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-May 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
Secret Fords And The Story Of The 1980s Ford WRC Car That Never Made It
Secret Fords And The Story Of The 1980s Ford WRC Car That Never Made It
I’ve been reading a new book that author and car designer Steve Saxty sent over for me to review, , and it’s a great look into the development of Fords that reached production, as well as a bunch that didn’t. Included in that is the story of the infamous...
May 23, 2026
Mazda Will Discontinue IMSA Prototype Program At The End Of 2021 Season
Mazda Will Discontinue IMSA Prototype Program At The End Of 2021 Season
IMSA is getting beat up in the ring lately. With the collapse of its factory-supported GTLM category, the sanctioning body has already had to pivot its GT classes to a more affordable GTD-based program. Friday’s announcement that at the end of the 2021 season and would not be pursuing...
May 23, 2026
Fernando Alonso Might Have A Broken Jaw After Getting Hit By A Car While Cycling: Report
Fernando Alonso Might Have A Broken Jaw After Getting Hit By A Car While Cycling: Report
Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso has been taken to a hospital after being hit by a car while cycling, according to a report. The incident occurred on a road in Switzerland. Details are a little sparse but : The Spanish driver of the Alpine Renault was hit by...
May 23, 2026
Every Hatchback Should Be Powered By A GSX-R Engine
Every Hatchback Should Be Powered By A GSX-R Engine
Every single compact hatchback on the market needs to be powered by a 1-liter 11,000 rpm Suzuki screamer sitting behind the driver and powering the rear wheels. This is the truest fact in the universe, and I will not hear any argument to the contrary. This Citroën is the purest...
May 23, 2026
Aussie Supercars Is Setting The Standard For Streaming Motorsport
Aussie Supercars Is Setting The Standard For Streaming Motorsport
There are so many different streaming platforms these days that nobody seems to be able to agree where their motorsport product should be broadcast. Terrestrial television is a non-starter, and cable goes out to far too few households these days, so what is a series to do? Hell, NBC...
May 23, 2026
F1 Will Test Sprint Races This Season, Freeze Engine Development Next Year
F1 Will Test Sprint Races This Season, Freeze Engine Development Next Year
Formula 1's 10 constructors support Saturday sprint races at “selected” grands prix this year, orgaizers announced following a Thursday commission meeting. Additionally, F1 will freeze power unit development beginning in 2022, a year earlier than originally planned, until the start of the 2025 season when new regulations will kick...
May 23, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved