Who are the ten best female NASCAR drivers of all time? These are women who found a way to enter a man’s sport and find tremendous success.

These women broke through the barriers that have plagued gender equality for a long time to enjoy the fun and exhilaration of racing around a track in a car that has way too much power.

Sara Christian

Sara Christian was the first woman to race in NASCAR. In 1949, she drove in the first race at Charlotte Speedway and finished 13th. She eventually became the first woman to place in the top ten with a sixth-place finish at Langhorne Speedway. Christian was awarded the 1949 US Driver Association Woman Drive of the Year.

Louise Smith

Louise Smith was nicknamed the “first lady of racing” and she started her racing career in 1949 and continued on through 1956. She won 38 races in her time and returned to racing in 1971 as a car owner for several drivers. Louise Smith was the first woman inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Janet Guthrie

Janet Guthrie was the first female NASCAR driver to qualify and compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. In 1976, she came in 15thduring the NASCAR Winston Cup race and she took 12thplace at the Daytona 500 the following year. Her best finish was in 1977 at Bristol, which was a finish that is still a record to this day.

Patty Moise

Patty Moise had 133 NASCAR starts between 1986 and 1998 to make her one of the best female NASCAR drivers of all time. She began racing at 16 and placed well in many races over her career. Her career-high in points came in 1990 where she finished 22ndat the end of the year. Patty’s team was sold to Michael Waltrip Racing during her final year of competition

Shawna Robinson

In 1988, Shawna Robinson became the first female NASCAR driver to win a Touring Series Even. This earned her the “Most Popular Driver” and “Rookie of the Year” honors. The following year, she became the first woman to obtain the pole position in a NASCAR Touring Series race and later that year had the pole in a major series race as well.

Tammy Jo Kirk

Tammy Jo Kirk is one of the best female NASCAR drivers of all time. She scored 37 top-ten finishes and two pole positions in the All-Pro Series. She then went on to become one of the first women in the Camping World Truck Series. In 1994, she earned the title “Most Popular Driver” and finished in seventh place for series points two years later.

Danica Patrick

The most popular female NASCAR driver of all time is Danica Patrick. She raced in Indy Series cars successfully for several years before moving to NASCAR in 2010. She landed a fourth-place finish in Las Vegas and became the second woman to land a pole position in the Nationwide Series. Patrick went on to win the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500.

Kelly Sutton

Faced with Multiple Sclerosis, Kelly Sutton continued racing after her diagnosis at sixteen. She won the Sportsmanship and Hard Charger awards during the 1992 season and won the “Most Popular Driver” during her three years of racing. She was certainly an inspiration on the track while racing at a high level and battling a debilitating disease.

Jennifer Jo Cobb

Jennifer Jo Cobb is more than just one of the best female NASCAR drivers, she is also a team owner. She competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series. Cobb holds the record for the highest points total for a female in the history of any major NASCAR series. She also became the highest finishing female in the Truck Series.

Johanna Robbins

Johanna Robbins began racing in 2009 and won the pole position at the Snowball Derby. During 38 events in 2012, she achieves a top-ten finish 27 times, 17 of which were top-five finishes. This run included five wins making her one of the most successful female NASCAR drivers of all time. She has taken a break from the track, for now, to focus on her family but may make a return later.

These ten female NASCAR drivers are some of the best to get behind the wheel and take on the track and their competitors. They have carved a path for other women to follow who want to enjoy the glory of victory and a ton of power in a race car.