Barbara L. Hamilton (later Advey; August 17, 1941 – April 23, 2020) was an American pioneering woman drag racer. In 1963, she became the first woman licensed by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to race a supercharged gasser.
Early Life and Career
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Hamilton's first experience driving a blown car came in 1959 at age 17, when she drove a friend's supercharged 1934 Ford three-window coupe at a track in Erie, Pennsylvania, while still a high school senior. She later purchased a 1937 Willys coupe and built its blown 271-cubic-inch small-block Chevrolet engine herself.
NHRA Licensing and Barrier Breaking
Hamilton spent approximately two years petitioning NHRA officials for a license to drive a supercharged vehicle, receiving 20 rejection letters before the organization finally relented in 1964. She passed the NHRA licensing test in August 1964, becoming the first woman to earn a license in a supercharged race car.
Racing Career
Hamilton raced primarily in the C/Gas Supercharged and B/Gas Supercharged classes. She and her friend and racing partner Nancy Leonello (whom she met while working as a professional technical writer at TRW) towed the Willys behind Leonello's 1965 Impala to tracks across Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
Notable achievements include:
- Winning the C/Gas class at the 1966 NHRA Springnationals in Bristol, Tennessee
- Setting an NHRA national record drag racing time of 11.94 seconds
- Runner-up at the 1968 U.S. Nationals in C/Gas Supercharged
License Revocation and Restoration
In August 1967, NHRA unexpectedly revoked the supercharged competition licenses of Hamilton and several other women, including Paula Murphy. Hamilton traveled to NHRA headquarters in Los Angeles to appeal in person. After several months, the licenses were restored in January 1968.
Later Life and Legacy
Hamilton retired from racing in 1972 and married Dick Advey in 1973. The couple lived in Florida, where they enjoyed fishing. Her 1937 Willys coupe was housed at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida.
She was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2014, she received the Pat Garlits Memorial Award, which recognizes female sportsman racers who embody the spirit of Pat Garlits. In 2006, she served as Grand Marshal of the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion.
Hamilton authored a book about her racing career titled Supercharged, published in 2019.
She died at her residence on April 23, 2020, at the age of 78. Her pioneering career paved the way for later female drag racing stars such as Shirley Muldowney, Paula Murphy, and Della Woods.
