Roberta Leighton

Roberta Leighton
Born(1932-04-27)April 27, 1932
Los Angeles, California
DiedNovember 15, 2002(2002-11-15) (aged 70)
Ridgecrest, California
Gas

Roberta Maxine Leighton (née Haslam; April 27, 1932 – November 15, 2002) was an American drag racer. She was the first woman licensed by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to race competitively. She was also the first woman to win a national title, in the 1962 U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, in the J/S class. In 2002, shortly before her death, she received a lifetime achievement award at the World Finals at Pomona.