During the 80th running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious midget race, history was made when two women from Oklahoma, Kaylee Bryson and Taylor Reimer, comprised the front row for the 100-lap affair.
Fast-forward to January 2022 and Bryson continued to grab headlines by becoming the first woman to qualify for the finale in the 36-year history of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa. This year, Jade Avedisian captured the inaugural Fuzzy Hahn award for the best performance by a female driver and claimed rookie-of-the-year honors.
These noteworthy achievements were built on the efforts of other pathfinders who set the stage. In 1986, Bev Griffiths became the first woman to win a USAC-sanctioned race when she took the checkered flag at the Indianapolis Speedrome in a nationally televised event. After Griffiths’ seminal accomplishment many were taken by the talent of the late Kara Hendrick, who died from injuries suffered in a crash at the age of 22. Then came Shannon McQueen, who not only won a USAC Western States feature but was a series champion.
It seems that one very important person is commonly overlooked in the chronology of women who have pierced the gender barrier with USAC. Stevi Cederstrom lived mere blocks from Ascot Park in Gardena, Calif., and was a fan from an early age. How she made her way behind the wheel is a tale in itself.
There was a small track near Ascot called Lawndale. Cederstrom had a boyfriend who was competing at the time, but he left to join the Navy. While Tom Beall’s boy joined the service, he still wanted to spend time at the track. He asked Cederstrom if she might be willing to give racing a try. She didn’t blink. Today, she adds with a laugh, “I broke up with the boyfriend, but still raced his car.”
Cederstrom began racing at 15 years old and it was evident she had talent. While nomenclature changes over time, she was a two-time micro Grand National champion and won a title in a half-midget. It was time to climb the ladder. California had a vibrant TQ midget scene for years and eventually a group raced under the USAC banner.
Cederstrom had real success in TQs and calls this the time “of her greatest racing memories.” She was particularly strong at El Toro Speedway in Costa Mesa, and on Sept. 22, 1973, she became the last winner at Atascadero Speedway.
It was time to give full midgets a try and Cederstrom believes her first start came at Imperial Raceway in El Centro, Calif.
“They welcomed me,” she said. “I knew everybody anyway because I went to the midget and sprint car races at Ascot since I was in middle school.”
She raced with Lew Stoltz’s United States Racing Club at places such as Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino, and with that under her belt felt ready to give it a go with the USAC National Midget Series at Ascot.
The date was Sept. 6, 1976, and as she looked around the pit area it was clear, this was a tall order. The field included Mel Kenyon, Tom Bigelow and Bobby Olivero. She timed 11th in a 31-car field and made the show. Midget supervisor Shim Malone gathered the drivers for a meeting and announced to the group that Cederstrom had made history as the first woman to qualify for a USAC feature.
When the drivers dispersed, she remembers Billy Vukovich Jr. turning to her and saying, “Don’t mess it up.”
While others may have thought differently, Cederstrom didn’t think of this as a particularly historic moment.
“No,” she remembered. “Not at the time. It was more like good for you. It meant a lot to me, but I never thought of myself as a girl race car driver. I thought of myself as a racer. Every time they asked me to do a powder puff race, I would say not me kid. You get some women who know what the hell they are doing and I’ll do it. But not with these girls. I don’t have a death wish.”
On this night, she finished 13th in a race won by Jan Opperman. It was satisfying but her ultimate dream was to compete in the Turkey Night Grand Prix. She was at the big show, but couldn’t bump her way into the field.
In 1977, she was extended a unique offer. ABC television had launched a show called “Battle of the Sexes” and network officials reached out to gauge her interest. She was all-in. The scene would be Ascot, and she would compete in three races with Mel Kenyon. She won the first round, but Mel snagged the final two. Recalling the experience, she said, “I was sponsored by STP and it is one of my favorite memories. I had a great time.”
Stevi Cederstrom Lewis raced for 20 years, ending her career with a TQ event at Oxnard (Calif.) Speedway in 1981. Now retired and living in Kentucky, she remains a great fan of the sport. When asked if she misses the feel of a race car under her control she said, “Every day of my life.”
This story appeared in the April 12, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
