Awards, Honors, and Milestones
First woman licensed by NHRA to drive a gasoline-burning Gas dragster, capable of speeds over 150 MPH in the quarter mile.
1965
1971 Won the International Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Southern Nationals in Rockingham North Carolina-Nitro Funny Car Class.
1972 Runner-up at the (NHRA) Southern Nationals in Rockingham, North Carolina-Nitro Funny Car Class
1975 Runner-up to Marvin Graham at NHRA Spring Nationals Columbus, Ohio -- June 15. First woman to advance to the finals of an NHRA national event in a professional category.

Broke 6.00 second barrier - first woman to do so during Popular Hot Roding Championships at Martin, Michigan, August 24, 1975. Time: 5.98 seconds.

Voted first woman member of 10-person Auto Racing All-America team by AARWBA (American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association.)
1976 Named Drag News Top Fuel Driver of the Year.

Voted to Auto Racing All-American Team for a second time.

Qualified number one with low elapsed time (6.03) and top speed (249.30 MPH) winning NHRA Spring Nationals, Columbus, Ohio-becoming the first women to win a professional title in national event competition-June 13.

Qualified number one with, low elapsed time (5.77) and top speed (249.30 MPH) winning NHRA WINSTON World Finals in Ontario, California-October 10.

Posted best elapsed time (5.77) and top speed (249.30 MPH) for the entire NHRA Season.
1977 Won 1977 WINSTON WORLD points CHAMPIONSHIP, becoming the first woman in history to claim -drag racing's most prestigious title.

Recipient of "Outstanding Achievement Award" from United States House of Representatives - October 14, 1977.

Named Drag News' Top Fuel Driver of the year for the second straight season.

Named Car Craft Magazine "Person of the Year" during annual Car Craft Awards Banquet, Indianapolis, Indiana.

First Top Fuel driver to win three NHRA national events back-to-back.
1978 Voted to Auto Racing All-America Team for third consecutive year, polling third highest number of votes among the 10 drivers selected.
1979 Voted into the 250 Mile Per Hour Club, one of four members, the other members have gone 250 once, Ms. Muldowney 5 Times, posted second fastest time of the year at 255.58 MPH.
1980 Won 1980 WINSTON WORLD points CHAMPIONSHIP, becoming the first person in history to claim drag racing's most prestigious title twice. 

Only Top Fuel driver with more than one national event win, placed second in the AHRA (American Hot Rod Association) World Championship.

  
1981 Won 1981 AHRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, becoming the first and only woman to do so. 

Voted to Auto Racing Al-America team for the fourth time.

Voted Car Craft Magazine All Star Team, Top Fuel Driver of the year.

Won MARCH MEET in Bakersfield, California-the first women to do so.
1982

Won 1982 WINSTON WORLD points CHAMPIONSHIP, becoming the first person in history to claim drag racing's most prestigious title three times.

Voted to Auto Racing All-America Team for the fifth time.

Voted Car Craft Magazine All-Star Team, Top Fuel Driver of the Year, for the second year in a row.

Won the Jerry Titus Memorial Award, given to the All-American team member receiving the greatest number of votes from the AARWBA membership.
1986 Recipient of the AARWBA "Comeback Driver of the Year" Award.
1989 Captured number eight position in the CRAGAR 4 -second Club with all time best elapsed time of 4.97 at 284.00 MPH

Won NHRA Fall Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona.
1992 Recipient of the United States Sports Academy, Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award, Presented annually to an individual who demonstrates courageous action in overcoming adversity to excel in sport.
1993 Set track record at Fuji International Speedway, Fuji,Japan (5.30 elaosed time at 285 MPH).
1996 One of only two people named to the AARWBA All-American second team.

Set new IHRA speed record at 294.98 MPH.

Placed second in the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Championship Series
1997 Voted to the United States Sports Academy's distinguished list of Top 25 Professional female athletes from the period of 1972-1997.  The voting took place through CNN and USA Today on-line and the Academy's website.  

Voted to the AARWBA 2nd. Team (American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association.)

Set new IHRA speed record at 303.71 MPH

Placed third in IHRA National Championship Points.
1998 Named by the New York State Senate as one of thirty "Women of Distinction" honored during the Women's History Month Exhibit along with Eleanor Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony.
1999 No Sponsorship - Full Match Race schedule
Advanced to the semi-final round-IHRA Northern Nationals at Stanton, Michigan
2000 

Won the Autofest 2000 New Year's Eve race against rival Don Garlits

Runner-up at the IHRA Performance Parts Nationals in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada.

Qualified number 3 with elapsed time of 4.78. Set new MPH track record and new IHRA national record for speed at 310 MPH.

Qualified number 1 at the IHRA Nationals in Cordova, Illinois, with an elapsed time of 4.74 at a career best speed of 319.22. Both marks were good for new track records.

Returned to NHRA's U.S. Nationals and Pomona, California World Finals, qualifying at both events. Click here for the Goosehead Indy Video
2001 In addition to Match Race schedule, qualified 12th at the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals with help from Action Performance Companies and MAC Tools.

Named 5th on NHRA Top 50 Drivers List.

Ran career best of 4.64 elapsed time 320.20 MPH
2002 Ran Five national events with sponsorship help from Action Performance Companies and MAC Tools.
2003 Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Retires with " Last Pass" Tour, concluding at Pomona with a HoleShot Win over Paul Romine in the First Round before losing to CoryMac in the 2nd Round. Shirley had the best Reaction Time of any Fuel Driver with a .023

Ran 6 races, including a Career Best 4.579 ET 327 MPH at Chicago's Fall Event where she advanced to the Semi-Finals.

2004 Inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame.

Named to Indy's 50th Anniversary Memorable Moment's No. 2: 1982, Top Fuel final: Shirley Muldowney's victory over former crew chief Connie Kalitta.

Named to World Finals 40th Anniversary Memorable Moment's No. 5: 1980, Muldowney wins four-way Top Fuel title fight.