Lyn St. James(Hilton Head Island, SC) — The Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival proudly announced that two of the most influential women in sports history will be in attendance at this year’s event. Lyn St. James, the first female Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, and Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in both the Indy 500 and Daytona 500, will make appearances throughout the weekend. Both Lyn St. James and Janet Guthrie have a stake in automobile racing history. They have each set various records in racing and have become inspirations for all. Sports Illustrated has recognized […]
Lyn St. James
(Hilton Head Island, SC) — The Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival proudly announced that two of the most influential women in sports history will be in attendance at this year’s event. Lyn St. James, the first female Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, and Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in both the Indy 500 and Daytona 500, will make appearances throughout the weekend.
Both Lyn St. James and Janet Guthrie have a stake in automobile racing history. They have each set various records in racing and have become inspirations for all. Sports Illustrated has recognized both drivers for their achievements by awarding them with various honors such as “Top 100 Women of the Century.”
“The Concours d’Elegance is thrilled to have both Lyn St. James and Janet Guthrie in attendance for this year’s event,” said Carolyn Vanagel, Executive Director of the Concours. “With their outstanding records and ground breaking accomplishments, these women bring a great deal of notoriety to this event.”
Lyn St. James and Janet Guthrie will be participating in several of the events throughout the weekend including Thursday night’s (November 2) “Classics of Indy” VIP Reception at Porsche of Hilton Head in the New River Auto Mall, Vintage Track Day at Roebling Road Raceway, November 2-3, and Saturday and Sunday’s (November 4-5) events on Honey Horn’s event grounds. In addition, Lyn St. James will be moderating an educational panel on the importance of automobile education and the career opportunities in the motor sports industry from 10:00am to 11:30am on Saturday, November 4.
After graduating from the University of Michigan and working as an aerospace engineer, Janet Guthrie decided to make a career change. She began racing full time in 1972, and by 1976 she was being invited to compete in Indy and NASCAR events. During her career, Janet Guthrie competed in 33 NASCAR races, finishing as high as 6th place, and 11 Indy races, finishing as high as 5th. Inducted in to the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame, Guthrie is a living testament to the influence that women have had in sports.
Like Guthrie, Lyn St. James has had many accomplishments over the years and has been named one of the “Top 100 Women of the Century” by Sports Illustrated. She was the second woman in history to complete the Indy 500 and did so at the age of 45. Taking 11th place in the event, she was selected as the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year in 1992. With her determination and positive outlook, Lyn St. James has become a powerful influence for people all over.
Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival
This year’s fifth anniversary event will be better than ever and will take place on Hilton Head the weekend of November 2-5, 2006 on the historic Honey Horn event grounds (part of the Coastal Discovery Museum).
Over 350 unique cars will be showcased throughout the weekend, with different cars and exhibits each day. Kicking off the weekend is Vintage Track Day at Roebling Road Raceway spanning two full days with an Indy 500 reunion, performance car exhibitions and hot lap rides with certified drivers. Saturday will host an array of various activities that will be fun for families with children of all ages. The Car Club Jamboree with music, food and fun plus the first day of the Quest for Speed & Style, an interactive exhibit of international automotive speed, are just some of Saturday’s features.
In addition, the Worldwide Group’s Hilton Head Auction will feature a diverse selection of high quality (valuing more than $10 million) automobiles on the auction block. Sunday will feature the centerpiece of the entire weekend, the Concours d’Elegance, a ‘Best of Show’ competition featuring the Honored Marque, the Cars of Indiana. An added feature to this year’s event – the First-Ever Concours d’Elegance Fashion Show being held Friday, November 3 at the Sea Pines Country Club – will showcase vintage fashions along with the latest trends in women’s apparel.
The Hilton Head Concours is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the historical significance of the automobile. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hhiconcours.com or call 843-785-SHOW (7469).
