Driver, pioneer

She’s the Fastest Woman on Earth. Her accomplishment came on an alkali playa in Oregon’s Alvord Desert on December 6, 1976. Her Romatec V4, hydrogen peroxide-powered car sped to an unverified top speed of 618 mph. Her verified two-way average was 512.710 mph. While there’s no official gender distinction in FIA classifications, that made her the world’s fastest woman. O’Neil might have set the outright FIA land speed record that same day if not for a contract giving the seat to producer/director Hal Needham. O’Neil was strapped in, ready to tackle Gary Gabelich’s 630.388 mph mark, when word came that the contract would be enforced. She exited the car. Needham never drove it. O’Neil piloted Ky Michelson’s “Official Pace Car” Corvette funny car at El Mirage in 1977 to a two-way average of 279.50 mph and went 275 mph that same year at Walker Lake, NV driving the Jim Diest/Bill Dunlap “Captain Crazy” jet-powered boat. In all, O’Neil held 22 land and water speed records, including a water ski run at 104.85 mph.