.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}@media all and (max-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{width:auto!important;clear:none!important;float:none!important))You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Greek. (March 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Greek article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 356 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Greek Wikipedia article at [[:el:Πόλα Μέρφι]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template ((Translated|el|Πόλα Μέρφι)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Paula Murphy (June 16, 1928 – December 21, 2023) was an American automobile driver who was first and/or fastest in many speed endeavors. In 1975 she was described as “the fastest woman on wheels” by the New York Times.[1]

Biography

Paula Murphy was born in Ohio on June 16, 1928,[2] and moved to California in 1956.[3]

As of 1975, Murphy had been "the only woman to have been allowed to drive an Indy car at speed on the track. That had been in 1963"[4] in a Studebaker car with a Novi engine.[5]

Murphy was also "the first woman to drive a jet-engined car on the Salt Flats".[6]

Murphy was also the "first woman licensed to drive a nitromethane-fueled car"[7] and the first woman to have a fuel funny car license from the National Hot Rod Association.[3]

In the 1960s and 1970s she set numerous speed records, including a Mexico to Canada route, a New York to Los Angeles route, the women's land speed record, and the NASCAR women's speed record.[3] She became part of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2017.[8]

Murphy appeared as a guest on the December 1, 1963, episode of What's My Line?, introduced as "test car driver".[9]

Murphy died on December 21, 2023, at the age of 95.[10][1]

References

  1. ^ a b Traub, Alex (December 26, 2023). "Paula Murphy, Once 'the Fastest Woman on Wheels,' Dies at 95". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "Paula Murphy". www.mshf.com.
  3. ^ a b c "Paula Murphy". Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  4. ^ Pash, Phil (April 13, 1975). "Only Woman Who Drove There Prefers Back Seat at Indianapolis". The New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  5. ^ "Paula Murphy". Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "The Shoe and Miss STP are Back!". Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "Paula Murphy". Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  8. ^ "Paula Murphy". Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  9. ^ What's My Line? - Colonel Sanders; Alan King; Martin Gabel [panel] (Dec 1, 1963), retrieved May 28, 2023
  10. ^ Taranto, Steven (December 21, 2023). "Paula Murphy, trailblazing female race car driver, dies at 95". CBS Sports.

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