Drag racing legend Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will undergo surgery in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday morning. Muldowney’s right lung, where a Stage II tumor has grown, will be removed during a procedure that is expected to last five hours.
"I urge everyone to keep up with their health and get chest X-rays as often as possible to make sure they are OK," the four-time world champion said in a release. "I'm a fighter, always have been, and I'm going to fight this as best I can with everything I got. Dr. Howe is the No. 1 guy in the business, and he's as ready as I am to get this thing out of me.
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"I'm ready for the pain to stop. It's been getting worse the last few weeks as they did biopsies and the pre-op stress tests to make sure I was strong enough to have the surgery. Everything is good, so we're getting it done."
Muldowney, 75, enjoyed a career that spanned decades. She began competing in a dragster in the 1950s at Fonda Speedway in New York. In 1965, she was the first woman to earn a professional NHRA license.
In 1971, she earned her first victory in Funny Car, at the IHRA Southern Nationals.
In 1973, she stepped into the Top Fuel class, winning at the Spring Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.
And the achievements kept coming. In 1977, she earned the NHRA Top Fuel championship and was the first driver in the class to win three consecutive national events.
She took the Top Fuel title in 1980 and ’82 as well and won the AHRA Top Fuel championship in 1981 for four titles in a six-year span. She was also the subject of the movie “Heart Like a Wheel.”
"The fans have always been what's kept me going, and I'm sure people will be concerned about me now," Muldowney said. “Well, don't be; I'll be fine. There are still a lot of things left I want to do."
In lieu of flowers or cards, Muldowney is asking friends and fans to donate to her charity, Shirley’s Kids, at ShirleysKids.org, which benefits children struggling with medical issues or financial hardships brought on through personal or family tragedy.