The iconic racing staple has quite the taste in cars!
Lyn St. James is a favorite over here at Motorious. She inspires our whole staff and we are in admiration of the work she continues to do for the automotive and racing communities. When it was announced that she was going to be the 2021 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance honoree, we couldn’t agree more that she deserves it, and the icing on the cake is that she is the very first woman to hold this position.
During Sunday's Concours d’Elegance, the cars of Lyn St. James' career were on display, telling the rich story of the pro racer's career.
It was a Ford Pinto that started the rise of Lyn St. James in the 1970s when her career began. St. James would earn her first titles in road racing championships in South Florida. At Sebring, Palm Beach and Daytona, she drove a Corvette, and she positioned herself as a world-class driver during a class victory at 1979 24 Hours of the Nurburgring.
Lyn St. James carried the 1980s as a Ford factory racer, and in 1985, she would win the IMSA's Norelco Driver of the Year award and IMSA GTO class victory in the Serengeti Drivers New York 500 behind the wheel of a Roush Mustang.
After sweeping two class victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona, Lyn joined the all-women’s team in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991.
During her career, she would race to 21 national and international speed records, including a closed course speed record for women at a blistering 212.577 mph. She also claimed a record with an Indy 500 qualifying lap of 227.32 mph, which stood until 2002.
Her fine-tuned racing capabilities earned her the title of The Top 100 Women in the Automotive Industry by Automotive News and Top 100 Women Athletes of the Century from Sports Illustrated.
Not letting her position go to waste, Lyn St. James has made sure to do good with her name, finding the Lyn St. James Foundation (a 501(c)(3) charitable organization to benefit women in the automotive fields. This is a few of many ways she has used her drive and determination to make the automotive and racing industries more inclusive.
Our hats off to you, Lyn St. James!
