Last week Betty Skelton Erde, an 82-year-old retired stunt pilot and auto racer who was once the fastest woman in the world, got inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in suburban Detroit. She is only the fifth female inductee. Erde attended the ceremony and was among several other racing legends inducted, including Champ Car driver Michael Andretti.

Erde has said she had a teenage obsession with aviation that led her to take flight lessons before she reached 16. She flew and performed aerial tricks for air shows all over the country, and her popularity and skill set led her in 1956 to meet Bill France, NASCAR co-founders, who invited her to Daytona where she discovered that a car was just as good if not better than a plane. … continue reading

Did you watch the Indianapolis 500 this weekend? Three women competed in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in the 91-year history of the event. Danica Patrick finished eigth, Sarah Fisher finished eighteenth, and Milka Duno had a minor crash that took her out of the race.

To catch you up on the significance of the women's competition, check out the Sports Illustrated photo gallery of the women and the history of the event.

I can't say I'm a NASCAR fan. I grew up in the South, and never understood it. Boiled peanuts and sweet tea, I understand. Racing around in circles in a track, I don't.

I do admit the women dressed in firesuits give me pause for reflection.

Milka Duno:

Makes me want to dig up my "Beers. Chicks. Trucks" t-shirt. Is it okay to want to come back in another life as a steering wheel? … continue reading