SEBRING, Fla. — Lyn St. James will have a busy two weeks in the racing industry, going from Arizona to Florida.
The 2020 inductee of the Sebring Hall of Fame, has been named Grand Marshal for IMSA’s SuperSebring weekend, March 15-18. St. James will also serve as the honorary pace car driver for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.
“This is truly an honor to serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver at Phoenix Raceway,” St. James said. “I’m hoping my presence and my story will continue to inspire future generations of women who seek more opportunities in racing.”
St. James will serve as grand marshal of the FIA WEC 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 17 and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 18. Among other honorary positions on the weekend, she will give the command to start engines before each race.
St. James has competed in 15 IndyCar races, including seven Indianapolis 500s. She is the second of nine women who have raced in the Indianapolis 500 and was the first woman to win Indy 500 rookie of the year. She has competed, has victories, and set speed records on racetracks around the globe, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of LeMans.
“Sebring International Raceway and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring have been such an important part of my career, both on and off the track,” said St. James. “I’m grateful for the honor of serving as the Grand Marshal of the 71st running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours. While I stopped competing on the track a bit ago, the timing has never been better for us to move forward in promoting opportunities for all who have either not previously had an opportunity or never realized they had a path to succeed in professional motorsports. I’m more engaged now than ever and proud to see the diversity of the entire workforce in motorsports, including in leadership positions as well as in technical and engineering roles.
“This industry leads all sports in the ability for men and women to compete at the same level on the same stage, and I’m proud to be able to help create opportunities for both women and men who want to be a part of the incredible motorsports industry.”