Extremely Rare Lyn St. James Race Helmet Worn At 2000 Indianapolis 500
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:6800898 |
Very rare Lyn St. James helmet used and worn during the 2000 Indianapolis 500.
Lyn St. James had specialized in endurance racing and was a regular competitor at Daytona and Sebring, but it was not until 1992, at the ripe old age of 45, that she came to much wider attention.
She had raced in Trans-Am, which appeared on the IndyCar under-card, and had therefore begun to appear on the IndyCar teams’ radar screens. She duly tested for Dick Simon’s outfit and, despite h...er advanced years, was given the chance to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Having passed rookie orientation at the Speedway, she qualified 27th, and, at the time, only the second woman to qualify for the race (after Janet Guthrie), worked her way up to 11th at the chequered flag, and became the first female driver to be named Rookie of the Year.
Although appearances in the IndyCar series were only occasional, she became a regular in the 500. After retiring from the 1993 race, she qualified an excellent sixth the next year on a grid that contained four Formula 1 world champions. She finished 19th that year and in her four remaining Indy 500s she never improved on the 11th-place finish she had achieved on her debut. By her last appearance, in 2000, she was 53, the oldest driver to ever start the race. Her race ended in an accident on lap 70.
Lyn St. James had specialized in endurance racing and was a regular competitor at Daytona and Sebring, but it was not until 1992, at the ripe old age of 45, that she came to much wider attention.
She had raced in Trans-Am, which appeared on the IndyCar under-card, and had therefore begun to appear on the IndyCar teams’ radar screens. She duly tested for Dick Simon’s outfit and, despite h...er advanced years, was given the chance to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Having passed rookie orientation at the Speedway, she qualified 27th, and, at the time, only the second woman to qualify for the race (after Janet Guthrie), worked her way up to 11th at the chequered flag, and became the first female driver to be named Rookie of the Year.
Although appearances in the IndyCar series were only occasional, she became a regular in the 500. After retiring from the 1993 race, she qualified an excellent sixth the next year on a grid that contained four Formula 1 world champions. She finished 19th that year and in her four remaining Indy 500s she never improved on the 11th-place finish she had achieved on her debut. By her last appearance, in 2000, she was 53, the oldest driver to ever start the race. Her race ended in an accident on lap 70.
