Changing Gears: The Women Who Redefined What a Racing Driver Could Be
From Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys by Elizabeth Blackstock
March 31, 2026 · 51 min
About this episode
This episode explores the influential women in motorsport who challenged norms and transformed the definition of a racing driver.
While motorsport is often perceived as a man’s world, the history of racing is littered with trailblazing women who refused to accept the rules — both formal and informal — that prevented them from racing. And thanks to them, we’ve transformed the definition of what a racing driver can be. Join award-winning motorsport historian Elizabeth Blackstock as she highlights some of the most influential women who transformed their respective sports throughout racing’s past. From Camille du Gast in early-1900s city-to-city racing to Danica Patrick in NASCAR, each of these women competed under different rules and expectations, yet all faced similar pushback from the male-heavy institutions of motorsport. But more importantly, they all carved a space for themselves and for the women who followed. Rather than presenting a simple list of achievements, this session explores why these drivers mattered: how their successes challenged entrenched norms, changed media narratives, opened doors for those who followed, and, in some cases, forced rulebooks and institutions to evolve. It also examines the limits of progress, asking why individual breakthroughs have not always translated into lasting…
People in this episode
Host: Elizabeth Blackstock
Topics covered
- women in motorsport
- history of racing
- gender equality
- trailblazing women
- motorsport pioneers
- structural change in sports
Keywords
- women in motorsport
- racing history
- female drivers
- motorsport pioneers
- gender barriers
- NASCAR
- F1
- structural change
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