Judy Stropus: Motorsport living algorithm

Before Motorsport became the data-driven sport we’re used to watching every weekend, before cloud computing, predictive analytics and real-time telemetry; it ran on far simpler tools: a clipboard, a stopwatch, and the unshakeable precision of a person who never got it wrong.

That person was Judy Stropus, a name that most fans today would likely not know, but one that once carried the weight of absolute authority in the chaos of the track. At a time when there were no timing screens, no data feeds, and no pit wall engineers monitoring AWS dashboards, Stropus was the living algorithm teams trusted with their race strategies.

More than a stopwatch

Stropus’ journey began in the 1960s. She wasn’t a driver who’d grown up around tracks and karts, she was a publicist and motorsport writer. Her knack for numbers, however, as well as her pattern recognition and clear-headed thinking under pressure set her on a path to a far more technical and vital role in the sport’s competitive heartbeat.

She became a lap charter and timekeeper, responsible for tracking every lap of every car in a race. This role, which of course no longer exists, was no small feat. Envision an endurance race like the 24 Hours of Daytona and Sebring. they feature dozens of competitors, overlapping pit strategies and unpredictable mechanical failures. One mistake in timekeeping could send a team down the wrong strategic path. There are no replays, no second chances.

Stropus did more than keep up, she set the standard that everyone else worked towards. Her self-developed system for synchronising stopwatches and manually recording lap data allowed her to provide real-time standings long before the term “live data” existed. Her records were so consistent and accurate that teams began relying on her unofficially for information more reliable than what was coming from race officials.

In today’s terms, she was the AWS race strategy model, the Oracle dashboard, and the Salesforce analytics platform all wrapped into one person with a clipboard and an uncanny ability to keep it all in her head.

Trusted by teams, respected by rivals

The environment Stropus operated in was not built for women. Motorsport at the time was notoriously male-dominated, particularly in the technical areas of the paddock, but her work spoke for itself. If she told you your car was a lap down, you didn’t argue, you changed your strategy.

Her methodical, no-nonsense approach earned her the trust of some of the biggest names in the sport. Although she never held an official FIA timing role, she was hired by teams to provide parallel data and insight. In high-stakes endurance events and even select Formula One spaces, she was the invisible edge teams had over their rivals, a data layer before “data layers” existed.

Before the cloud, there was Judy

To put her value in visual terms: modern Formula One teams travels with a full data department. Race strategy is fuelled by thousands of sensors transmitting live information to engineers, analysts and AI systems. Partnerships with businesses like Salesforce, Amazon Web Services and Oracle help make decisions in real-time with the knowledge that there is a machine learning models and massive data simulations behind every single one.

Of course, Judy Stropus’s achievements are probably not something to directly compare to these data monsters, but they are all the more remarkable. She provided the best version of human data machine without processing power beyond her own brain.

credit: Evro Publishing

A legacy only now being recognised

In recent years, efforts to honour the overlooked figures of motorsport, especially women, have begun to surface Judy Stropus’s name. She has featured in books such as Fast Women, and her interviews reveal a sharp, humble mind still in touch with the sport she helped shape.

Beyond timing, Stropus also worked in public relations, journalism and race promotion. Her contributions extended to mentoring younger professionals and advocating for the recognition of women, whose work has been a part of the tapestry of motorsport since the start.

More than a memory

Judy Stropus represents a bridge between two motorsport worlds: one powered by human calculation and one driven by digital infrastructure. Her story may be a footnote in the timeline of racing technology, but it is also a reminder of how many brilliant people often operated unseen in motorsport. 

Before it could rely on the cloud, it relied on people like Judy. And for the better part of a decade, there was no algorithm or system more trusted than the quiet woman with the stopwatch who always knew the numbers before anyone else.