Women Racers and Hot-Rodders: Day 1 at the 16th Amelia Island concours celebrates pioneers

Janet Gutherie, the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500, said overcoming the numerous hurdles set before her as she tried to forge a racing career was something that she just had to do. “I wanted it so much,” Gutherie said during a seminar at the 16th Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance on Friday, “I was willing to put up with whatever they would throw at me.”

AutoWeek's own Denise McCluggage, a renowned racer in her own right, was also part of the Women in Racing panel discussion that also included racers Judy Stropus, Erin Crocker, Jessica Brunelli and Lynn St. James. St. James moderated the discussion.

On display was Gutherie's 1976 Lightning-Offenhauser Indy car, the car in which she qualified for the 1977 Indy 500 at more than 188 mph.

The racers all had a similar message to others looking to make their mark in the world.

“You have to follow your dreams and passions,” Crocker, a sprint and stock-car driver, said.

“Find that passion and live it. Give it everything you have. And if you're female, just beat the damn boys any chance you get,” said McCluggage.

The second seminar at Amelia paid tribute to hot-rodders, including Pete Chapouris of the So-Cal Speed Shop, famed painter and Hollywood stunt man Dean Jeffries, drag racers “TV” Tommy Ivo and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, and noted hot-rod collector Bruce Meyer. AutoWeek contributor Ken Gross moderated the discussion.

Ivo and Prudhomme regaled the audience with their tales of match racing and drag racing in the early days of the sport, and Jeffries entertained the crowd detailing his stunt jumping a five-ton truck over a large span for a Hollywood film. Chapouris talked of his passion to keep the hot-rod spirit alive, while Meyer summed up his passion for collecting by saying, “It's never too late to have a happy childhood.”

The day began with several of the vintage and historic cars that will be on display Sunday at the concours, taking off on a 45-mile tour of Amelia Island. In the evening, Gooding and Co. staged an auction of classic and historic cars.

By Roger Hart