Brenda Riggs

Brenda Loraine Fenton-Riggs (born July 21, 1954 in Buffalo, Wyoming, better known as Brenda Riggs) is an American racing driver and the matriarch of the Riggs racing family, which also consists of her daughters Allie Riggs and Leslie Riggs. She is considered to be one of the legendary short track drivers of the western United States, holding more than 300 victories and 8 regional championships in the ARLA Street Stocks.

Early career
Riggs was inspired to take up racing after years of visiting Buffalo Downs with a group of her friends. In 1976, she purchased a car from the retiring Buffalo star Maxwell Fenton, and entered her first races. She initially faced some resentment due to her gender, though it is believed that because Fenton approved of her, much of the Buffalo crowd tolerated her more than if she hadn't had such support. She started winning races at the end of the year, and picked up even more speed the following season.

Riggs started dating Fenton's son Maxwell, Jr., and they got married in 1981. She missed the 1982 season because of her pregnancy with her first daughter Leslie. Riggs stepped back into the car from 1983 until halfway through 1989, when she became pregnant with Allie.

In 1987, Riggs acquired enough sponsorship to enter the ARLA Elite Series race at the Colorado National Speedway. She purchased a car from Bjorn Green, but she blew her engine on the fourth lap of the race. Nonetheless, she became the first female driver to compete in an Elite Series race. She ran 4 more Elite Series races since then, the last one being the 1993 Rockford 200, where she finished 9th.

ARLA Elite Series career
Riggs continued dominating in the ARLA Street Stocks West division, until she was picked up by O&D Pharmaceuticals to drive an ARLA Elite Series car full-time in 2008. O&D sought after older drivers, and teamed Riggs up with Andy Pearson and Jeb Klinger. O&D as a whole struggled in its first year, failing to qualify for several races, but Riggs captured the team's first (and only) victory at Pocono in 2009.

In 2010, Riggs purchased Chris Jackson's team, and at the same time, signed a contract with M&J Racing, which had absorbed the O&D operation. Both of her daughters drove for the Jackson team and were now competing under the Riggs banner. It is believed by some that the romantic relationship between Allie Riggs and M&J co-owner Chris Johaanes had something to do with Riggs getting the M&J ride and a technical alliance between M&J and her own team. Riggs scored a victory at Albuquerque in 2010, but stepped down from full-time racing in the middle of the 2012 season, citing a need for more time to devote to team management.

Personal life
Maxwell Fenton, Jr. never joins his wife at the races, but this does not bother her. She does not like to intervene in disputes involving her daughters, and this was supposedly the case in their childhoods as well; she claims that "I want [my daughters] to work things out for themselves. I can't help them learn from their mistakes if I'm steering them everywhere. I only help them if I absolutely have to". This attitude towards parenting has led to criticism towards Riggs, much of which questions her responsibility. The biggest attacks directed at Riggs make note of Allie's infamous anger problems, and Leslie's career modeling for the erotic magazine b. However, she dismisses her critics, most of whom claim to be parents themselves, as "overprotective", and often says that she pities their children.