Troxel had a Funny Car victory last month at Bristol, Tenn., but she already had four Top Fuel dragster wins on her résumé. Force has spent her life watching her father, John, become a 14-time champion, making her triumph in April as Funny Car’s first female winner appear like a passing of the torch.
When Will became the world’s fastest female with a 334.65-mph run or when she notched her first Top Fuel win Sunday at Topeka, it was noteworthy but not historic since Shirley Muldowney and Angelle Sampey had won titles in the NHRA’s 57 years.
“I don’t think it’s as big of a deal,” said Will, a magna cum laude economics graduate of Wheaton (Mass.) College. “I think women racers kind of fit in more in NHRA drag racing. I know most everybody in drag racing just thinks of me as another competitor. That’s how I want to be thought of — as another competitor.”
Five pages of the NHRA media guide list 39 women who have competed in its four pro classes (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle) as well as notable accomplishments. Heading the list are three-time Top Fuel champion Muldowney and Sampey, 37, who has won three Motorcycle titles.
Overall, 11 women have combined for 82 pro event wins. That’s possible in part because of drag racing’s structure featuring local-level competition, a grassroots effort that encourages involvement by women and minorities.
“It’s like a community football team your kid plays on before they progress to the high school level,” said Sampey.
“Because most of us started at the lower levels, you get used to the pressures of the sport. Everybody looks at this as a male-dominated sport, but I look at it as who’s interested and who wants to succeed.”
“It was also more difficult to find funding,” said Muldowney, who bought her own equipment. “It was pretty bad, and 99% of the time they did stuff behind my back. How I fought it was to kick their butts on the track, and on a regular basis. That’s how you pay them back.”
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