There are few individuals in drag racing history more famous than Shirley Muldowney. Known as the “First Lady of Drag Racing”, Muldowney was the first woman in history to win a professional drag racing championship in 1977, and went on to do it two more times before she hung up her helmet in the 2000’s. By way of her many accomplishments that made her a mainstream star, memorabilia from her legendary driving career is still sought after. But beyond helmets and driving suits, what if you could fill your garage with an entire race car that Muldowney once piloted?
Well, believe it or not, you actually can.
For at least the second time in the last few weeks, a real, honest-to-goodness Top Fuel dragster that Muldowney drove during the 1990 season is up for auction on eBay, with a price of just under $11,000 at press time.
At the beginning of the 1990 NHRA Winston Drag Racing season, Muldowney found herself without a sponsor lined up after her deal with Performance Automotive Wholesale came to a close a couple of months prior. Longtime team owner Larry Minor, likewise, had a car being built by Swindahl and a potential sponsor in Otter Pops lined up, but no driver. At the U.S. Nationals the prior year, Muldowney’s husband, Rahn Tobler had shared with Minor that their sponsorship situation would be ending and if he needed a driver, to keep Muldowney in mind.
Minor and Muldowney met ahead of the Winternationals that year, struck a deal, got Otter Pops owner Paul Pope onboard, and went racing with what’s believed to be the car you see here.
The 300-inch wheelbase dragster, which had the motor set back eight-inches and the cockpit back 16-inches, has been — according to the eBay ad — positively identified by Muldowneys’ son, John. Reportedly, this chassis defeated Darrell Gwynn at Phoenix in 1989 and was one half of the NHRA’s first side-by-side four-second race opposite of Joe Amato at Maple Grove in the fall of 1989.
Of course, the authenticity is hard to judge for anyone that wasn’t hands-on with the car, as it’s undergone some significant changes since last being raced in Top Fuel in 1990 or ‘91. In particular, the chassis has been repainted pink from the black that it was under Muldowney’s tutelage, the Otter Pops paint scheme is gone, and modern front wheels have replaced the airplane-style wheels used at the time.
As per the seller, the car is going as a roller, with a 6.00 cert that would allow it to compete in Top Dragster or a lower category. That is, if someone actually wanted to race it rather than restore it or keep it as a museum-type piece. The blown Hemi powerplant, unfortunately, is being saved for another day rather than going with the car, but nevertheless, the chassis alone is a collector piece (it has been 25 years since this car raced in Top Fuel, after all) from a legend like Swindahl. Throw in that this car has been in the fours when fours weren’t all that common, and the cockpit graced by a legend like Shirley, and you have quite an intriguing eBay ad.