Betty Skelton, often hailed as the “First Lady of Firsts,” was a pioneering figure in American motorsports, breaking barriers for women in a male-dominated industry. Born on June 28, 1926, in Pensacola, Florida, Skelton initially made a name for herself in the world of aviation, setting records and performing death-defying stunts. However, by the late 1940s, her passion for speed and risk propelled her into the automotive world, where she would leave an indelible mark.
Skelton’s aviation career opened the door to her automotive career. Skelton moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1951 and piloted charter flights, including for NASCAR racers, where she met Bill France Sr., the founder of NASCAR. He invited her to Daytona Beach, Florida, during speed week in February 1954. There, she drove the pace car at Daytona, then climbed into a Dodge sedan and was clocked at 105.88 mph (170.40 km/h) on the beach sand, setting a stock-car speed record for women. Skelton had discovered her second passion.
Her first major foray into automotive fame was in 1954 when she was granted an Automobile Association of America auto race driver’s license, as the first woman with that distinction. She became the first female test driver in the auto industry in 1954 with Chrysler’s Dodge division. After that, she became the auto industry’s first woman to serve as a test driver. She guided a jump boat over a 1955 Custom Royal Lancer on a ramp at Florida’s Cypress Gardens and she was part of a team that drove a 1955 Dodge to 395 new records at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
In 1956, Skelton became an advertising executive with Campbell-Ewald and worked with General Motors on and in their TV and print ads. Skelton was invited by General Motors to test drive the Chevrolet Corvette, then a new model still gaining traction. Impressed with her skills and star power, GM selected Skelton as a spokesperson and one of the first test drivers for the Corvette, effectively making her the first woman to officially drive and promote the car. She became synonymous with the Corvette, appearing in advertisements and driving the model in high-profile events, helping to boost its image as a fast and stylish sports car.
Her partnership with Chevrolet was only the beginning. Skelton set three women’s land speed records at the Daytona Beach Road Course, the last one being 156.99 mph (252.65 km/h) in 1956. That same year, Skelton broke a transcontinental speed record, driving from New York to Los Angeles, covering 2,913 miles in 56 hours, 58 minutes. Two years later, she crossed South America from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, Chile, in 41 hours, 14 minutes. She competed in races across the Andes mountains in South America and drove the length of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. She set records at the Chelsea Proving Grounds. In 1965, Art Arfons offered Skelton a chance to drive his Green Monster — Cyclops, a race car powered by a J-47 jet engine, on the Bonneville Salt Flats. She went on to set the Women’s Land Speed Record with a 276 mph (430 kph) average — while posting a one-way run of 316 mph (509 kph).
Skelton’s expertise and fearlessness eventually led her to serve as an honorary NASA astronaut in the 1960s, and though this was a nod to her aviation and endurance accomplishments, it underscored her ongoing influence across high-speed professions. Her involvement with NASA further raised her profile as an advocate for women in high-speed and high-performance industries, from car racing to space exploration.
Throughout her automotive career, Skelton continued to push the boundaries of what women could achieve in motorsports. She helped break down stereotypes, encouraging other women to follow in her tire tracks. She was inducted into several halls of fame, not only for her record-breaking feats but also for her broader contributions to automotive culture.
Betty Skelton’s legacy remains a powerful reminder of the impact one determined individual can have in changing perceptions and expanding possibilities, especially for women in competitive, male-dominated fields. Her life’s work in the automotive world—marked by speed, skill, and an unrelenting passion for performance—cemented her place as one of the most influential figures in American motorsports history.
