414:. It would be twenty-one more years before another woman would win a round in Pro Stock. AMC quit drag racing in 1972, and when her husband got an opportunity to build racing engines full-time, his attention was diverted, so Shahan quit racing.
351:), while also serving as spokesman off-track. In addition, she was paid a salary and a given personal car. This also enabled her to remain closer to home. The AMX also returned her to a stick shift.
309:, and the first woman to win at an NHRA national event, Carol Cox, who won in Stock in 1962. On 15 April 1966, she quit her day job to concentrate on Super Stock racing, continuing all summer,
194:
35:
410:, Shahan and husband H.L. got two AMCs into the Pro Stock field, hers in the thirty-first slot; both were eliminated in Round One, Shahan losing to "Fast Eddie" Schartman's
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355:
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and the automatic transmission, and soon began winning at
Division 7 events from Oregon and Washington to Utah and Nevada. She reached the Top Stock final at the 1965
88:
430:
229:
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258:. Nor did Chrysler pay her a salary, providing only the car and parts. At the time, she was working for SoCal Gas, and already had three children.
152:
Shahan began racing in the 1950s. She and her husband (who served as flagman {starter} for the
Visalia drag strip on weekends) owned and raced two
103:, daughter of a racing driver. The eldest of four children, she learned to drive at 10, and served as mechanic for her father when he went racing.
292:
206:
225:
149:
Her husband, H. L., prepared the cars she drove. (H. L. Shahan worked for Ronnie
Broadhead in Junior Stock and Butch Leal in Top Fuel .)
369:, and allowed her to set low e.t. and top speed records for the class over the course of the season. While Shahan did qualify for the
888:
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for
Chrysler in that period, placing second, fourth, and (in 1968) first, even defeating Chrysler factory driver Scott Harvey.
84:
58:
878:
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139:
Shahan first became involved in drag racing in high school, when she assisted her father in working on his racer.
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789:(retrieved 24 May 2017); Burgess ("The Drag-on Lady: Racer, pioneer, mom", written 30 April 2008, at
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708:
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She divorced H. L., and has been married to her second husband, Ken
Bridges, for over forty years.
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and earned a historic win, becoming the first woman to win a pro class at a national event, at the
179:
167:
448:
guess right she was a drag racer). The 1966 Winternationals win also attracted the attention of
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156:, one a 1955, later a daily-driven 1956 with a (then-new) 265 cu in (4,340 cc)
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Shahan usually drove a Super Stock car, but also had the opportunity to drive an A/FX
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As of 2008, at 70, Shahan still competed in some nostalgia drag racing events.
322:
325:, as well as moving the rear axle forward, precursor to the technique used by
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for the 1965 season, over her objections; previously, she had always driven a
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844:
editor. "The Drag-on Lady: Racer, pioneer, mom", written 30 April 2008, at
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editor. "The Drag-on Lady: Racer, pioneer, mom", written 30 April 2008, at
686:
editor. "The Drag-on Lady: Racer, pioneer, mom", written 30 April 2008, at
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editor. "The Drag-on Lady: Racer, pioneer, mom", written 30 April 2008, at
793:(retrieved 25 September 2018) says the couple switched to an uncompetitive
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163:. Both raced, at first; Shahan (like Muldowney) proved the better driver.
445:
70:
707:
editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at
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In 1966, while match racing around the U.S., Shahan was a contestant on
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editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at
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317:, winning more often than she lost; The H.L. switched the Impala from
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In her spare time, she plays softball and golf. She still lives in
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in 1968, driving a Super Stock 390 cu in (6,400 cc)
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Her ability to beat the men frequently created friction. She, like
861:
Taylor, Thom. "Roddin' @Random: Take 5 with
Shirley Shahan" in
523:
Taylor, Thom. "Roddin' @Random: Take 5 with
Shirley Shahan" in
462:
Shahan has three children. Her youngest son, Steven, was on the
344:
246:, as part of a team with Leal, working out of the Shahan shop in
332:
She raced full-time until 1968. In that time, she also entered
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166:
She entered events at all the local tracks, including those in
478:. Her daughter, Janet (the eldest), and her husband operate a
69:(nicknamed the "Drag-On Lady") is a pioneering American woman
474:'s. Her youngest son, Th Robert, races a replica of her 1968
279:
It was while with the
Chrysler factory team she followed her
197:
1958 Chevrolet, beating forty men, among them professionals
110:, with an ability to throw to home plate from center field.
80:
pro event. Her husband, H. L., prepared the cars she drove.
283:
Championship win in 1966 with a final round finish at the
358:, but was eliminated in the semi-final by #11 qualifier
106:
Before she began racing, she was a passionate player of
801:(retrieved 2 October 2018) makes no mention of either.
373:, she was disallowed due to a technical infraction.
250:. The Chrysler deal forced her to learn to drive an
313:all over the U.S., into Mexico, and as far away as
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76:Shahan in 1965 became the first woman to win an
384:of #6 qualifier (& ultimate event winner)
810:That was Linda McFarlin at Memphis in 1992.
380:, being eliminated in round one by the 1971
301:.) She had been preceded by the likes of
682:(retrieved 24 May 2017); Burgess, Phil,
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433:for over thirty years before retiring.
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500:In 1997, Shahan was inducted into the
490:. She has twenty-seven grandchildren.
