Madeline Stewart

 

Madeline Stewart races sportscars and saloons in Australia.

She is a former junior and senior karter from New Zealand who began racing in the Super3 Series in Australia in 2019. This championship is the official third-level series for V8 Supercars and she went straight into it from karting.

The then 19-year-old drove a Holden Commodore for Brad Jones Racing and picked up three top-ten finishes. The best of these was an eighth place at Winton. She was fourteenth in the championship. 

As well as saloons, she also raced single-seaters in the bike-engined Formula 1000 series. She was sixth in her state championship, driving a Stohr F1000. She was racing against her sister Ashleigh in a Radical. 

Her 2020 Super3 season was limited to two races due to the international coronavirus crisis, but she showed promise with a pair of fourth places at Sydney Motorsports Park. The team entered her for the Townsville Tin Tops meeting the following month, using the same car. After one second and two third places, Madeline was declared the winner. 

Later, she joined the McElrea team for Super Tin Tops at The Bend, this time racing a Porsche 991 in the Super Cup class. She was fifth, finishing fifth or fourth in all three races. This in turn led to a guest spot in the Australian Super GT championship at Queensland, where she was sixth in the first race and fourth in the other two.

In 2021, she continued racing a Porsche, entering both the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge and part of the Australian Carrera Cup, for Earl Bamber's team. The hookup with Bamber was meant to begin with a run in the 2020 Asian Carrera Cup, but this was cancelled.

The Sprint Cup brought more success, with Madeline narrowly missing out on a top ten at Sydney Motorsports Park. This eleventh place was her best finish in the car; her guest appearance at Mount Panorama for the December Australian Carrera Cup meeting had a best result of 18th. It was a short season, finishing in May.

Her best race of the year was the Bathurst 6 Hours, in which she drove an HSV VXR Turbo with Chris Holdt and David Ling. They were fifth in class. 

Another Bathurst 6 Hours in a Holden Astra in 2022 followed, as well as an extensive sportscar programme. She was tenth in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, driving for the Bamber team again, with a best finish of third at The Bend. 

Before beginning the Sprint Challenge, she also made a guest appearance in a Ginetta G55 for the Fanatec GT World Challenge races at Phillip Island, finishing third twice for Griffith Corp.

For the first time, she raced outside Oceania in 2023, entering the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America. She was competing in the 992 Pro-Am class and finished third, with four third places at Sebring, Barber and Mid-Ohio. She combined this with karting in Australia.

Her American adventures continued in 2024, when she moved up to the Carrera Cup, still with JDX Racing. In a large field, she was 15th overall, finishing in the top ten twice. The best of these was a seventh place at Road America.

(Image from madelinestewart.nz)

Chelsea Angelo

 

Chelsea Angelo races single-seaters and touring cars in Australia. Her career began in Formula Ford and she almost won a National class Formula 3 championship in 2014, but she now races saloons.

She has been involved in senior-level motorsport since 2012, when she was 16. At first, she raced a Formula Ford in the Victoria state championship,  but that turned into an attack on both the Victorian and Australian championships in 2013. She scored her first outright win in the Victorian series. Her best finishes in the Australian championship were sixth places at Surfers Paradise and Sydney. She was thirteenth overall. Despite her win in the Victorian championship, she was only 15th overall as she did not do the whole calendar. 

She raced in Australian Formula 3 in 2014, in the National class, where she was a front-runner. She was either first or second in all of her races, winning seven times, and missed out quite narrowly on the championship. This was the high point of her single-seater career, although the issue of finances was beginning to rear its head.

As well as single-seaters, she has also tested Supercars, and this led to a last-minute race seat for 2015 with the THR Developments team. However, this only stretched to the first round and Adelaide, and she sat the rest of the season out. She finished 18th and 22nd in her two races. 

