Drivers pay more attention to conditioning now than when I raced. You need endurance, resistance to heat, and reasonably good muscular strength. But what you really need is your mind and spirit. On the racetrack, you must have concentration, judgment, desire, and emotional detachment. Racing is a matter of spirit, not strength.
Janet Guthrie was the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, both in 1977.
