Driver, pioneer

Hammond began driving at Bonneville in 1987 at the controls of the #77 lakester built by husband Seth Hammond, and the rookie deftly earned a life membership in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club with a 251 mph record — the second woman to do so. She went onto set many records in the car, including the pivotal milestone as the first female driver to take not just the team car into the 300 MPH Chapter at 304.516 mph in 2002, but the first woman ever to do so in the history of the sport. It is noteworthy the car is naturally aspirated. Tanis was invited, together with the lakester, to be part of the Louis Vuitton Classic in the Parc de Bagatelle in Paris, France representing American women racers. She has contributed to an educational series, participated in museum exhibitions, including the Petersen Auto Museum’s “Speed Queens” and her convivial personality has attracted numerous interviews by broadcast and print journalists. She was inducted into the Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.