Majority-women team becomes first to qualify for Indy 500

A team made up of mostly women qualified for the 105th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, marking the first time an organization with women sitting both in the driver’s seat and behind the owner’s desk has qualified for the race.

Paretta Autosport qualified Sunday under owner Beth Paretta and driver Simona de Silvestra, and will be one of the 33 cars racing next Sunday as the race returns to Indianapolis with limited attendance due to COVID-19 concerns.

“It was definitely hard qualifying yesterday and today,” de Silvestra said, while adding that she had faith in her team.

History made at @IMS!

The first time a female driver and female owner have qualified for the #Indy500 together! @OnHerTurf // @simdesilvestro // @ParettaSport pic.twitter.com/GhMwy9mGIW

— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 23, 2021

“I feel like we climbed a mountain together,” added Paretta.

The team as a whole, including its pit crew, is about 70 percent women, NPR reported.

The Indy 500 will return next Sunday with roughly 135,000 in attendance after last year’s event was held without spectators.

While Sunday’s advancement by Paretta Autosport was a milestone for women in the sport, the Indy 500 is no stranger to female contenders. The first woman to compete in the Indy 500 was Janet Guthrie in 1977, and in 2009 racer Danica Patrick came in third place in the race, becoming the highest-placing woman in Indy 500 history.

The first female owner of a winning Indy 500 car was Maude Yagle, who took the title in 1929.