Lucille Lee Questions (1 Viewer)

SDR

Nitro Member
I am doing a little research on Lucille Lee, does anyone know if she ran in top fuel after 1982? I know she won the Southern Nationals in ATL in '82 while running the TR3 car and finished 5th in the points that year. I was told she was sponsored by Jolly Rancher in '83 but can find no information on that or anything else after '82. Does anyone have any info?? Or pictures?
 
This from a trusted historian...1982 was the last season she raced.
Also from National Dragster: Sept 12, 2003

Lucille Lee, a former executive secretary who went from behind the typewriter of a company that sponsored a Top Fuel dragster to the cockpit of a second team car and into the winner's circle at an NHRA national event, died Aug. 24 following a yearlong illness. She was 52.

Lee worked at TR3, which manufactured a resin glaze car wax and sponsored the Top Fuel dragsters of Marvin Graham and Steve Hodkinson. As the legend goes, she attended a national event in 1981 with her employers and saw the TR3 car in action and remarked that it looked like fun. Within the year, she was behind the wheel of a second team car.

Lee stunned the drag racing world when she won the 1982 March Meet in Bakersfield, Calif., defeating Shirley Muldowney in the final. Later that year, she and teammate Hodkinson met in the final round of the Southern Nationals in Atlanta, marking the first team Top Fuel final in NHRA national event history.
 
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I have seen the Decade of Thrills tape also and you are right, the car is sponsored by Jolly Rancher and I thought that it was Indy '83. I was under the impression that '83 was her last season......could obviously be wrong. I wondered what happened to the team, why was this her last season, etc.
 
The guy who owned Jolly Ranchers was a big drag racing fan as I remember it. They even sponsored the Seattle race for a few years I think. He eventually passed away, the company was sold to the Mars candy company, and their participation ended. But I think THAT happened in the late '80s. (Jolly Ranchers are my ONLY weakness when it comes to candy. I LOVE them.)
 
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