her determination to become a NASCAR racer built up since she was a kid and racing behind the wheels of a go-kart.

She made her racing debut as a part-time racer for Young’s Motorsports at the Daytona International Speedway.

Stock Car Racing Driver And Victoria's Secret Model, Toni Breidinger
Stock Car Racing Driver And Victoria’s Secret Model, Toni Breidinger (Source: New York Post)

During her teens, she slowly moved up to the Auto racing ranks and became the only female driver with the most wins (19) in the history of the United States Auto Club (USAC).

Tony became part of the Drivers Edge Development program and competed in Carolina Pro Late Model Series for DLP Motorsports in 2020.

She returned to ARCA in 2021 for Young’s Motorsports on a part-time schedule. However, she did not race for Young’s Motorsports as she left them to join Venturini Motorsports in July.

She took her Instagram to announce that she was hired to be a model for Victoria’s Secret on September 14, 2022. 

Conclusion

Since the 20th Century, female drivers have been leaving their mark on NASCAR history. Female NASCAR drivers are proof that stereotypes are often distorted.

Moving forward, they will continue to pave their way in the male-dominated field and become an example for the generations after them. 

Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah is an engineer and content writer passionate about sports and athletics. With a background in engineering and a love for all things active, Sanjib brings a unique perspective to the world of sports writing. Whether he is covering the latest trends in sports technology or sharing tips on improving your game, Sanjib's words are always rooted in a deep appreciation for players' hard work and dedication everywhere. In his free time, you can find him hitting the courts or hitting the trails, always looking for new ways to challenge himself and improve his skills.

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Comments

  1. So how come you never hear of the women drivers or see them race on TV? They are basically second class citizens and the men will never let them race in the big time. Patrick was a novelty that they let in so they could say “See we have a woman driver”. She never really had a chance. I prefer drag racing where there are lots of women drivers and they actually win races on TV.

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