Within just a few minutes of speaking with Lyn St. James, who turns 78 next week, you quickly understand why she has made it as far as she has in the motorsport world. She’s kind, sharp, and fun to talk to, with a certain fire to her persona. I, affectionately describe her as “feisty” in a text to a colleague shortly after our interview.
It’s that guile that helped her to compete wheel to wheel in a sport dominated by testosterone. Need reasons why many women in the sport remain inspired by her work and efforts? St. James became the first woman to win the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors (1992), at the age of 45. And next weekend marks the 35th anniversary of her 12 hours of Sebring win, which she clinched for Roush Racing with Robby Gordon and Calvin Fish in a Mercury Cougar XR-7. But her “chutzpah” as she would say, is why she possesses such an impressive list of accolades, awards, and recognition to her name, long before programs like her own, Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA), or even the F1 Academy existed.
