She was the first woman to receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to drive a Top Fuel dragster.

Born Shirley Ann Roque in Burlington, Vermont, on June 19, 1940,[4] Muldowney began street racing in the 1950s in Schenectady, New York.

[6][7] Muldowney won her first major event, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Southern Nationals, in 1971.

Muldowney's success met enormous opposition from those who felt drag racing (or any form of motorsport, for that matter) was no place for women.

"[6] A crash in 1984 crushed her hands, pelvis, and legs, necessitating half a dozen operations and 18 months of therapy.

[13] Muldowney was described by longtime drag racer Fred Farndon as the "best 'natural' driver (top fuel or funny car), no question."

Her recent activities include the dictation of her memoirs, Shirley Muldowney's Tales from the Track, which Bill Stephens transcribed, and which Sports Publishing L.L.C.

In March 2016, Muldowney disregarded a cancer scare to be the official starter of the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

[14] Muldowney operates a charitable organization, Shirley's Kids, which helps children in need in cities where drag racing is part of the community.

Muldowney would rather have had Jamie Lee Curtis play her; she called Bedelia "a snot," and stated, "When she was promoting the movie on TV shows, she would tell interviewers she didn't even like racing.