Linda Vaughn

Last updated
Linda Vaughn
Linda Vaughn - Carb Day 2015 - Stierch.jpg
Vaughn at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2015
Born
Linda Faye Vaughn

(1943-08-11) August 11, 1943 (age 80)
Dalton, Georgia, United States
NationalityAmerican
Known for Motor racing

Linda Faye Vaughn (born August 11, 1942 [1] in Dalton, Georgia, United States [2] ) is an American motor racing personality who has been described as the "preeminent beauty queen of stock car racing", [3] and "The First Lady of Motorsports". [4]

Contents

Vaughn was named "Miss Queen of Speed at Atlanta International Raceway" aged 18 and has acquired many other titles since then, including Miss Hurst Golden Shifter. Vaughn has been a notable ambassador and promoter of various forms of American motor racing for several decades. [5]

She was chosen to be the queen of the 1961 Dixie 400. [4] Her height is 5 ft 1/2 in (1.54 m), but her measurements were 39-23-39 inches (99-58-99 cm) when she was chosen to be Miss Firebird in the first half of the 1960s. [4] In the 1970s, her measurements were 39-26-37 in (99-66-94 cm). [6] She married Billy Tidwell (drag racer) in 1972. [2] They divorced in 1986.

She appeared in the 1976 film The Gumball Rally , and the 1983 film Stroker Ace .

Linda Vaughn at the 1997 Indianapolis 500 LindaVaughn1997Indy500.jpg
Linda Vaughn at the 1997 Indianapolis 500

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Campbell</span> English racing driver and speed record holder

Major Sir Malcolm Campbell was a British racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times, using vehicles called Blue Bird, including a 1921 Grand Prix Sunbeam. His son, Donald Campbell, carried on the family tradition by holding both land speed and water speed records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorsport</span> Sport primarily involving the use of motorized vehicles

Motorsport, motorsports or autosports is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two-wheeled motorised vehicles under the banner of motorcycle racing, and includes off-road racing such as motocross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Hill</span> American racing driver

Philip Toll Hill Jr. was an American automobile racing driver. He was one of two American drivers to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, and the only one who was born in the United States. He also scored three wins at each of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring sports car races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce McLaren</span> New Zealand racing driver, designer and team owner

Bruce Leslie McLaren was a New Zealand racing car designer, driver, engineer, and inventor.

Arthur Eugene Arfons was the world land speed record holder three times from 1964 to 1965 with his Green Monster series of jet-powered cars, after a series of Green Monster piston-engine and jet-engined dragsters. He subsequently went on to field a succession of Green Monster turbine-engined pulling tractors, before returning to land speed record racing. He was announced as a 2008 inductee in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame three days after his death.

Paul Edward Goldsmith is a retired American racing driver. During his career he raced motorcycles, stock cars, and Indianapolis cars, achieving success in each discipline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Hanks</span> American racing driver

Samuel Dwight Hanks was an American race car driver who won the 1957 Indianapolis 500. He was a barnstormer, and raced midget and Championship cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parnelli Jones</span> American racecar driver and team owner

Rufus Parnell Jones is an American former professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race. In 1962, he became the first driver to qualify over 150 mph. He won the race in 1963, then famously broke down while leading the 1967 race with three laps to go in a turbine car. During his career as an owner, he won the Indy 500 in 1970–1971 with driver Al Unser, Sr.

William Henry Getty France was an American businessman and racing driver. He was also known as Bill France Sr. or Big Bill. He is best known for founding and managing NASCAR, a sanctioning body of US-based stock car racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave MacDonald</span> American racing driver

David George MacDonald was an American road racing champion noted for his successes driving Corvettes and Shelby Cobras in the early 1960s. At the age of 27, he was killed in the 1964 Indianapolis 500, along with fellow driver Eddie Sachs. In his four-year racing career, MacDonald competed in 118 races with 52 victories and 75 top-three finishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnie Allison</span> American racecar driver

Donnie Allison is an American former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned from 1966 to 1988. He is part of the "Alabama Gang", and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison and Clifford Allison. He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009. He will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Milton</span>

Thomas Milton was an American race car driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was notable for having only one functional eye, a disability that would have disqualified him from competing in modern motorsports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Meyer</span> American racecar driver

Louis Meyer was an American Hall of Fame race car driver who was the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Economaki</span> American journalist

Christopher Constantine Economaki was an American motorsports commentator, pit road reporter, and journalist. Economaki was given the title "The Dean of American Motorsports Journalism." He was an inductee of several halls of fame, including the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.

Thomas Paul Hinnershitz was an American race car driver. Hinnershitz was active through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s on dirt, asphalt and boards, driving "Big Cars", at that time slightly smaller versions of Indianapolis cars that could be raced on half mile dirt race tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Jenkins (drag racer)</span> American drag racer (1930–2012)

William Tyler Jenkins, nicknamed "Grumpy" or "The Grump", was an engine builder and drag racer. Between 1965 and 1975, he won a total of thirteen NHRA events. Most of these wins were won with a four-speed manual transmission. In 1972 he recorded 250 straight passes without missing a shift.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Fox</span> NASCAR team owner

Raymond Lee Fox, Sr. was an American engine builder, NASCAR car owner and NASCAR engine inspector. His cars won fourteen NASCAR Grand National Series events and sixteen pole positions. His son and grandson, also known as Raymond Lee Fox Jr and III, respectively, also were NASCAR mechanics, with Ray Fox III currently working with Team Penske.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Skelton</span> American aerobatic pilot, auto test driver, and advertising executive

Betty Skelton Frankman Erde was a land speed record holder and aerobatics pilot who set 17 aviation and automobile records. She was known as "The First Lady of Firsts", and helped create opportunities for women in aviation, auto racing, astronautics, and advertising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Senneker</span> American stock car racing driver

Bob Senneker is an American stock car racing driver from Dorr, Michigan near Grand Rapids. He is best known for racing on the American Speed Association (ASA) National Tour where he was the 1990 champion. Senneker's 85 wins was the most in series history. He has also raced in eight NASCAR Cup Series races between 1968 and 1983.

References

  1. "Linda Vaughn". Motorsports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Linda Vaughn Interview". Motor Trend . 4 January 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  3. Lew Freedman (14 March 2013). Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing. ABC-CLIO. p. 782. ISBN   978-0-313-38710-4.
  4. 1 2 3 Rob Kinnan; Linda Vaughn (15 October 2014). Linda Vaughn:The First Lady of Motorsports. Motorbooks. p. 1,29,40. ISBN   9780760346471.
  5. J.A. Martin; Thomas F. Saal (5 March 2004). American Auto Racing: The Milestones and Personalities of a Century of Speed. McFarland. p. 101. ISBN   978-0-7864-8389-1.
  6. Linda Vaughn at the body-measurements.com
  7. Linda Vaughn at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America