In the context of drag racing, when most anyone hears the name “Shirley,” they instantly think of three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Shirley Muldowney. The story and fame that “Cha Cha” earned was enough to garner her own feature film and she remains to this day and likely forever more the quintessential face of women in drag racing. But unbeknown to many, Muldowney wasn’t the only Shirley on the block. And she wasn’t the first to win an NHRA national event either. No sir, that dubious honor belongs to the one and only Shirley Shahan.

Shahan, like Muldowney, has her very own unique story. She had learned to drive by the age of 10, and at a very early age was already working as a mechanic on her fathers racing machines. Shortley after receiving her drivers license, she was out on the streets terrorizing the men in her familys’ Studebaker pickup. At just 17 years of age, she married H.L. Shahan and the pair initially owned and raced a pair of cars: a ’55 Chevy and a 265-powered ’56 Chevy. Shirley drove the ’56 model to work ad then raced it on the weekends at the local dragstrip in Visalia, CA, where H.L. was the flag starter. In 1958, they bought a brand new Chevy in which she drove to victory at the very first Bakersfield March Meet in in ’59.

During her career, Shahan played the part of a mother of three, kept a day job at a Southern California gas company, and kept racing – even while pregnant.

It was in the mid 1960’s though that her career really began to soar to new heights. In 1965, she wa runner up in Top Stock at the Hot Rod meet in Riverside and another runner up at the 1966 AHRA Winternationals, ultimately grabbing top honors at the NHRA Winternationals that same year. It was at that point, on April 15, 1966, that Shahan quit her day job and hit the road for a tour of duty with her “Drag On Lady” Super Stocker, match racing all across the country as well as Hawaii and Mexico. Her newfound fame even found her featured on two nationally syndicated game shows during the 60’s.

The Shahan’s raced full time from for three seasons, from 1966 though 1968. During that time they campaigned a line of Mopars, but in late 1968, were approached by American Motors to run a ’69 AMX. From that point forward, the duo remained in the Los Angeles area, running under the banner of LA-area AMX dealers. In 1971, Shirley made he first foray into the professional ranks with a Pro Stock AMC Hornet, but was uncompetitive. When her husband received a new job building engines in Denver in 1972, she hung up her helmet for good, putting a cap on a successful career that spanned 19 years. While the Drag On Lady’s fame may not be on par with Shirley Muldowney, she shall forever be remembered as the original pioneer of women in drag racing.