Women racers enjoy breakthroughs

Danica Patrick became the first woman to win an IndyCar Series title.

Ashley Force is the first woman to lead the NHRA Funny Car standings.

What's next? A woman president?

Each has taken too long to achieve in what once was a man's world.

It's not shocking Patrick took the checkered flag for breaking the gender barrier last weekend in Japan when her crew chief's fuel mileage calculations paid off and she did her job to perfection.

A victory is a victory, and it was a great stride to become the first woman to win a major oval track race.

A bigger challenge for Patrick, however, will be if she can keep all her clothes on for photo sessions the rest of the year. Loved her layout in Sports Illustrated's annual Swimsuit Edition, but men and women should show skin only if that's their lone attribute.

It also was unnecessary for Cup driver Carl Edwards to go topless over the weekend during a bit for ESPN while hiking in Mexico City. Given a choice, I'll take Edwards' pectorals over Patrick's pictorials if I can't have both.

The melodrama about whether American open-wheel racing ever would unite also is over.

The Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday was the final race for the defunct Champ Car World Series. The series finally is dead; may it rest in pieces. No more explaining the difference between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series.

Let the soap operas in open wheel be cast to the junk heap with whatever remains from Champ Car.

The IRL is in a great position to pass a tire-smoking National Hot Rod Association and move into the No. 2 spot behind NASCAR in popularity.

Earlier this year, Graham Rahal -- son of racing great Bobby Rahal -- won an IndyCar race at age 19 to become the youngest winner ever.

Blend in Patrick's accomplishment with the series' merger, and the May 25 Indianapolis 500 could provide the excitement and interest that has been lacking since the IRL created the split in 1996.

The drama about when -- or if -- Patrick would win a race gets its happy ending. Let's move on and treat her like other racers regardless of which restroom they use.

It is premature, however, to save a spot for her in any hall of fame. The greatest female racer ever remains Janet Guthrie, who competed against the best men in open wheel and NASCAR. That was in an era when a woman's place in racing was being the trophy girl in Victory Lane.

In 1977, Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for and compete in the Indianapolis 500 after becoming the top rookie in NASCAR's Daytona 500 that year. She finished ninth at Indy in 1978 when it was America's great race.

The past week has been a great one for women drivers.

The day before Patrick's victory, Las Vegas resident Jamie Little proved she can drive as well as conduct pit-road interviews. The Green Valley High grad battled NASCAR veteran Mike Skinner to win the Pro/Celebrity race at Long Beach, Calif.

The day after Patrick won, Simona De Silvestro, a 19-year-old from Switzerland, won the Toyota Atlantics developmental race at Long Beach.

And presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton romped Tuesday in Pennsylvania's Democrat primary.

Gotta love those dames.

Now that Patrick has won, the biggest mystery is when Dale Earnhardt Jr. will end his 70-race winless streak in NASCAR Sprint Cup points races.

Women's week will continue Sunday when Earnhardt -- the male driver women most want to see naked -- wins at Talladega, Ala.

What a great time to be a woman, except for wearing pantyhose when the temperature reaches 100 degrees.

Jeff Wolf's motor sports column is published Friday. He can be reached at 383-0247 or jwolf@reviewjournal.com.