She signed with the Dragon team for the 2016 Supercar Dunlop championship. After almost a full season she was 21st overall, getting into the top ten once at Sandown. This was impressive, as it followed a DNF due to contact with another car. Her car was a Prodrive Ford Falcon FG and the only known Supercar to be fitted with a cup holder, a nod to her sponsor, Rush Iced Coffee.

Her programme was very limited in 2017, with only one major race. The Dragon team had signed Renee Gracie in her place. She drove a Ford Falcon in the Winton 300 but did not finish. 

2018 was spent in the Australian Porsche Supercup with Wall Racing, who won the championship the year before. Sportscars suited her and she was fifth overall. Her best finish was second at Sandown, one of four podium places including one third place at Phillip Island. 

Hoping to resurrect her single-seater career, she put her name down to try out for the inaugural season of W Series. She was long-listed and attended the winter selection event at Melk in Austria, but was not selected. Chelsea took to social media to express her anger and lack of confidence in the W selection criteria, which she claimed were very unclear and not fully related to on-track performance.

After her W Series disappointment, she threw herself into the Australian TCR Series, driving a Holden Astra for Kelly Racing. It was not the easiest of seasons and she had car problems to contend with, as well as being taken out by another competitor in the third race. She sat out the middle part of the season while the team sorted out the car troubles and returned in November at The Bend. Sadly, a first-race crash put her out for the weekend. Her best finish was twelfth and she was 25th in the championship. Among her team-mates that year was Molly Taylor. 

She also raced a Hyundai Excel in some one-make endurance races with the Brett Parrish Race Organisation, finishing tenth and sixth. Her co-drivers were Ashley Izod and Tim Slade. The sixth spot was with Ashley Izod and was a charge through the field from 20th to sixth.

She planned to race in TCR again in 2020, but the season was cancelled due to coronavirus. 

The following season ran and Chelsea did most of it in a Volkswagen Golf. It was a hard year for her and her best finish was eleventh at Phillip Island. She was 20th overall.

At the beginning of 2022, she posted on her social media that she did not have sponsorship to race, although she has not retired and has not ruled out a return later in the year. She works as a driver coach and personal trainer.

(Image copyright Chelsea Angelo)

Kerryn Brewer

Kerryn Brewer took part in Australian Touring Car races in the 1990s, including the Bathurst 24 Hours. 

Her earliest motorsport success was a championship win in the Australian Superkart championship, when she was 20. She won the 100cc non-gearbox class of the full-circuit karting series before moving on to cars. 

In 1996, she was fourth in the all-female Mazda 121 Challenge. Her first race in the one-make series was eventful; she finished fourth despite spinning twice and tangling with other drivers at Eastern Creek. The third round at Symmons Plain gave her another fourth. She was quick and aggressive but unable to match the pace of leaders Paula Elstrek and Tania Gulson. Unfortunately, the rest of the race results are not forthcoming. 

After her 1996 performances she was picked up by the Castrol Cougars team, run by Larry Perkins. Supported by Castrol in order to promote its products to female drivers, it was originally meant to be a two-car effort, with a four-woman line-up of Kerryn, Melinda Price, international netballer Michelle Fielke and TV presenter Kim Watkins. Despite her two wins in the celebrity race that supported the Australian Grand Prix, Michelle was prevented from racing by her other sporting commitments and Kim also dropped out. 

The team made its debut in the latter part of the V8 Supercar season, with Kerryn and Melinda alternating in the team’s Holden Commodore. Kerryn was the first Cougar to take the wheel at Lakeside. She was fourteenth and last in the first race, which was a dramatic one with a first-lap crash. The other three races resulted in safe but unspectacular fourteenth places, although she did finish ahead of Mike Conway in the last race. When it was her turn in the car again at Mallala, things panned out in a similar manner, with a 15th and 17th place, but she was unable to start the third.

The Cougars entered the 1997 Bathurst 1000 and it turned out to be their best run of the year. They were twelfth overall, the highest finish for an all-female team. Forty-one cars started and 21 finished. 

