To note: The editorial staff of INDYCAR.com looks back on the 10 greatest moments of 2021 in INDYCAR in this year-end series, with one episode per day on the site in countdown mode from December 22 to 31.

A dream formulated almost a decade ago has come true in 2021.

In the fall of 2014, longtime motorsport executive Beth Paretta had a conversation with a colleague who had recently attended a Formula 1 race and saw two female engineers working for a team. It was described to Paretta as “seeing two unicorns”.

A thought has been generated. Could a predominantly female team compete in Indianapolis 500 for the first time? Paretta saw no reason why this couldn’t be the case, and if he does, it could be an inspiration to the thousands of young girls who aspire to have a place in the sport.

If Paretta were to field the team, they needed a driver capable of winning the “500”. She selected Simona De Silvestro, who had already made five starts in the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway race and was named “500” Rookie of the Year in 2010 after finishing 14th.

Once the idea was shared with Roger Penske, owner of IMS and NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the effort shifted into high gear thanks to Penske’s “Race for Equality & Change” initiative. Penske entered into a technical alliance with the Penske team, and Paretta began organizing potential crew members and auxiliary personnel to make the Chevrolet-powered operation as feminine as possible.

On May 23, the No. 16-powered Chevrolet entry earned its coveted starting position in the 33-car field by averaging 228.353 mph over four laps. Yes, he must have survived a day of nerve-racking shock, but so did Will Power, a veteran team Penske driver and the winner of the ‘500’ of 2018. As any competitor knows, Indy has a way of life. ‘humiliate even the best competitors, and he’s known to show no mercy when it comes to qualifying.

Like others who won their place on the field on Bump Day, Paretta was admittedly relieved to be in the race, which, of course, is never won in advance.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “It’s like climbing a mountain, getting to the top and looking around to see how beautiful it is. It’s just amazing and a testament to the fact that everyone works hard overnight, digs in and never gives up. This is what it is and this is what brought us here and what brought us (to the pitch) today.

On race day, three of De Silvestro’s four tire changers were women, all on merit. Racing teams are allowed seven people to cross the wall for the pit stops, and four of those representing Paretta Autosport were women.

The race did not go as well as expected, De Silvestro retired after the car’s brakes locked and spun him into the pit lane with 31 laps to go. arrival. (The same happened to Power earlier in the race.) De Silvestro was credited with the 31st final position.

Still, the point had been made, and Paretta and her group quickly began planning for a 2022 comeback.