Evening With A Legend: Margie Smith-Haas

In this episode of Evening With A Legend, Crew Chief Eric from the Motoring Podcast Network hosts trailblazer Margie Smith-Haas to discuss her groundbreaking journey in motorsports, particularly her contributions to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As the first American woman to compete in this iconic race, Margie shares her origins in auto racing, starting with drag races in her father's Buick Electra, progressing to professional racing at the age of 28, and finally making her historic mark at Le Mans in 1984 and 1985. She provides an in-depth look at her early career, including meeting her late husband Paul through racing, her transition from amateur to professional racing, and pivotal moments that led to her participation at Le Mans. Margie recounts her challenges, mechanical skills, and significant support from influential figures like Wayne Baker, Dan Gurney, and Juergen Barth. She reflects on the lessons learned at Le Mans, her achievements such as winning the ACRL championship, and her ongoing impact on women in motorsports, including her recent interactions with the Iron Dames and her involvement in a Porsche promotional film celebrating women's achievements in racing. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00 Meet Margie Smith-Haas: A Trailblazer in Motorsports 01:49 Margie's Early Racing Days 02:42 Racing with Wayne Baker and Meeting Paul 04:23 Paul's Influence and Margie's Path to Le Mans 06:41 Challenges and Triumphs at Monza and Brands Hatch 15:19 Preparing for Le Mans: Lessons from Daytona 20:21 First Impressions of Le Mans 1984 23:21 Qualifying Struggles and Overheating Issues 25:29 A Night of Challenges and Tragedy 26:52 Reflecting on the 1984 Le Mans Experience 29:29 The 1985 Le Mans Attempt 32:44 Transition to ACRL and Championship 38:43 Legacy and Impact on Women in Racing 42:45 Final Thoughts and Gratitude ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: Visit Our Website Become a VIP at: Patreon Online Magazine: Gran Touring Follow us on Social: Instagram To learn more about or to become a member of the ACO USA, look no further than www.lemans.org, Click on English in the upper right corner and then click on the ACO members tab for Club Offers. Once you become a Member you can follow all the action on the Facebook group ACOUSAMembersClub; and become part of the Legend with future Evening With A Legend meet ups.