The movie made about Shirley had the race happening at night and her running around on fire; that's Hollywood for ya.

FORD FIEASTA HONDA PRELUDED US.] (R,.) X

i’m only 14 but met her today in atlanta

I read somewhere that Shirley Muldowney was the last Top Fuel driver to use a manual clutch, instead of whatever automatic thing everyone was switching to. Bottom line, her left foot was still better than at least the early versions of those auto clutches.

This video is a bit misleading, appearing that she was racing against someone else. It was a qualifying run; she was the lone car in the left lane that went down to the little ditch that was there. The car just blew apart with parts flying everywhere. The engine ended right-side up lifting a large piece of the track owners' asphalt driveway out of place.
Her severe injuries resulted when the roll cage broke off right at her knees that hammered the ground every time she made contact with it, over and over again. Oddly, there wasn't even a guardrail in place where she went off the track- it would've ended differently for sure.
I was standing right at the traps and saw the whole thing happen right in front of me. It was one of the scariest things I ever saw at the time. It was like I had just witnessed an airplane crash. I ran over to within a close distance to where she finally stopped rolling through the air. She was wearing one of those rather large fire suits and was still conscious, but barely. When she saw her pit crew guy looking back at her, still in the roll cage, she said "How do I look?", and he said, "as ugly as ever!". Then, she passed out and the rescue team moved very carefully to get her out of the cage. They had to cut her helmet off because of swelling. I found it odd that she would say that, but she was probably quite concerned about any bad gashes to her face- she was an attractive woman. I didn't realize how badly she was injured because the initial crash didn't knock her out. I believe she stayed at the hospital in Montreal for quite a while (2 months?) before they would let her leave to recover in the USA.
I'll never forget that crash and still can't believe she survived it….

"Cha Cha"

Wonderful she is still here w/ us at 80 yrs. old

And the track clowns. Got piss off because they couldn't do there JOb.

They band the bounty hunter for this reason why let her burn connie tried to save her ass.

Girl drivers! Am I right?

I wanna see the crash.

She was putting on her makeup

I think it about a month before that happened, I lettered more sponsors on her trailer at Beatles shop, I was pulling a late night lettering a Funny Car when some of the other Car's came back in, that was the first thing out of there mouths, Shirley got hurt, she was never the same after, that was a Big loss.

I actually had the privilege of meeting and talking with her as a 10yr. Old kid at Green Valley Raceway in Texas several times while roaming the pits, still have all the signed memorabilia from her and all the legends of drag racing.

yet, Dawn Conti,you are here watching it!
Clickbait anyway.No blood!

I remember that. She never really recovered from that. And i think it shortened her carear

I had the misfortune of meeting Shirley at the firebird raceway when I was ten the night before I watched heart like a wheel big fan I was in town for the Saturdays race asked her for an auto graph she in a rude manner said I don't sign autographs before the big race that ended my being a fan of hers I am however glad she was not killed in this crash

0:46 thats my brother Robert ( sunglasses, hands on knees ) he got Shirley to the hospital in his ambulance.
He retired after more than 30 years as a Paramedic last summer.

Man I miss Steve Evans, great guy

I was at sanaire race track near Montreal when this happened