Fast Women: The Legendary Ladies of Racing

by Todd McCarthy

In the early fifties, a hot new lineup of foreign cars arrived on the American scene - Porsche, Jaguar, Ferrari, MG, Aston Martin - ushering in a new era of race car competition that would entice not only men but women. Fast Women is the story of exceptional women who competed against the best of the men, asserting themselves in the risky, macho, and highly competitive sport of auto racing. In this post-war period, there was a new culture brewing, a free-spirited bohemia manifesting on both the East and West Coasts. From New York to California, this fiery sorority of women burned rubber and redefined the spirit of the time.
Among this group of daring women was lady of leisure Evelyn Mull. Mull got her start in auto racing after accompanying her husband to a race, then impulsively deciding to enter. She quickly became a leading driver on the amateur circuit in the late 1950s, cutting a dashing and elegant figure on every track she graced.
Unlike Evelyn, Denise McCluggage didn't come from old money. Covering the sport for the New York Herald Tribune, she was a sportswoman with the temperament of an artist. In her Greenwich Village neighborhood, there were two rare MG TCs on the block; hers and the one belonging to a struggling young actor named Steve McQueen. Inevitably the two met and engaged in a brief romance and an even longer friendship. In 1957, Denise began rivaling Evelyn for the top spot among women drivers.
On a frozen lake in Minnesota, plucky Ruth Levy took her first spin in a little race car and then took the rest of the racing world by storm. Adventurous in all areas (her first husband was a bee-bop jazz musician with a heroin addiction), she epitomized the sassy, free-wheeling California 50s scene as she defied fate with her pedal to the metal.

Genres: Nonfiction, Racing

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 16, 2007

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love auto racing and I was interested in learning more about the history of female competitors in the sport. McCarthy does a great job of highlighting the women who ran in sports car circuits up to and including the 1950s, but once that era of women in motorsports ended, so too did his book. So you won't get to read about Shirley Muldowney or Janet Guthrie here, much less more contemporary racers. If I was more of a gearhead and had more than just a vague idea of what the cars they were racing in looked like, and how to picture one make vs. another, it might have been easier to keep track of the competitors. Because the women profiled often raced against each other in 'ladies events' prior to the main feature of a race (though the best women got the occasional chance to race against the men in the main event), McCarthy jumps around quite a lot. He'll talk about one woman, mention her competition, then a few chapters later, return to that same race and detail how the race went for one of the other women. Also, I was completely unfamiliar with any of these women prior to reading the book. I've followed the sport for a couple decades now, but none of them have I ever heard mentioned. I guess their legacy wasn't meant to carry on 70+ years later, so I thank McCarthy for his efforts to ensure they won't be forgotten.

[Joss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself wanting to be friends with all of these ladies. Epic.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kind of got thrown off of the book when in the first chapter the author went on a rant on how the other forms of motorsports don't matter and are only made for hillbillies and rednecks. Then throughout the book he kept referring to those types of races a "carnival races."

In my opinion, I'm being biased because I am a fan of "carnival races," all forms of racing do take talent and are very competitive. There are two completely different views on racing. Where on one side you are competitive because you out of a field of multiple cars within your own brand finding an adjustment in the shocks or springs, or tire pressure allow you to win over a large field of cars. Where the other side you are competitive because you have oodles of money and can afford an expensive car to race occasionally on the weekend. The funny thing is that on all sides of the racing spectrum they all involve engines, drivers, crews, tires, and a finish line. So there is no need to insult other forms of racing just to get your point across.

Especially when the book is trying to show women drivers as equals. So are Shirley Muldowney and Janet Guthrie's accomplishments less important because they raced in "carnival races"?

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a good read.
a quick overview and a small history of the women who in the face of all opposition decided to race automobiles against the boys mostly, and they were great. The biographies are quick and are in depth with maybe two of the ladies, as so little is actually recorded about their exploits.
focusing much on the middle 20th century, the real pioneers from the earlier years are glazed over, this is where i would like to know more about, however the bibliography is loaded with stuff, so more is to come.
but a fast and entertaining read, just leaves you wanting more. maybe that is the best part...

[Janet Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, before Danica, NASCAR, and cars and drivers covered with logos, there were women in racing. This book not only tells their story but paints a picture of racing before the money took over, as it was bound to do. When that happened, most of the women were pushed out, along with anyone else who couldn't get corporate sponsors. I'm glad someone was interested enough to interview the guys and gals who raced and partied and laid the tracks (pun intended) for motor racing, though what it has become is not what they had in mind.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific read. Great stories about women race car drivers in the early days of the the automobile and, especially, in the heyday of amateur racing in the fifties. McCarthy writes about his subjects with real affection and a great sense of fun. Lot of source notes but no index. Is there some trend toward having no index? Bad trend!