They also entered in 1998, and came eleventh, beating their own female team record. This time, 45 cars made the start and 20 finished. It was a hard race with several crashes and spins by experienced drivers. 

Her Supercars season was quite similar to 1997. Melinda was the main driver for the Cougars car and entered nine races to Kerryn’s six. Kerryn raced at Launceston and Lakeside, picking up a best result of 16th at Launceston. This was probably her best meeting in the Commodore; she did not run as well at Lakeside after a spin in the first race. Her best finish was 21st.

The Cougars project was retired for the 1999 season. Kerryn attempted to return to Supercars with Owen Parkinson’s team but this only amounted to a single appearance. She did not finish in another Commodore.

Kerryn tended to leave most of the promotional chat to Melinda, so we hear less about her than her team-mate. 

She made some appearances in the Shell Australian Touring Car Championship in 1999. She appeared in a “Beauties and their Beasts” calendar of glamorous female racing drivers in 2000, but does not appear to have competed. 

After this, Kerryn faded from the scene. In 2011, she tweeted that she missed racing cars.

Christine Cole (Gibson)

Christine Cole, who also raced as Christine Gibson, was an Australian touring car veteran, whose career spanned three decades.

She took part in nine Bathurst 500/1000 races between 1968 and 1984. Her team-mates included Glenn Seton, Sandra Bennett and Marie-Claude Beaumont. She drove a variety of cars, including a Nissan Pulsar, Ford Falcon, Mini and Holden Monaro. Her first try at the event was in 1968, in a Mini. She was part of an all-girl team with Midge Whiteman, whose second time at Bathurst it was. This happened in only her second year of racing: she began in 1967, with a Mini.

Christine was from a family of racers, and it was not surprising that she got into the sport. An early boyfriend raced Minis, and lent her a car. Her first season was spent in a women’s championship based at Oran Park. She won every round of the championship apart from the first one, in which she was third.

Her second Hardie-Ferodo 500 was at the wheel of a Fiat 125, in another ladies’ team with Lynne Keefe. They did not finish. Christine later described how the small, light Fiat was pulled across the track in the wake of the bigger cars.

In 1970, she used one of the bigger cars herself, a Holden Torana. She and Sandra Bennett were a more accomplished thirteenth overall, driving for the Holden Dealer Team. The same driver pairing tackled the Sandown Three Hour 250, but it is not clear whether or not they finished.

She took a break in 1971; this year, she married fellow racer, Fred Gibson, returning as Christine Gibson.

A second ride in the 500 in a Torana in 1972, this time with Pat Peck as a team-mate, led to a DNF. The following year, she switched allegiance to Alfa Romeo, driving a GTV 2000 in the big endurance races. Christine and Sue Ransom did not finish the Hardie-Ferodo 500 or the Phillip Island 500.

She was then absent from Bathurst for a couple of seasons, partly due to a sabbatical from motorsport, and, for 1975 at least, to concentrate on the Australian Touring Car Championship. She was still “in” with the Alfa Romeo team, and drove the GTV to fifth overall in the series, with four class wins. This was her best result in the ATCC.

Away from Bathurst, she competed on and off in Australian Touring Cars, later, often for her husband Fred Gibson’s team. Her best season for this was 1975, when she was fifth overall after winning the 2000cc class four times and remaining a regular feature in the overall top ten. Her car was an Alfa Romeo GTV 2000. 

During her absence from the Hardie-Ferodo 500, the French driver, Marie-Claude Beaumont, had stolen her place as the premier female Bathurst racer. In 1975, she was sixth in the 500, driving an Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 with John Leffler. On Christine’s return to the 500 the following year, they teamed up, in an Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTAm, but sadly did not finish.

Christine retired from active competition for the rest of the 1970s, only to return in 1981. That year, she drove a King George Tavern Ford Falcon in endurance races, with Joe Moore. In spite of her lack of current seat time, she took her “top lady” honours back from Marie-Claude Beaumont, with a sixth place. The same driver pairing was tenth in the Hang Ten 400.

