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  July 29, 2010 3:09 p.m. Tom Heath Webmaster

  There's a story in the works for an upcoming issue of Classic Motorsports about "The Pink Lady" Donna Mae Mims and her oh-so-cool pink Sprite.

  We were lamenting the lack of vintage photos of her and I wondered if some of our readers might know where we could find some. We've found some good ones from the Steel Town Corvettes website, but I'm sure there are more out there somewhere.

  

  There's also this photo of Donna Mae with Janet Guthrie and Liane Engeman...but I can't find the original host.

  What do you guys have?

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  July 29, 2010 9:40 p.m. 63Alpine New Reader

  I thought she was in fords dagenham dream video, but i just looked and that female driver from the 60s was anita taylor.

  http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/Anita-Taylor-GB.html

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  July 29, 2010 9:46 p.m. 63Alpine New Reader

  http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/photo/Donna%20Mae-Mims-USA.htmlhere are some of her cars

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  July 30, 2010 12:35 p.m. aeronca65t Dork

  She was very active in the PVGP.

  They have a page with some nice shots of her that they might give you permission to use (you already have some of these).

  http://www.pvgp.org/pvgp/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=276958

  See the bottom of the page for more non-PVGP links

  Enjoy Every Sandwich ~ W.Z.

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  July 31, 2010 11:17 p.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

  Tom, I sent a "blind" e-mail to Mr. Nick England, the creator/admin of a fantastic website about Virginia Int'l Raceway's history.

  http://www.virhistory.com/vir.html

  It was the first place I thought of when I saw your question, I'll let you know if he replies. Beyond the excuse to spread the fantastic history of SCCA Club Racing, an article on Ms. Mims would address another subject I care deeply about..

  Q: What do boys like more than girls?
  A: Girls who like cars.

  How can it be a midlife crisis, when I've driven sportscars my entire life?

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  July 31, 2010 11:35 p.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

  ROFL! Googling Donna Mae, I found this, from Brock Yates' book about the Cannonball. Evidently, she was the inspiration for the Adrianne Barbeau character in the film!

  http://tinyurl.com/27e6m5z

  I guess if she'd been wrestling fuelie Corvettes around race courses in the 50s, a Caddy Limo wouldn't be much of a change (I'm now ducking and running away from the Vette guys!!).

  I knew that Judy Stropus "wrote the book" when it came to timing in the pre-transponder era, but didn't realize she'd been part of this madness!

  Every search I make for Peggy Niemcek results in 54,720,934,857 results for Ms. Mims' funeral. Do any of you remember who the lady was?

  How can it be a midlife crisis, when I've driven sportscars my entire life?

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  Aug. 1, 2010 2:53 p.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

  Tom, here's the message I recieved from Mr. England:

  Hi Jay - Donna Mae sure was a character! Sure, folks can use whatever images they want as long as the photographer gets credit. I'd also appeciate a link to www.virhistory.com if it is convenient. cheers, Nick

  ---

  http://www.virhistory.com/vir/66-apr/66-apr-13.gif April 1966 photo by Dean Tetterton

  http://www.virhistory.com/vir/65-apr/neg26-55.jpg April 1965 photo by Roger Blanchard

  http://www.virhistory.com/vir/65-apr/neg26-44.jpg April 1965 photo by Roger Blanchard

  http://www.virhistory.com/vir/63-apr/ge-010.JPG April 1963 photo by Gerald Eckstein

  How can it be a midlife crisis, when I've driven sportscars my entire life?

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  Aug. 2, 2010 6:55 p.m. bearmotorsports New Reader

  Hi,

  Nice research work on Donna mae Mimms. Does someone have a picture of her pink Corvair??? Since there is a pic of a Corvair somewhere else on this site. I had the opportunity to see her race at Mont Tremblant(QC). The car still exists apparently according to a Corvair fan I met in Myrtle Beach. Nice subject to persue.

  Bear

  MDes///////

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  Aug. 3, 2010 12:31 a.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

  

  Only one I can find, it's from a guy who calls himself "S&M Minis" on the Autosport forum. The post is from 2006, and since I can't find his profile there anymore, all I can do is repeat the text.

  "A picture I took of Donna Mae Mims' Yenko Stinger at Mid Ohio around 1965 or 1966. The shocking pink Gabriel Shocker. Too bad it wasn't restored in these colors, definitely unique. Note the snaps around the windows for towing covers and the Gulf Oil sticker on the trailer. Lots of Gulf tie-in in Western Pennsylvania at the time."

  How can it be a midlife crisis, when I've driven sportscars my entire life?

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  Aug. 15, 2010 7:41 p.m. wcelliot Reader

  Per "Canonball", Peggy Niemcek was the wife of a GM exec... it was how they got the Caddy.

  Donna Mae was a real hoot... the stories she would tell were awesome! (Like Sterling Moss teaching her to race a Mini Cooper...)

  Bill

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