85:International Motorsports Hall of Fame
59:International Motorsports Hall of Fame
224:in 1963. At the time, H.L. tuned for
121:, beating local boys in her father's
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530:
365:The AMX gave her a class win at the
634:
295:. (The win put her on the cover of
13:
391:She reached the semi-final at the
376:Shahan qualified #22 for the 1971
261:Shahan quickly learned to use the
235:In 1964, Shahan was approached by
113:Like many early racers, including
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347:(which was also run sometimes in
131:At 17, she married H. L. Shahan.
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134:
889:People from Visalia, California
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690:(retrieved 25 September 2018);
395:, being eliminated by the 1970
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189:In 1959, Shahan won the first
99:Shahan was born and raised in
1:
865:, April 2017, pp. 16–17.
848:(retrieved 25 September 2018)
840:Taylor, p.17; Burgess, Phil,
831:(retrieved 25 September 2018)
823:Taylor, p.16; Burgess, Phil,
728:(retrieved 16 September 2018)
711:(retrieved 16 September 2018)
631:(retrieved 25 September 2018)
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879:American automotive pioneers
444:(where, she confesses,
7:
393:1971 AHRA Gateway Nationals
83:She became a member of the
10:
905:
855:
777:(retrieved 2 October 2018)
765:(retrieved 2 October 2018)
753:(retrieved 2 October 2018)
694:(retrieved 2 October 2018)
356:1969 AHRA Winter Nationals
367:1970 NHRA Winternationals
54:
49:
41:
34:
26:
21:
814:(retrieved 24 May 2017).
741:(retrieved 24 May 2017).
670:(retrieved 24 May 2017).
510:
502:Drag Racing Hall of Fame
354:She qualified #8 at the
193:(at Bakersfield) in her
117:, Shahan got started by
89:Drag Racing Hall of Fame
527:, April 2017, pp.16-17.
212:The couple purchased a
454:"Wide World of Sports"
252:automatic transmission
799:Ultimateracinghistory
775:Ultimateracinghistory
763:Ultimateracinghistory
751:Ultimateracinghistory
692:Ultimateracinghistory
285:AHRA Winter Nationals
239:, and switched to a
199:"Dyno Don" Nicholson
470:teams, one of them
442:"To Tell the Truth"
438:"Hollywood Squares"
371:1970 U.S. Nationals
101:Visalia, California
16:American drag racer
666:Taylor, pp.16-17;
495:Tulare, California
382:Plymouth Barracuda
334:Mobil Economy Runs
248:Tulare, California
108:fastpitch softball
842:National Dragster
825:National Dragster
797:for 1971, &
722:National Dragster
705:National Dragster
684:National Dragster
625:National Dragster
431:SoCal Gas Company
298:National Dragster
205:, Tom Sturm, and
115:Shirley Muldowney
64:
63:
896:
884:Dragster drivers
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399:of event winner
303:Roberta Leighton
230:Ronnie Broadhead
214:Chevrolet Impala
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720:Burgess, Phil,
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703:Burgess, Phil,
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623:Burgess, Phil,
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429:She worked for
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339:Shahan went to
289:Winternationals
203:Hayden Proffitt
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737:Taylor, p.16;
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484:tractor puller
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419:fuel funny car
408:U.S. Nationals
378:Supernationals
323:fuel injection
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67:Shirley Shahan
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22:Shirley Shahan
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555:Taylor, p.16.
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425:Personal life
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412:Mercury Comet
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397:Dodge Charger
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307:Bunny Burkett
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293:Ken Heinemann
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184:Half Moon Bay
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135:Racing career
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119:street racing
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45:1950s to 1972
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40:
37:
33:
29:
25:
20:
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472:Ed McCulloch
461:
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428:
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406:At the 1971
405:
390:
375:
364:
353:
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311:match racing
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291:, defeating
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270:Championship
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234:
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188:
165:
151:
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112:
105:
98:
82:
75:
66:
65:
42:Years active
482:-sponsored
446:Bill Cullen
319:carburetors
256:stick shift
207:Arlen Vanke
195:Super Stock
180:Santa Maria
168:Bakersfield
158:small-block
36:Super Stock
873:Categories
795:AMC Hornet
488:Git-R-Done
476:Dodge Dart
401:Tom Haller
386:Ronnie Sox
327:Funny Cars
263:tachometer
226:Butch Leal
191:March Meet
154:Chevrolets
123:Studebaker
95:Background
71:drag racer
480:Lucas Oil
349:Pro Stock
274:Riverside
222:big-block
216:with the
144:Carol Cox
91:in 1997.
846:NHRA.com
829:NHRA.com
812:NHRA.com
791:NHRA.com
787:NHRA.com
739:NHRA.com
726:NHRA.com
709:NHRA.com
688:NHRA.com
680:NHRA.com
668:NHRA.com
629:NHRA.com
468:top fuel
464:pit crew
360:Ed Terry
244:Plymouth
237:Chrysler
87:and the
863:Hot Rod
856:Sources
525:Hot Rod
486:called
466:of two
281:Hot Rod
268:Hot Rod
172:Fremont
27:Retired
315:Hawaii
182:, and
176:Madera
126:pickup
50:Awards
511:Notes
440:and
241:hemi
228:and
78:NHRA
55:1997
30:1972
452:'s
450:ABC
345:AMX
341:AMC
321:to
272:in
218:RPO
875::
636:^
560:^
532:^
504:.
497:.
456:.
421:.
403:.
388:.
362:.
329:.
305:,
276:.
232:.
209:.
201:,
186:.
178:,
174:,
170:,
161:V8
128:.
73:.
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