zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Janet Guthrie, The First Woman To Qualify For The Indy 500, To Get Her Own Feature Biopic
Janet Guthrie, The First Woman To Qualify For The Indy 500, To Get Her Own Feature Biopic-February 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:58

Image for article titled Janet Guthrie, The First Woman To Qualify For The Indy 500, To Get Her Own Feature Biopic

Janet Guthrie made history in the late 1970s when she became the first woman to attempt, and then to qualify for, the iconic Indianapolis 500. It was an era where women were still barred from the garage, which meant Guthrie had an uphill battle to fight in many ways. Now, she’s getting her own future biopic, which is rumored to star Hilary Swank, reports.

The film will be based off of , which is in turn a gorgeous biography about Guthrie’s life and the place she carved for women in the world of motor racing.

The film is reported to come from Balcony 9 Productions, a Denver-based film company that’s known for producing short documentaries, many of which have been nominated and given awards. And if you’re not familiar with two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank, then go watch Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby right now.

“This is an incredible true story about female empowerment and going after your dreams” Deadline reports Swank saying. “When I was approached with Janet Guthrie’s story by the great team at Balcony 9, I immediately said yes. I can’t wait to bring her inspiring life to the screen.”

While Guthrie really hit the big stage with her Indy 500 debut, she had a frankly incredible career even before that. She was one of the few women to earn a degree in physics from the University of Michigan in 1960. She had a pilot’s license as a teenager. She was briefly considered to join NASA as an astronaut-in-training (but ultimately didn’t make the final cut). She lived out of her car for years while she went SCCA racing because she just loved racing that much. She’d already had a story worthy life by the time she first entered the Indy 500 at age 38—and that career still grew, briefly and furiously, after that point.

But the most important thing about her story is the fact that she unintentionally went to battle for all women everywhere, but especially in the motorsport community. I highly recommend reading her autobiography My Life at Full Throttle to hear her first-hand perspective on the backlash she encountered in both IndyCar and NASCAR.

I am, frankly, very freakin’ excited for this project and remain optimistic that Balcony 9 and Swank will do Guthrie justice.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Here's A Deep Dive Into That Batshit Insane Subaru WRX STI Type RA Record Car
Here's A Deep Dive Into That Batshit Insane Subaru WRX STI Type RA Record Car
My big gripe with open-wheel race cars is that they are so far removed from any car that I would ever own, drive or interact with that they bear little relevance to my life. Which is why Subaru’s WRX STI Type RA was so cool: it started out as a...
Feb 13, 2026
I Drove A Formula E Car And The Future Is Ridiculously Fun
I Drove A Formula E Car And The Future Is Ridiculously Fun
If you’re worried that electric cars will ruin racing, let me kill that thought once and for all. I got the rare chance to do something usually reserved for ex-Formula One and Le Mans drivers: drive a car. I stepped out of the car laughing like a madwoman because it...
Feb 13, 2026
The Home Race For Nearly Every Formula One Team Is Now In Doubt After 2019
The Home Race For Nearly Every Formula One Team Is Now In Doubt After 2019
Silverstone Circuit became the full-time home of the in 1987, but may not be for much longer. The British Racing Drivers Club, who owns Silverstone, initiated a break clause in their contract to stop hosting F1 after 2019, reports the , citing unaffordable hosting fees. BRDC chairman John Grant told...
Feb 13, 2026
NASCAR Driver Got His Team Involved In Secret Hidden Camera Home Recordings: Lawsuit
NASCAR Driver Got His Team Involved In Secret Hidden Camera Home Recordings: Lawsuit
Reports of a lawsuit alleging that hid cameras in private areas of his family home came out last week, but details were vague. Jalopnik now has a copy of the lawsuit, and the allegations—including 24/7 DVR recording and his race team having access to the feeds—are incredibly bizarre. Last week,...
Feb 13, 2026
Acura Continues Triumphant Return To Ass-Kicking With A New Prototype In 2018
Acura Continues Triumphant Return To Ass-Kicking With A New Prototype In 2018
America’s fancy-Honda brand Acura is getting back into racing prototypes with a two-car Team Penske IMSA DPi effort, announced today. Acura last raced a purpose-built racing prototype when the American Le Mans Series was still a thing at the start of this decade, but those cars were later rebranded as...
Feb 13, 2026
Here's Formula One's Latest Attempt At Closing In The Cockpit
Here's Formula One's Latest Attempt At Closing In The Cockpit
Get ready for another round of Formula One’s —if you—because the FIA recently shared photos of its newest idea for cockpit protection: the shield. It’ll be tested at the British Grand Prix Friday, and the Verizon IndyCar Series is already looking at something similar. That sounds like a quick turnaround...
Feb 13, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved