Terri Leigh O'Connell (born July 7, 1964) is a former motorsports racing champion, artist, author, and fashion model. Terri O'Connell (born J.T. Hayes) won national championships in go-kart/midget car/sprint car competitions across the country. She rose to compete in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series; driving the No. 91 Crossroads City of Corinth Ford Thunderbird for Donlavey Racing in 1990 at North Carolina Motor Speedway, now known as Rockingham Speedway. O'Connell amassed over 500 career victories throughout her career. O'Connell never psychologically felt like a man. She had sex reassignment surgery in 1994 following a near-fatal 1991 motor accident. "I was trapped upside down, engine throttle stuck, fuel running all over the racetrack and me. The accident didn't scare me, but the thought that I hadn't lived life to its full potential just ran chill bumps up and down my body." She legally changed her name from J. T. Hayes to Terri O'Connell. O'Connell, a former model, also created the first apparel company for the female race fan called "Speedsters" in 1995. She also owns an Apparel/Art Company, "Dangerous Curves Society". In 2011, O'Connell began racing again as part of an all female driving team headed up by Dick Barbour Racing of Atlanta, Georgia.
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