A new book written by newspaper reporter Bill Poehler tells the tragic story of Cheryl Glass, the first woman to race in the Knoxville Nationals.

When Cheryl Glass jumped to her death off a Seattle bridge at age 35, intrigue followed. People wondered how the life of a person once considered the most promising race car driver on the planet, with a sure path to the Indianapolis 500 in front of her, could come to such a tragic conclusion. A new book, The First Lady of Dirt: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Racing Pioneer Cheryl Glass, tells the story of the Seattle icon for the first time.

Cheryl Glass was a model, race car driver, celebrated wedding dress designer, and business owner. The First Lady of Dirt recounts how Cheryl rapidly became the first successful Black woman in the sport, yet frequently encountered racist and sexist taunts from other drivers and fans throughout her career. The story is told by Bill Poehler, a journalist and race car crew member and driver. He spent four years researching Cheryl Glass’ life, including interviewing her family and friends, to make The First Lady of Dirt the definitive account of her life. Glass raced at the Knoxville Nationals in 1982 where she made it to the C Main. Poehler tells KNIA/KRLS that sprint car racing needed a driver like Cheryl Glass.

“It was this crush of attention, and it was too much for her to take. Sometimes it was especially really good for the racing because she would show up in some backwater town in Montana and the grandstands would be packed and they didn’t see that in those days from sprint car races. She brought a good bit of attention to Knoxville just by showing up and running. The sport needed that in those days. We look at 1982 and the World of Outlaws had only existed since 1978 so it was in the infancy and it needed a shot in the arm, and it got it with the attention she brought no matter how well she did.”

Bill Poehler is currently a reporter for the Statesman Journal in Salem, OR. Hear more from Poehler on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.