Shirley Brittany (1 Viewer)

[None]

Amen, brother. Every time they stick a mic in her face, I have hopes that she gets her act together and shows some class, yet she drops the ball almost every time. And as far as that goes, Brit won the championship under the same clowndown format that Erica has, whom she highly touts.

And she wonders why she wasn't able to continue in the sport long after she left........

Sean D

Get her act together? Next time would be the first time.

 

[None]

Let me tell you a few things about Shirley since we've been friends for over 20 years and we worked together on her book back in 2003. Unlike the vast majority of former and current drag racers--many of whom I've also known for a long time--Shirley has never been a wishy-washy, go-along-to-get-along, think-one-thing-and-say-something-else phony who is afraid she may offend someone with her honesty. You probably know all about the bias, insults, taunts, hate, physical threats, dirty tricks, and endless discrimination she faced during her career. I guarantee you that many of those who are so quick to criticize her because of her toughness would have failed to survive the bullshit she fought through to win three NHRA championships and one AHRA title. You can talk about the length of the schedules in the "old days", the points system, etc. but when Shirley was out there in the 1970's and 1980's, teams didn't fly to all of the events, get rental cars to commute to and from the track while staying at the Marriott, enjoy 10,000 sq. ft. hospitality areas, make big bucks for winning races or championships, get interviewed on national television after every round win, or benefit from what championship teams receive in this day and age. Racers were hard, gritty, relentless sons-of-bitches that were racing to survive, taking whatever prize money they were lucky enough to win just to cover expenses and hopefully make it to the next race. The tracks were many times mud holes, unsafe in many respects, and run by unscrupulous owners and promoters that would screw a racer if he could pocket a few extra bucks--especially at the expense of a woman. Shirley didn't take any crap from anyone--still doesn't--and all she ever asked for were two things: the opportunity to race against men on an even playing field and some respect for what she accomplished. She never asked for special treatment, to be given any advantages because she was a woman, or any other act of chivalry. And every time she won a round or a race, it just added to the bitterness and resentment she faced from "the men". So here's the deal: you can dis her for not being a sweet, smiley, politically-correct, say-what-everyone-wants-to-hear Miss Congeniality and just keep her real feelings bottled up like so many racers today (Steve Torrence excluded), but just remember this: Shirley didn't win those races and championships while worrying what other people thought of her opinions and I can assure you she hasn't changed a bit. She's as tough as nails and there aren't many people--man or woman--who could have not only survived the endless crap she had to put up with but could have become a 4-time champion while dealing with it.

You can kiss her a$$ all you want. It does not change the facts. Saw her cuss out ten year old girls, their crime, they ask her to sign an event tee shirt, not one bought from her. Saw her throw a table at fans waiting for an autograph, yelling she was tired and wasn't going to do this $hit anymore. Many, or more likely most of her problems, have been brought on by herself.

 

[camaro]

Apples and Oranges...

apples and oranges indeed! .... spend a few weeks training Danica in an Alan Johnson Tuned Dragster and I bet she does a lot better than third !!

 

[Billy]

You can kiss her a$$ all you want. It does not change the facts. Saw her cuss out ten year old girls, their crime, they ask her to sign an event tee shirt, not one bought from her. Saw her throw a table at fans waiting for an autograph, yelling she was tired and wasn't going to do this $hit anymore. Many, or more likely most of her problems, have been brought on by herself.

I can point out isolated instances when MANY racers were less than gracious with fans and it had nothing to do with the fans. Ever try to get an autograph from Warren Johnson right after he lost on a holeshot to Bob Glidden? Even Prudhomme would not be a very fan-friendly guy after losing to ANYONE. Read my original post again. Shirley's problems began when she wanted to race as s pro and the other racers didn't want her out there, the other racers' wives didn't want her out there, the sanctioning bodies didn't want her out there, the track owners didn't want her out there and they all did everything they could to keep her out. She was unwelcomed by the sport. They all hoped she'd either embarrass herself, scare herself, or kill herself. So if she occassionally got pissed off about some ridiculous bullshit she was forced to tolerate as some fans were asking for an autograph, that doesn't make her any different from anyone of us who have snapped at our kids when they want us to fix their bicycle 5 minutes after finding out the furnace needs to be replaced. And ask Darrell Gwynn what kind of person Shirley Muldowney is.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Anybody that's been around the sport that long knows and understands that, Bill. My issue with her is the continued sour grapes. She's ground the axe so long that the handle is gone, and quite frankly, everybody got tired of hearing it a LONG TIME AGO. And if you want proof of that, you need look no further than the fact that she wanted to race much longer than she did and was never able to put anything together.

