St James honored with Spirit of Ford Award

By Marshall Pruett | May 23, 2021 10:30 AM ET

IndyCar and sports car legend Lyn St. James has received the prestigious Spirit of Ford Award. The honor comes on the same weekend the seven-time Indy 500 starter and 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year is being celebrated at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Florida.

“Lyn’s achievements on the track are special, but what she has done off the track is just as important to us in defining her legacy,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley (pictured above, with St. James). “Lyn, while racing for us, was also a consumer advisor to Ford on women’s issues, including educating women on the car-buying process and how to maintain their vehicles during their ownership.

“Today, she is channeling the same drive she had in breaking through barriers in her racing career to become a tireless promoter of opportunities for women and minorities in the racing world. And the sport and industry is better for it.”

Most of St. James’ career was spent in Ford-related machinery, with Ford/Cosworth IndyCar engines powering her strongest qualifying and race performances at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And prior to the start of her IndyCar journey, St. James represented the Blue Oval in SCCA Trans Am competition and won IMSA’s biggest endurance races, splitting her time between the GTO and GTP classes.

“Lyn has always been an exceptional advocate for Ford, and I’m proud to call her a friend,” said Edsel B. Ford II. “I have always been impressed by how hard she worked to be a successful driver. She has worked just as hard to give so many young drivers the same kind of mentorships that she had in her career. Lyn is a very worthy honoree of the Spirit of Ford Award.”

Beyond her career as a driver, St. James’ has added to her legacy with decades of fundraising to support women racers who’ve pursued career in racing, and serves on multiple diversity commissions across the FIA and NASCAR.

Past recipients of the Spirit of Ford Award include:

Bill Stroppe, 1988

Bob Glidden, 1989

Chris Economaki, 1990

Richard Petty, 1992

Bob Bondurant, 1993

Mario Andretti, 1994

Jackie Stewart, 1994

Bud Moore, 1995

Parnelli Jones, 1996

Jim Clark, 1997

Phil Hill, 1998