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About Joy Wilkerson
U.S.O. Entertainer, Hollywood Actress, NASCAR Driver
Joy Wilkerson was named as one of the "Two Thousand Women of Achievement-1971". She was one of the few women to start in the racing businesses. Her show biz career started from 1962 , with five Danny Thomas Specials on Television, She was the entertainer for many charities, such as: Blind Children's Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis, March of Dimes, and mainly the U.S.O. She was awarded the title of : Miss South Vietnam given by all the U.S.A. Military Services, for USO work and after trip to Vietnam with Dale Robertson in 1967. Over the course of her career, she has received numerous awards and recognition's for her charitable work given by various branches of military services, and certificate of achievement from many other charities.
Wilkerson also appeared on hundreds of T.V. and radio talk shows around the world. She also co-starred in : "Bigfoot" with John Carradine and Lindsay Crosby. Her other film credits are: "Run Angel Run"(girlfriend to William Smith) and "They Only Kill Their Masters", starring James Garner. She's also a lecturer, broadcaster and TV hostess of "The Joy Wilkerson Show" written, produced and directed by motion picture film-maker, Anthony Cardoza. The half hour variety/talk show was syndicated in the U.S.and sold internationally.
The energetic Ms. Wilkerson dabbled in a variety of sports, including auto racing, in which the famous racing promoter gave her her first try in an all women stock car race at Ascot Park Speedway, in Gardena, California. Prior to her fender banging experience, she was a trophy girl at that track and fell in love with the speeding sprint and midget race cars on the half mile clay oval. where she presented the winning hardware to famous speedsters, in her shocking pink micro-mini dresses.
Wilkerson also raced against astronaut legend Pete Conrad in a Toyota-match race at Watkins Glen..New York. She also competed in ABC-TV's "Wide World Of Sports" Demolition Derby against Cha'Cha' Muldowney, the drag racing queen and Ricky Nelson, Pernelli Jones and a host of other Indianapolis drivers.
Some of the cars she drove were TQ midgets, full sized midgets, sprint cars, dune buggies, SCCA-Formula Fords at Willow Springs, Stock Cars at 605 Speedway. She drove at Flemington Speedway (N.J.) and paced the NASCAR hotshoes at Ontario Motor Speedway, in a Datsun 280-Z for the Winston-500 mile stock car race. She also drove Gary Bettenhausen's sprint car in Terre Haute, Indiana. Not claiming to be a champion race driver, she did it to help the future ladies in motor racing get publicity and notoriety. In one case. She met an astronaut's/Indy 500 racer and taught her how to get PR for herself. The lady driver went on to make a name for herself in the racing history books.
Learn More About Joy's Auto Racing!
Click to see Joy's Vietnam video
Part 1
(Broadband)
Click to see Joy's Vietnam video Part 2 (Dial up)
Click to see Joy's Vietnam video Part 2
(Broadband)
Wilkerson's other attributes are ballroom dancing, swimming, horseback riding, jogging, skipping rope, public relations, skating and FAST CARS.
Danny Thomas started Wilkerson's career in showbiz and Bob Hope sent her to her first trophy-girl presentation to Riverside International Raceway (California) which unknowingly connected her with the auto racing world. Born a Leo, she fits right into the limelight of Hollywood and the kleiglights that brightens her being who she is. JOY WILKERSON
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