The Linda Sharp Page A woman competing in a man's world - and succeeding 'If a girl isn't willing to race seriously at any speed needed to win, then she shouldn't be on the track' Linda Sharp, from a contemporary article

Linda Sharp, from Smyrna Georgia, was working as a technical clerk in Western Electric's cable making plant at Norcross when she met Jim Fitzgerald, a long time engineer with the same company. Jim, who had been club racing for over 10 years when they met, was successfully campaigning his Datsun 2000 in D Production at the time. The racing scene appealed to Linda, and it was not long before she was working on Jim's team. This she enjoyed for a year, by which time she decided that the racing life was for her.

At that time, to obtain an SCCA licence, a driver had to complete two SCCA driving schools and compete well in six club races. At her second driving school, Linda was the only woman among 89 men. The sideways looks from her fellow students were soon dispelled when Linda completed the course as the top driver.

Around that time throughout the USA, there were only beteen five and ten women racing competitively (although between 25-30 women held National SCCA licences). Linda was apparemtly the only woman in the USA to own her own race car.

She acquired her red Datsun 2000 race car from Fitzy at the age of 20. The car had originally been prepared by Bob Sharp who sold the car to Fitzy who then campaigned it very successfully in D Productiion. (The car is believed to be one of Bob Sharp's five 'Salt Damaged Roadsters'). Fitzy's racing #23 was replaced by Linda's #22, although Jim was still to race the car at certain meetings under Linda's ownership. Linda's career went from strength to strength, her race style very similar to her mentor. She was regularly in the winner's circle in the SCCA's South Eastern Division and she also qualified well for the runoffs in successive years. Sadly, however, Linda's ultimate goal of a National Championship eluded her.

From racing, Linda followed in Fitzy's shoes as a race driving instructor at Road Atlanta, a career that lasted 20 years. In 1990 she became an automotive journalist for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. By the year 2000 she was nationally syndicated to more than 350 markets, via the Cox and New York Times wire service. She is also a featured writer in Car and Driver, Goodyear's Eagle Performance Report, Racing Milestones, Automotive Executive, and Corvette Fever  to name a few. Linda is also a syndicated radio talk show host on motorsport topics.

Rob Beddington

Credits/Acknowledgements My thanks go to Alan Poindexter for information included in this article. If you have any further information/images that you think would benefit these pages please E-Mail me or sign the Guestbook. Rob Beddington FITZY PAGES These pages and images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright ©1999 & 2000, Rob Beddington & The Classic Fairlady Roadster Register. Do not redistribute in any form without the prior permission of the owners.