You reap what you sow, period.

Sean D

 

[Billy]

Let's clarify a few things. What you describe as "sour grapes" can also be defined as the response to a lack of acknowledgement and appreciation she has received from many after a groundbreaking career in which she literally altered the course of professional drag racing. All people want to talk about is her "surly, bitchy, disposition" which, as anyone who has been around the sport that long understands was her defense mechanism against the deep, hateful resistance she faced from Day 1. I don't blame her for feeling a bit betrayed. Your "proof" as you call it is flawed. First, Cory Mac, Dean Skuza, Mike Dunn, Jerry Toliver, Tony Pedregon, Doug Herbert, Larry Dixon (shall I continue?) all wanted to race much longer and were never able to "put anything together". Secondly, Shirley--up until a couple of years ago--was approached more than once to drive Nostalgia cars by several new teams but wisely decided that's not something that would be a good fit for her. Finally, Shirley is at an age where finding any kind of sufficient corporate sponsorship would be next to impossible. She has committed the mortal sin of living into her 70's.

 

[Polish Hammer]

Let me tell you a few things about Shirley since we've been friends for over 20 years and we worked together on her book back in 2003. Unlike the vast majority of former and current drag racers--many of whom I've also known for a long time--Shirley has never been a wishy-washy, go-along-to-get-along, think-one-thing-and-say-something-else phony who is afraid she may offend someone with her honesty. You probably know all about the bias, insults, taunts, hate, physical threats, dirty tricks, and endless discrimination she faced during her career. I guarantee you that many of those who are so quick to criticize her because of her toughness would have failed to survive the bullshit she fought through to win three NHRA championships and one AHRA title. You can talk about the length of the schedules in the "old days", the points system, etc. but when Shirley was out there in the 1970's and 1980's, teams didn't fly to all of the events, get rental cars to commute to and from the track while staying at the Marriott, enjoy 10,000 sq. ft. hospitality areas, make big bucks for winning races or championships, get interviewed on national television after every round win, or benefit from what championship teams receive in this day and age. Racers were hard, gritty, relentless sons-of-bitches that were racing to survive, taking whatever prize money they were lucky enough to win just to cover expenses and hopefully make it to the next race. The tracks were many times mud holes, unsafe in many respects, and run by unscrupulous owners and promoters that would screw a racer if he could pocket a few extra bucks--especially at the expense of a woman. Shirley didn't take any crap from anyone--still doesn't--and all she ever asked for were two things: the opportunity to race against men on an even playing field and some respect for what she accomplished. She never asked for special treatment, to be given any advantages because she was a woman, or any other act of chivalry. And every time she won a round or a race, it just added to the bitterness and resentment she faced from "the men". So here's the deal: you can dis her for not being a sweet, smiley, politically-correct, say-what-everyone-wants-to-hear Miss Congeniality and just keep her real feelings bottled up like so many racers today (Steve Torrence excluded), but just remember this: Shirley didn't win those races and championships while worrying what other people thought of her opinions and I can assure you she hasn't changed a bit. She's as tough as nails and there aren't many people--man or woman--who could have not only survived the endless crap she had to put up with but could have become a 4-time champion while dealing with it.

Great, she accomplished a lot in a much rougher era, kudos to her. But no need to trash Brittany’s accomplishments. She blazed a trail for the females of today, she should sit back and take the high road. Jackie Robinson fought battles few could imagine, but if he were alive today he wouldn’t be running his mouth about how the ballplayers of today play on better fields with better equipment, travel better and make a fortune because of the doors he kicked down. If he did, people wouldn’t have nearly the same level of respect for him. So if you want to appreciate Shirley’s candor many others will feel differently.

 

[Ice Bucket]

I fell bad for Shirley, she seems so bitter. She is such a big part of racing history and is a true champion. I dont ever claim to have walked a mile in her shoes, but every interview I have ever seen from her (including from the 70's and 80's) has always been off putting. There is no doubt she had to bust her A to accomplish what she did, but I often wonder how much of her struggles were/are self inflicted.

