2006 – Indianapolis, Indiana
Race car driver, motivational speaker, author and volunteer, Lyn St. James has competed in the Indianapolis 500 seven times, winning Rookie of the Year in 1992. She has set 31 international and national closed circuit speed records, including a closed-course women’s world record by reaching 225.722 mph during qualifying for the 1995 Indy 500. She is the only woman to have ever won an IMSA GT race driving solo, to have two victories at The 24 Hours of Daytona and to have been on the winning team at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Her achievements off the race track are just as impressive. Lyn has been recognized by Sports Illustrated for Women as one of the Top-100 Women Athletes of the Century; and Working Women Magazine selected her as one of the “350 women who changed the world between 1976-1996”. Her accomplishments have earned her invitations to the White House to meet Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton. Lyn’s media career includes sports commentary for Showtime, ESPN and ABC and guest appearances on the David Letterman Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, the Bob Vila Show and many more. Features on her have appeared in many recognized publica-tions nationally and internationally. An in-demand speaker with three published books, Lyn has made presentations to and been endorsed by top American corporations including Walt Disney World, NIKE, GTE, The Ford Motor Company, Merrill Lynch, and JC Penney. She was recently asked to head the Motorsports Division at Capital Sports & Entertainment in Austin, TX. Philanthropic activities are a high priority for Lyn. In 1994, she founded the Lyn St. James Foundation which actively works on initiatives for women in the automotive industry including motorsports. In 2003, she established the “Women in the Winner’s Circle” event to celebrate their achievements, and provide mentoring and leadership programs. She has served as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation and is active on many boards including NASCAR’s Diversity Council and Race Commission.
