Despite the rain and the gloom during Saturday's Qualifications, you could also say it was women's day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I suppose my favorite memory is the year I ran my own team and at the top to the finish here,” said Janet Guthrie.
In 1978 Janet Guthrie broke barriers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Thirty-seven years later, she's doing it again as part of the first all-female panel at the Breakfast at the Brickyard, sharing her story of competing in a male-dominated sport.
When asked if there was there ever a minute when she thought about bowing out, Guthrie said, “Are you kidding? Any race car driver would give their eye teeth for a chance to put a car in the field here and back then it would be 80 or 90 cars entered and only the fastest 33 would start.”
“It's only male dominated because more guys showed up and now that there are women showing up,” said Lyn St. James.
She became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of The Year award in 1992 and shared lessons with the sold-out Breakfast crowd.
“Managing your emotions, because you know what a big platform this is. I think just bringing my experience, keeping my confidence, staying focused, and not getting distracted,” St. James said.
These women celebrate the addition of more women in the sport, and improvements that have come.
“The women's room situation,” Guthrie laughed. “There weren't any in the garage area at the time because of course women were not allowed in the garage area. So that meant I had to go to the public women's room and I always attract the sort of followers so I'm glad that's changed.”
The thirty-three 500 Festival Princesses heard those inspiring messages, including
this year's queen
.
“Coming up from a small farm town, it's always been like Indianapolis is an awesome place to be so being able to represent that from somewhere that's such a small hometown had such a great opportunity,” said
and attends Purdue University.
She'll take part in all the events at the track, including Lemonade Day where children raise money for charities.
“If you think about it there are a lot of people who are out on the side of the road sleeping and I thought, well, maybe if we donated the money it would make them have a little better of a life, just giving a dollar might change it,” said 11-year-old volunteer Emmaline Schmidt.
For Schmidt and her friend, that meant giving up a Saturday of fun.
“I would be lying in my bed watching a TV show or I will be playing with my two little puppies,” 11 year-old Morgan Strahan said.
Instead they're helping the Julian Center, part of the many events you'll find at the track.
Perhaps the queen sums up the busy scheduled the best.
“You can sleep whenever May is over,” Mathena laughed.
