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Deborah Renshaw-Parker
Renshaw in 2004 at Michigan International Speedway
Born	Deborah Renshaw (1975-10-28)October 28, 1975 (age 49) Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S.
NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career
38 races run over 2 years
2005 position	24th
Best finish	24th (2005)
First race	2004Built Ford Tough 225 (Kentucky)
Last race	2005Ford 200 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Statistics current as of February 27, 2007.

Deborah Renshaw-Parker (born October 28, 1975)^[1] is an American formerNASCARCraftsman Truck Series driver.

Renshaw grew up inBowling Green, Kentucky and has two brothers.^[1] She raced and drove in several types of motor vehicles (motorcycles, ATVs, and eventuallyLegends cars).^[1] She attended a 1996 driving school for Legends at Charlotte and at performance driving schools in Charlotte and Atlanta in 1998.^[1] Renshaw graduated fromNorthwood University in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in Business and an associate degree in Automotive Marketing.^[1] She began racing in the Late Model Stock class at Highland Rim Speedway finishing second the 1999 Rookie of the Year standings.^[1]

Renshaw first participated in NASCAR when she began racing in theNASCARDodge Weekly Series in 2000.^[1] In two seasons, she finished in the top 10 three times and also set a qualifying record when she won the pole atRiverview Speedway.^[1] She also became the first woman to ever lead a NASCAR sanctioned series atNashville Fairgrounds Speedway in 2002.^[1] Later that summer, she gained the spotlight when some fellow drivers entered a car in a race for the sole purpose of finishing behind her so her car could be protested. She sat out the next two races but resumed the season and ended up finishing tenth in the race for the track championship.

According to the bookAlong For The Ride byLarry Woody (Chapter "Lap XIX: Women,Wendell andWillie"), "[Mark] Day admitted early on that he was not convinced that women belonged on a race track" but that his problem was not with Renshaw because she was female, instead because she was a "bad driver." The protest covered both Renshaw and her male teammate Chevy White. Woody noted that track promoter Dennis Glau had "gotten wind of the scheme prior to the race" and contacted NASCAR, who instructed him to disallow the protest. Her father Dan Renshaw, however, felt there was nothing to lose and allowed officials to search the engine. A minor violation was found and her car was declared illegal.

Renshaw would spend the 2002 season in theARCA RE/MAX Series, where she finished in the top ten three times. However, during her tenure there, she was involved in an accident that claimed the life of fellow driverEric Martin, another controversial event during her career. After Martin had originally spun out during a practice session in Charlotte, he was alive and talking to his crew over the radio. Three cars that approached Martin's car were unaware that he was there because their spotters were not in the stands; however, they avoided Martin's car as it slowly rolled across the track and into the wall. Nearly fifteen seconds after it came to rest Renshaw, also without a spotter, collided with him at full speed, causing Martin's death.^[2] The incident prompted a mandate for spotters whenever their driver was on the track in NASCAR and ARCA.

Renshaw ran in 14 of the last 15 races of the2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, driving the #29Ford F-150 forK-Automotive Motorsports. Although she finished no higher than 15th in any race, she became the first woman to ever lead a race in the series when she led one lap in theDarlington 200. Renshaw joined Bobby Hamilton Racing'sdriver development program in December 2004. ReplacingChase Montgomery in the #8, Renshaw became the first woman to ever attempt a complete schedule in one of NASCAR's three premier series, missing only one race in the2005 season. She had two top-ten starts, the highest being 8th atNashville Superspeedway in August. Her final position in the points standings was 24th.

Afterwards, Renshaw's future with Bobby Hamilton Racing (BHR) was unknown. BHR was forced to search for a replacement forEasyCare, who pulled out as the primary sponsor. Furthermore, the team announcedBobby Hamilton Jr. was going to run a limited schedule in the truck for the2006 season, with Montgomery returning for the first race at Daytona; no plans for Renshaw were announced. Finally, on February 1, 2006,The Tennessean reported the pullout by EasyCare cost Deborah her ride at Bobby Hamilton Racing, which effectively ended her racing career.^[3] In November 2006, she married NASCAR crew chiefShawn Parker.^[4]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

• Deborah Renshaw driver statistics at Racing-Reference

• 1975 births
• ARCA Menards Series drivers
• American female racing drivers
• Living people
• NASCAR drivers
• Sportspeople from Bowling Green, Kentucky
• Racing drivers from Kentucky
• 21st-century American women
• Northwood University alumni

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