.... Lately

Paula Murphy came to Indianapolis in 1963 well equipped and experienced, especially at being a pioneer. She had raced sports cars for almost a decade and had set hundreds of women’s records in a variety of motoring feats. And at a time when women weren’t even allowed in the pits at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, she became the first woman to drive an Indy-style race car there, thanks to her lifelong friendship with STP’s Andy Granatelli, in whose Novi race car she lapped the fabled Brickyard oval. Speed clearly was not an issue either, as she had driven Walt Arfons’ Avenger jet dragster to a female land-speed record of 226.37 mph at Bonneville. - Tom Renk - Mar 2019