Shirley Muldowney

About

Female racing pioneer who was dubbed the "First Lady of Drag Racing" and nicknamed "Cha Cha"; the first woman given a license by the NHRA.

Before Fame

She skipped school to race up and down the streets of Schenectady, New York, saying that's all she wanted to do growing up.

Trivia

Her racing career was sidelined in 1984 after a crash left her with injuries to her hands, pelvis, and legs; she eventually returned to the tracks later in the decade and continued racing until 2003.

Family Life

She married her first husband, 19-year-old Jack Muldowney, when she was 16; he built her first dragster.

Associated With

She was played by Bonnie Bedelia in the 1983 movie about her life, "Heart Like a Wheel."