08/06/2026
It has been six years since the passing of Barbara Hamilton, the first female drag racer to be licensed by the NHRA to drive a Supercharged Gasser in 1964.
While still at high school, competing in drag racing at a national level had already become her ambition. It took her two years to convince the executives that she was capable of racing.
Barbara built her own car, an electric blue 1937 Willys coupé, together with her friend Nancy Leonello, which later led her to become a pioneering woman to receive an NHRA licence.
She proved the resilience of her machine by winning the CC/GS trophy at the 1966 NHRA Spring Nationals. In the same year, she made history by setting a record time of 11.94 seconds at a NASCAR drag race.
Unfortunately, she faced a huge challenge when her licence was revoked in 1967 at the Indy Nationals. She had to file a protest to retain it, alongside three other female drivers.
Her licence was later reinstated in 1968, paving the way for other female drag racers to have similar opportunities.
In recognition of her contributions, she was honoured in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1992 and awarded the prestigious Pat Garlits Memorial Award in 2014.
Thank you, Barbara 💜
📸: National Hot Rod Association, streetmachine.com, Don Garlits Museum Of Drag Racing
