“Women Who Have the Need for Speed” Panel Discussion presented by Racing in America @The Henry Ford

Indy 500 veteran, author, mentor and Phoenix resident Lyn St. James (founder of the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation, a not for profit established in 1994 to support women in the automotive and motorsports industries) in partnership with The Henry Ford exhibit “Racing in America”, (www.racinginamerica.com) will be moderating a panel discussion at the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction about women who have the “need for speed” and who love to drive fast cars.  Scheduled to participate on the panel are:

• Desire Wilson – world class racer and the 1^st woman race car driver to win a Formula One race – the British Aurora Series race in 1980;
• Melanie Troxel – the only woman to win in both NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car Divisions who holds the record for the fastest woman with a speed of over 200mph and was 2006 Women’s Sports Foundation Athlete of the Year;
• Jessica Brunelli – young, up and coming NASCAR driver who was featured in both television series “Changing Lanes” on BET and “NASCAR: The Next Generation” on SpeedTV;
• Denise McCluggage – sports car racing legend of the 50’s and 60’s, author, and automotive journalist who has raced against world class drivers such as Stirling Moss, Phil Hill, and Dan Gurney;
• Kenna Primm – Universal Technical Institute graduate who works for Roush Racing in Charlotte, NC.
• Christi Edelbrock – VP Business Development at Edelbrock Performance and vintage car collector and racer.

The discussion will provide background information on each of the panelists as well as information about the traveling exhibit on the history of women in racing that will be on display at the Arizona Science Center (www.azscience.org) January 1 – March 31, 2011.