In 1983 and 1984, Christine was a works Nissan driver, alongside her husband, Fred. As part of the Australian Endurance Championship, she drove a Pulsar with Bob Muir in the 1983 500, but did not finish, due to a mainshaft failure. She did not finish the Sandown round of the AEC either,

The same year, she took part in some races in the AMSCAR championship, driving a Bluebird.

She used the Pulsar for both series in 1984, and managed eleventh overall in AMSCAR. She drove in the 500 again with the experienced Glenn Seton, did not finish, due to a broken half-shaft.

1984 was her last season of competition. She has remained active in Australian motorsport, as an administrator and organiser, and is still remembered as the First Lady of Bathurst.

(Image copyright News Corp Australia)

Saloon and Ute Racing in New Zealand

Alyssa Clapperton with Craig Baird's Holden Commodore

New Zealand female drivers have competed in both touring cars and Ute racing in recent years, both at home, and in Australia. For the earliest female racers from New Zealand, click here. Chelsea Herbert now has her own post. 

Jessica Antonievic – raced in the SsangYong Actyon Ute Racing Series in the 2014-2015 season. This was her first season of motorsport. She was 39^th in the championship, after finishing all of her races. She works as an administration manager for SsangYong, and has had racing ambitions for some time. She was recruited for the series partly to increase its diversity. She did a second season of Utes in 2015-16, and usually finished, if near the back. Her third year in a Ute was a part-season, mostly the later races. 

Stef Baigent – raced in the SsangYong Actyon Ute Racing Series in 2014-2015. She was 41^st in the championship, after scoring points in two of her races. In 2015, she returned to the series. She is the daughter of Kent Baigent, an NZ touring car racer, and the two of them have occasionally competed together in endurance events, driving a BMW M135. The father-daughter team was still in action in 2017. 

Sheridan Broadbent - races in the SsangYong Ute series in New Zealand. She is part of the Race 4-D Cup team which races in support of breast cancer charities. The team is all-female and was started by Bronwynne Leech. Sheridan’s first season in Utes was 2016-2017, and she was 34th overall, with a best finish of 24th at Hampton Downs. She finished 28th in the 2017-18 championship. She also races historics, including a Ford Cortina.

Debbie Chapman – twice a participant in major Bathurst races. In 1999, she was tenth in the Bathurst 500, driving a BMW 320i. In 2002, she drove a BMW 318i in the Bathurst 24 Hours, but did not finish. She raced alongside her husband, Dennis. They were recognised for ten years of service to New Zealand motorsport in 2004. After that, she has remained active in endurance racing in New Zealand. In 2006, she and Dennis were still racing a 318i, and were still competitive. Two years later, Debbie was still competing in endurance racing, and was also nominated for the Lupp Award, which goes to a driver involved in historics.

Alyssa Clapperton – had her debut season of New Zealand V8 Touring Cars in 2015. She drove a Holden Commodore for Team Kiwi Racing, partnering Craig Baird, after being chosen from 2000 hopefuls for a TKR Academy race seat. As well as NZV8s, she did some guest races in the SsangYong Actyon Ute Racing Series. During the 2015-16 season, she raced in BNT NZ Touring Cars, in a Team Kiwi Commodore again. Despite missing some races, she was fifth overall, with a best finish of fourth, at Manfeild and Hampton Downs. She also made some guest appearances in Aussie Racing Cars, driving for Team New Zealand. 2017 was a shortened season for her. She raced in NZ Touring Cars in a Ford Falcon, and then the Cheapies Under $4000 series in a Toyota. She began racing in 2012, in local club races, in a Toyota Starlet. In 2013, she competed with her father, Ian, driving a Holden Commodore in endurance races.

