Eliška Junková

Eliška Junková was a Czech racing driver who competed in Grand Prix and endurance events during the 1920s. She became one of the era’s most successful women drivers.

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1928 Targa Florio: The 1928 edition of the Sicilian road race, won by Albert Divo in a Bugatti. Junková finished fifth overall, the highest placement by a woman in the race.
Čeněk Junk: A Czech businessman and racing driver who competed under the name Vincenc Junek. Her husband introduced her to motor racing, partnered with her in competition, and died after crashing in 1928.
Olomouc: A historic city in Moravia, now part of the Czech Republic. Junková was born there in 1900 as Eliška Pospíšilová.
Women in motorsport: The participation and contributions of women in motor racing and related automotive competition. Junková became an internationally visible example of a woman competing at the sport’s highest level.
1927 Targa Florio: The 1927 edition of the Sicilian road race, won by Emilio Materassi. Junková finished tenth, establishing herself among the leading drivers on the demanding circuit.
Ettore Bugatti: An Italian-born automobile designer and manufacturer who founded the Bugatti company. Junková raced Bugatti cars and was closely associated with the marque and its founder.
Zlín: A Moravian city that became the center of the Bata shoe company. She worked for the Bata company there before her marriage and racing career.
Grand Prix motor racing: International automobile races that developed into the organized Grand Prix and Formula One traditions. Her contests belonged to the European Grand Prix scene before a formal world championship existed.
Nürburgring: A German motor-racing circuit opened in 1927, known for its long and challenging Nordschleife. She raced there in 1927 and won her class in a Bugatti.
Albert Divo: A French racing driver who won the Targa Florio in 1928 and 1929 for Bugatti. He was Junková’s teammate at Bugatti and won the 1928 race in which she placed fifth.