 

[Billy]

Great, she accomplished a lot in a much rougher era, kudos to her. But no need to trash Brittany’s accomplishments. She blazed a trail for the females of today, she should sit back and take the high road. Jackie Robinson fought battles few could imagine, but if he were alive today he wouldn’t be running his mouth about how the ballplayers of today play on better fields with better equipment, travel better and make a fortune because of the doors he kicked down. If he did, people wouldn’t have nearly the same level of respect for him. So if you want to appreciate Shirley’s candor many others will feel differently.

People have the right to think whatever they want about her. And she has the right to think whatever she wants about others. She gets that. Old school ballplayers have written books in which they bemoan having played their asses off long before big money came into the sport. They are bitter and make no secret of it. Nobody has lost respect for them.

 

[beltguy]

OK guys, I seldom post here, but I want to make a point about Shirley. Yes, she apparently had to really fight to survive and thrive in what was a man's world. Yes, she had to be tough and maybe that earned her the right to."say it like it is". But I am not sure that all justifies her being such a "mean" person who treats racing support people terribly.

In the mid-90s I had NHRA place an announcement in the racer packages that said I was going to be at Columbus to investigate the significant rash of blower belt problems (I was the "blower belt guy" from Gates Rubber Company). With the exception of Shirley, I was welcomed by the racers since they knew I was trying to help. At that race, I followed her in the pits as she loudly announced that she was looking for the SOB (using the swear words several times) from Gates. For a while I thought about ignoring her and her crew, but I bit the bullet and went to visit her and Ron. He was so nice and she treated me like dirt.

Later in Denver, she was having a bunch of problems and I went to her pit. Again she was just plain mean. I started working with Ron and we discovered that they had done some mixing and matching of blower pulleys and had to make a thick shim/adapter to properly space the pulley they used for the high altitude. The shim/adapter surfaces were not parallel and that put a wobble in the pulley. I can't remember what they did, but they got rid of the adapter. That solved the problem for that race. I went back and Ron thanked me for the help and Shirley made a point of avoiding me.

I spent most of my time in the shut down area of various tracks so that I could inspect the belt after the run. I became good friends with most of the shut down crews. Most of them could not stand her, because she treated them so badly.

Bill, I am sure you have seen the good side of Shirley and I understand your position to stand up for her right to be so negatively vocal. However, I have seen (on many occasions) a person who was very mean spirited. I use the word "mean" advisedly. I worked with many folks over the years and never met anyone like her who had such a terrible attitude toward folks just trying to do their job. I never saw her even remotely show respect for the folks who were just doing their job.

Perhaps I need to put this in some context. My work with her was in the declining years of her racing where the performance of her car was not up to par with most of the racers. That said, I have talked to lots of folks who had to deal with her on the supplier/technical side and not one of them spoke well of her.

I am not trying to bash anyone, but I wanted to get some facts on the table that suggest her negative publicity is not some vendetta against her.

[edited to correct some grammar problems]

Jim

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Let's clarify a few things. What you describe as "sour grapes" can also be defined as the response to a lack of acknowledgement and appreciation she has received from many after a groundbreaking career in which she literally altered the course of professional drag racing. All people want to talk about is her "surly, bitchy, disposition" which, as anyone who has been around the sport that long understands was her defense mechanism against the deep, hateful resistance she faced from Day 1. I don't blame her for feeling a bit betrayed. Your "proof" as you call it is flawed. First, Cory Mac, Dean Skuza, Mike Dunn, Jerry Toliver, Tony Pedregon, Doug Herbert, Larry Dixon (shall I continue?) all wanted to race much longer and were never able to "put anything together". Secondly, Shirley--up until a couple of years ago--was approached more than once to drive Nostalgia cars by several new teams but wisely decided that's not something that would be a good fit for her. Finally, Shirley is at an age where finding any kind of sufficient corporate sponsorship would be next to impossible. She has committed the mortal sin of living into her 70's.

I acknowledge your point regarding other drivers that have struggled to stay relevant, but I would counter with the fact that had she been able to bury the attitude and came off more gracious, I would believe she would have a major edge on all of those mentioned. Despite all of those odds, she was the first woman to accomplish many things in the sport of drag racing. That, along with a gracious and eloquent demeanor could've resulted in much bigger things as times evolved in our sport and we got away from the sexist battles she faced.

Look, I'm not making light of what she went through. Like I said, anybody that's been around the sport knows the hurdles she had. What I'm saying is that I believe that her inability to arrive at a point to get past it and continue to move forward, likely cost her much more in the long run. Am I right? I don't know. But I believe that to be true and stand by it. There's not a one of us that don't have unfair issues that we were faced with, and I'm not saying she didn't have grounds to be bitter, but you have to move on at some point whether you like it or not or you'll get consumed by it.

