Customer Profile: THE Shirley Muldowney

July 2023 // Craig Park

Dog & Cat on blue pillow with white stars, behind them red drapes with white hanging lights and fireworks in the distance. Photo is 4th of July themed.

We have such interesting pets that devour our CountryPet Naturals foods and supplements! We feature them and we all get such a kick out of knowing our “pet customers” and alongside them are equally interesting pet parents -- and sometimes famous ones as well!

Last year, I camped out on the customer care phone line to meet customers and understand more about the business. One day, the phone rang, and I asked whom was I speaking to. On the other end answered, “Shirley Muldowney---and I need to order food for my Chihuahua, Missy.” I paused and responded, “THE Shirley Muldowney? The famous race car driver?” Indeed, it was. Now, I’m a racecar guy and Shirley, well, she is racing royalty and such a trailblazer for women in this and other sports.

Shirley Muldowney: A Trailblazer in Racing

Shirley has been a racer all her life and began street racing in Schenectady, New York. "School had no appeal to me. All I wanted was to race up and down the streets in a hot rod," she had said

She gained her Top Fuel racing license in 1973 becoming the first woman to do so. (Top Fuel dragsters are the most powerful, fastest accelerating racecars of all, covering a quarter mile in less than 3.7 seconds and having 11,000 horsepower.)

Shirley won an unprecedented three NHRA Top Fuel Dragster World Championships in 1977 becoming the first woman to claim drag racing's most prestigious title, and then again in 1980, and 1982. However, Shirley’s success met enormous opposition from those who felt drag racing was no place for women. A famous racer once said, “Now, if you ask who I have the most respect for, I'd say Shirley Muldowney. She went against all odds. They didn't want her to race Top Fuel, the association, the racers, nobody...just Shirley.” Shirley herself noted, "NHRA fought me every inch of the way, but when they saw how a girl could fill the stands; they saw I was good for the sport."

And she was not just competing, she was winning!!

Shirley has many awards and in 2001, Shirley was ranked number five on the NHRA 50th-Anniversary list of its Top 50 Drivers from 1951-2000.

Shirley and Missy: A Winning Team

Shirley has been a CountryPet Naturals customer since 2016, and still attends drag race meetings to this day with (almost as famous) Missy by her side, selling merchandise and signing autographs.

"I’m thankful to have a dog food that’s good for my little Missy and it’s something she likes and I can depend on that’s not full of junk. It’s a blessing not to be fighting the 'I don’t like my dinner' problem any longer."
- Shirley Muldowney

Congratulations Shirley, on your achievements. You overcame enormous obstacles and let nothing stand in your path to success as you charted your own course. We at CountryPet Naturals salute you and appreciate your business.

Our pets may be the center of our CountryPet Naturals family, but our pet parents are cool and very interesting as well!!