Shirley Muldowney named Grand Marshal of Jr. Drag Racing Western Conference Finals
TULSA, OK – Drag racing legend Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney has been named Grand Marshal of the 2016 NHRA 
Jr. Drag Racing Western Conference Finals, which will be held June 23-25 at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park. Track owners Todd Martin and Keith Haney invited the barrier-breaking, four-time world champion to add a hefty dose of drag racing royalty to their first major Jr. Drag Racing event.
“Shirley Muldowney is the perfect ambassador for our first Western Conference Finals,” Martin said. “Everyone in our sport knows and respects the battles she endured as a woman coming into a male-dominated world and fighting for the incredible successes she had in her driving career. She literally kicked in the door for female drivers.
“The NHRA now boasts the most diverse group of competitors in any major sport, thanks in large part to the trials and tribulations Shirley Muldowney went through, and if you look at the field of young racers attending this event, you’ll see hundreds of young girls out there racing every bit as hard as the boys. We’re thrilled to have her as our Grand Marshal.”
Leading the Jr. Drag Racing Western Conference Finals fits perfectly into Muldowney’s latest endeavor. The 75-year-old, who won NHRA championships in 1977, 1980 and 1982 and the AHRA crown in 1981, recently kicked off a new non-profit charity, Shirley’s Kids, which helps children in need at numerous NHRA communities across the United States. The 501(c)(3) entity is underwritten by drag racer Stan Holt and his wife Sheila, who own Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurants in Texas, so 100 percent of all donations go directly to the children.
“It’s a match made in drag racing heaven,” Muldowney said. “We can spread the message of Shirley’s Kids at one of Jr. Drag Racing’s biggest events of the year.
“I’m very honored that Mr. Martin and Mr. Haney asked me to be the Grand Marshal and I’m excited about visiting the track and meeting as many of these young drag racers as possible. If there are 1,000 racers there, I want to meet them all!
“Let me tell you, this is a very big deal for Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park and the city of Tulsa. I hope the politicians there appreciate the economic impact this event will bring to their city for many years to come.”
Competitors at the Western Conference Finals will compete for individual and team honors. Tracks in NHRA’s Divisions 4, 5, 6 and 7 will fill out the grids, all vying for a chance at drag racing glory and a coveted Wally trophy.
“I’ve watched my share of Jr. Drag Racing, and I can tell you these kids are amazing,” Muldowney said. “I wish I could have raced these little dragsters when I was 8 years old! What a kick!”
Created in 1992, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League allows kids between the ages of 5 and 17 to experience the thrill of motorsports competition in a controlled environment at tracks in each of NHRA’s seven geographic divisions. The league strives to create family involvement in drag racing at an affordable level. Many of the league’s former participants have gone on to compete in other NHRA classes. Top Fuel racer Shawn Langdon (the 2013 Top Fuel champion and a two-time Super Comp champion) and two-time and defending NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders are among the league’s most accomplished graduates.