Sean D

 

[mike]

People have the right to think whatever they want about her. And she has the right to think whatever she wants about others. She gets that. Old school ballplayers have written books in which they bemoan having played their asses off long before big money came into the sport. They are bitter and make no secret of it. Nobody has lost respect for them.

When you show no respect for others why do you then deserve respect? I personally been around her disrespect for others it was never nice.Give none get none.

 

[None]

I can point out isolated instances when MANY racers were less than gracious with fans and it had nothing to do with the fans. Ever try to get an autograph from Warren Johnson right after he lost on a holeshot to Bob Glidden? Even Prudhomme would not be a very fan-friendly guy after losing to ANYONE. Read my original post again. Shirley's problems began when she wanted to race as s pro and the other racers didn't want her out there, the other racers' wives didn't want her out there, the sanctioning bodies didn't want her out there, the track owners didn't want her out there and they all did everything they could to keep her out. She was unwelcomed by the sport. They all hoped she'd either embarrass herself, scare herself, or kill herself. So if she occassionally got pissed off about some ridiculous bullshit she was forced to tolerate as some fans were asking for an autograph, that doesn't make her any different from anyone of us who have snapped at our kids when they want us to fix their bicycle 5 minutes after finding out the furnace needs to be replaced. And ask Darrell Gwynn what kind of person Shirley Muldowney is.

Isolated? There is nothing isolated when it comes to Shirley being mean and nasty.

 

[None]

Let's clarify a few things. What you describe as "sour grapes" can also be defined as the response to a lack of acknowledgement and appreciation she has received from many after a groundbreaking career in which she literally altered the course of professional drag racing. All people want to talk about is her "surly, bitchy, disposition" which, as anyone who has been around the sport that long understands was her defense mechanism against the deep, hateful resistance she faced from Day 1. I don't blame her for feeling a bit betrayed. Your "proof" as you call it is flawed. First, Cory Mac, Dean Skuza, Mike Dunn, Jerry Toliver, Tony Pedregon, Doug Herbert, Larry Dixon (shall I continue?) all wanted to race much longer and were never able to "put anything together". Secondly, Shirley--up until a couple of years ago--was approached more than once to drive Nostalgia cars by several new teams but wisely decided that's not something that would be a good fit for her. Finally, Shirley is at an age where finding any kind of sufficient corporate sponsorship would be next to impossible. She has committed the mortal sin of living into her 70's.

Yes she is a great

Anybody that's been around the sport that long knows and understands that, Bill. My issue with her is the continued sour grapes. She's ground the axe so long that the handle is gone, and quite frankly, everybody got tired of hearing it a LONG TIME AGO. And if you want proof of that, you need look no further than the fact that she wanted to race much longer than she did and was never able to put anything together.

You reap what you sow, period.

Sean D

She would and will pick a fight, even when there was no fight there. She was paid "show up money" in Grand Bend, ON. She idles down the track on the first pass. Then refuses to bring the car out of the pits again.

 

[Jim]

They say "Success is the best revenge" She should have buried all the "stuff" by the time she won her third world championship.

 

[fatcat]

Wow, I asked an innocent question, and , KABOOM, way more response than I ever would have thought, wasn't aware of the "what I did...." quote. Followed Shirley during her era and was a great fan. I now compare her to Chuck Berry and how he evolved into a very bitter old man. Both he and Shirley experienced huge success, but were both screwed over by the system that rocketed them to extraordinary heights. We want our hero's to be super human and gracious, but we forget that they are in the end, human. They were on a pedestal, above the common and mundane. Some can handle it and some cannot, will always love and admire them both.

 

[autopro]

Did Shirley call Brittany ?

I must jump onto this thread. While the championship process has changed drastically over the years, winning this is still an accomplishment. Racers do not create the process. They choose to participate and no matter what, they race with the goal to win a championship. There are a lot of variables in this quest, many of which only a few have experienced and raced for. So with that being said, I am so happy for Brittany and still have respect for what Shirley accomplished. Both are true drag racers and are living what most of us can only imagine or dream of.

 

[stitcherbob]

there will always be the "in my day you had to walk to school, uphill, BOTH WAYS, in the snow" people that will denigrate any accomplishments that those who came after them achieve...
in other words...