An unusual bridge in American racing history was crossed this past August when British racer Lorina McLaughlin became the first woman to race a Grand Prix car on American soil.
McLaughlin, who has raced professionally for nearly 30 years, became what is believed to be the first woman to race a Formula One car in an organized Grand Prix event, when she raced a March 721 at this year’s Monterey Historic Automobile races. According to McLaughlin, “We were surprised to learn that no other woman had raced an F1 car in the states before. I’m proud to be the first and hope it encourages others to do the same.” For more on the career of McLaughlin, see this month’s interview on page 14.