Tammy Jo Kirk
Kirk in 1997
Born	(1962-05-06)May 6, 1962 (age 62) Dalton, Georgia, U.S.
Achievements	1994Snowball Derby Winner
NASCARXfinity Series career
15 races run over 1 year
Best finish	45th (2003)
First race	2003New England 200 (New Hampshire)
Last race	2003Ford 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career
32 races run over 2 years
Best finish	20th (1997)
First race	1997Chevy Trucks Challenge (Disney)
Last race	1998Sam's Town 250 (Las Vegas)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0

Tammy Jo Kirk (born May 6, 1962) is an Americanstock car racing andmotorcycle racer. She was the first woman to race in theNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and later returned to NASCAR to run theBusch Series. She has not driven in NASCAR since 2003.

Kirk began her racing career in motorcycles at the age of 9,^[1] moving up through the ranks of the sport during her teenage years and finally reaching the peak of the sport, theA.M.A. Grand National Championship. She became the first woman in history to reach a Grand National Championship final when she earned a spot in the 1983 Knoxville Half Mile event.^[2] In 1986, she made history by winning a Class C flat track race inKnoxville, Tennessee.^[3]

After Kirk retired from motorcycle racing due to frustration about the refusal of companies to provide spare parts to a female competitor,^[4] she moved on to late model racing in 1989.^[5] Kirk joined theNASCARWinston All-American Challenge Series in 1991, becoming the first female driver to compete in the series.^[3] In 1994, she was named the Most Popular Driver in the series, which had been renamed the Slim Jim All Pro Series, and would finish seventh in series points two years later. Kirk became the second woman to win a NASCAR touring series event (the first beingShawna Robinson in 1988, in theGoody's Dash Series^[6]) when she won the 1994Snowball Derby, which was at the time a points race in the All Pro Series.^[3]

In 1997, Kirk made the next big step as she moved to theNASCARCraftsman Truck Series. She signed withGeoff Bodine Racing with Loveable, alingerie company, as the sponsor of her No. 7Ford F-150;^[7] the sponsorship was reported to be worth $1.2 millionUSD.^[1] She made her debut in 1997 at theWalt Disney World Speedway, qualifying 9th and finishing 24th; she was the first female driver to compete in the series.^[3] Two races later atPortland Speedway, she qualified 3rd.^[5] Her best finish that year was an 11th atHeartland Park Topeka. After theFederated Auto Parts 250, she was released, but was able to run one race apiece withMacDonald Motorsports andCircle Bar Racing. The race with Circle Bar came to a premature end when Kirk became uneasy in the driver's seat, claiming the pillows she was sitting on made it feel like she was "falling out of the seat" in the turns.^[8] When the season was over, she had run 19 of 26 races and had finished seventh in theRookie of the Year chase.^[3]

For 1998, she started her own team.^[3] Unfortunately, she only made thirteen starts because of a lack of sponsors for her No. 51 Ford. The season was marked with 6 DNF's. Her best finish that year was 13th atBristol. She finished 29th in points that year. Despite her best efforts, she still did not acquire any sponsors,^[9] and she shut down her team in 1999. She would not race in the Truck Series again; her best career finish in the series was 11th, atHeartland Park Topeka in 1997.^[3]

In 2003, she returned to NASCAR, driving the No. 49AdvilFord Taurus forJay Robinson Racing in the Busch Series. In 15 races, her best finish was 21st at theTrim Spa Dream Body 250.^[4] After the season was over, she was released from the ride; she retired from racing, and currently works as a motorcycle dealer in her hometown of Dalton.^[4]

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related toTammy Jo Kirk.

• Official website
• Tammy Jo Kirk driver statistics at Racing-Reference

• Living people
• 1962 births
• People from Dalton, Georgia
• Racing drivers from Georgia (U.S. state)
• AMA Grand National Championship riders
• NASCAR drivers
• American motorcycle racers
• NASCAR team owners
• American female racing drivers
• Female motorcycle racers
• 21st-century American women
• 20th-century American sportswomen

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
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