Little did she know at the time, but a chance meeting led a Tri-Cities woman into becoming the most famous trophy queen in dirt late model racing.
Eva Taylor (Hunter) served as Miss NDRA for the NDRA series for two years. Her background was in dance, particularly ballet, when she met NDRA promoter Robert Smalley while working at a restaurant.
“I was waiting tables,” Hunter recalled. “Robert’s crew came in. And the next thing I know they said ‘hey, we’re putting on a race up here in Wytheville, Virginia and we need a trophy girl and can you come up and put on a bathing suit to hand out the trophy for us?’ and I said “sure what does it pay?’ They told me and I said I’d be there Saturday night. So off I went not knowing who they were.”
Hunter is one of the stories featured in Gary Parker’s new book on the NDRA called the “Rock-em, Sock-em, Travelin’-Sideways Dirt Show.” The series did not have a regular Miss NDRA at that time. Smalley would spot a young lady in the crowd at each race and asked if she wanted to hand out the trophy to thr winner. Hunter recalls Smalley asking her to his office in Kingsport, Tennessee to see if she would be interested in a doing a few more races. A few more races turned into a couple of years.
Eva Taylor (Hunter), the first Miss NDRA (photo from Gary Parker’s book)
Hunter said her experience was a positive one despite some skepticism from drivers’ and crew members wives’.
“To meet all the people was amazing, to be in that spotlight,” Hunter said. “But it was a little tough at first. My main focus was the drivers’ wives and prove to them I had a job that I was paid to do and I wasn’t there to steal their husbands or their boyfriends. That I’m still that same person, still the good ol’ girl next door and I just wanted to be everybody’s friend.”
“It kind of did present a problem and hurt my feelings a bit that people were mean to me, the women on the circuit were mean to me. In the grandstands, I don’t really remember anyone being ugly to me.”
After being in place over a period of time, Hunter said those that were not kind to her in the beginning accepted her and developed some friendships.
“After a period of time, I became good friends with the wives, the drivers, the families,” Hunter stated. “I cared if they got hurt. I was always there if someone had wrecked, to check on them and see if I could help. It just turned itself around. I worked hard, really hard, to change that mindset. Look at where we come from in the 60’s with trophy girls and trophy queens. They weren’t always presented in the best light. I worked hard to change that image.”
Following her time with the NDRA, Hunter continued teaching ballet and went back to college. She later married her first husband and took jobs as a product spokesperson for several racing products, sold real estate, and even owned an IMSA team in the 80’s.
Hunter was asked if dirt racing, and racing in general, is missing out today without trophy girls.
“I don’t think so,” Hunter replied. “Things are so much different than they were in the 80’s as far as how women are looked at. And now, you see a number of female driver that are in racing. It would look kind of silly with a female driver in victory lane with a girl in a bathing suit beside her.”
Hunter finally recently received her degree from ETSU in 2014.
Niece Kayleigh, Husband Lacy, Eva Taylor Hunter, Mother Dottie, and Stepfather Warren.
“I went to college as frequently as life permitted me,” Hunter said, “I graduated 40 years after I first started, proving you are never too old to learn new tricks.”
Hunter currently works for a major hotel chain in Johnson City where she continues to see friends from NASCAR. She continues to teach ballet and spending time with her grandchildren.
Eva at Halloween with her granddaughter Kennedy (left) and grandson Taylor (right).
Hunter will be at Smoky Mountain Speedway this Saturday, her first trip to a dirt track in over 20 years.
“I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends and meeting new people,” Hunter said. “I just love watching those drivers maneuver those machines around that race track. I’m looking forward to it.”
