Women in Indy Lights

Sarah McCune in 2004, during a test for Kathryn Nunn Racing

Indy Lights is the second-tier racing series of the Indycar ladder. Over the years, it has had several changes of name and been run by CART, Indycar and the IRL. The basic formula of a one-model junior championship has remained roughly the same, however.

Until recently, Indycar was not a particularly welcoming place for female drivers. Indy Lights has had correspondingly few women entrants. A higher number were involved with the Toyota Atlantic series, a similar championship in the USA.

1986 (CART American Racing Series)

Desire Wilson (driver) - 24th

1987-88

No female entrants

1989

Cathy Muller (McNeill Motorsports) - 26th

1990

Cathy Muller (McNeill Motorsports/Stuart Moore Racing) - 16th

Cheryl Glass (Glass Racing) -22nd

1991 (CART Firestone/PPG/Dayton Indy Lights Series)

Desire Wilson (Leading Edge Motorsport) - 24th

Cheryl Glass (Glass Racing) - unplaced

1992

Kat Teasdale (Leading Edge Motorsport) - unplaced

1993-2004

No female entrants

2005 (IRL Infiniti Pro Series)

Mishael Abbott (Hemelgarn) - 13th

Sarah McCune (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) - 23rd

2006 (IRL Indy Pro Series)

Mishael Abbott (Michael Crawford Motorsports) - 26th

Veronica McCann (United & Classic Trailers) - 37th

2007

Leilani Munter (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) - 33rd

2008 (Indycar Indy Lights)

Bia Figueiredo (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) - 3rd

Cyndie Allemann (American Spirit Racing) - 14th

Christina Orr-West (Alliance Motorsports) - 30th

2009

Bia Figueiredo (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) - 8th

Pippa Mann (Panther Racing) - 14th

2010

Pippa Mann (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) - 5th

Carmen Jorda (Andersen Racing) - 16th

2011-23

No female entrants

2023 (Now running as Indy NXT)

Jamie Chadwick (Andretti Autosport) - 12th

(Image copyright Gregg Ellmann/motorsport.com)