Tessa Field - races in the Ssangyong Actyon Ute series in New Zealand. The 2017-18 championship was her first year of racing a Ute. She is a reliable finisher, if not yet quite on the pace. Her best finish has been 23rd, at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park. During the Southern Hemisphere summer, she raced a Honda Civic in the Mitre 10 Mega Summer Series and won one race, at Taupo. In 2018, she raced the Honda in the SF Cup Winter Series, securing at least one podium.

Louise Rawson - began her senior career in 2023-2024, racing a BMW E46 in New Zealand's Nexen Tyre one-make series. She was seventh in the championship, just ahead of Emily Robb. Manfeild was the best circuit for her; it was here that she scored her best finish of the year, a fifth place. She returned to the series for the 2024-2025 season and continued to earn top-ten finishes.

Emily Robb - races a BMW in the Nexen Tyre E46 Series. In her first season in the championship, 2024, she was eighth overall, and second in the rookie category. Her best results were three seventh places, at Hampton Downs and Taupo. She started stronger in 2025, earning her first podium, a third place at Taupo. Her first year of senior competition was 2023, when she raced in the Elf Rhino Ute championship. Prior to that, she was active in karting for ten years.

Amanda West - races in the Ssangyong Actyon Ute championship. 2017 appears to have been her first year of competition. She found Utes rather hard-going to start with, and had to contend with some technical problems, including gearbox issues. Her season ended with 27th in the championship. She also raced a Mazda RX8 in the IRC Summer Series the year before, and scored at least one third place.

(Image copyright Matthew Hansen)

Female Drivers at the Bathurst 1000

Christine Gibson

The Bathurst 1000 is Australia’s premier home-grown motorsport event. It began in 1960 as the Armstrong 500, and was actually held at Phillip Island for the first three years.

In 1963, it moved to its present home, as an endurance race for production touring cars, on sale in Australia. Until the mid-1960s, awards were strictly class-based, with no overall results published. Gradually, the rules were relaxed, with foreign-model cars permitted, and overseas drivers, raising its profile within international motorsport. Its length was increased to 1000 kilometres in 1973.

For a long time, the race stuck to its production-car origins. In 1985, it switched to Group A rules, and was part of the ITC global touring car championship in 1987, then in the early 1990s, it became open to cars running to Super Touring spec. This created a rift with the growing V8 Supercar championship, who, due to a TV broadcast agreement at odds with that of the original Bathurst 1000, created their own in 1997. The Australia 1000 ran alongside the original race for three years, before becoming part of the V8 Supercar championship in 2000.

Women drivers have raced in the event almost from the start, and were particularly numerous in the 1960s and 1970s. Christine Gibson (Cole) is the most prolific female starter, with nine attempts to her name. She also shares the best finish for a female driver with Marie-Claude Beaumont: sixth. The best finish for an all-female team is eleventh, achieved by the “Castrol Cougars”, Kerryn Brewer and Melinda Price, in 1998.

Following the inclusion of the 1000 into the V8 Supercar calendar, female participation has reduced drastically. In 2015, the first female entrants for six years were Simona de Silvestro and Renee Gracie.  

Phillip Island (race length: 500 miles)

1962

Anne Bennett/Diane Leighton/Pam Murison (Simca Aronde) – 3^rd, Class C

Mount Panorama (race length: 500 miles)

1963

Lorraine Hill/Warren Blomfield (Morris Elite) – 16^th, Class B

1964

Lorraine Hill/Brian Reed (Hillman Imp) – 13^th, Class A

1967

Jane Richardson/Midge Whiteman (Morris 1100S) – 36^th

1968

Christine Cole/Midge Whiteman (Morris Mini) – 41^st

1969

Diane Dickson/Max Dickson (Ford Cortina) – 31^st

Sandra Bennett/Arthur Olsen (Morris Mini) – 36^th

Carole Corness/Ann Thompson (Morris Mini) – DNF

Christine Cole/Lynne Keefe (Fiat 125) – DNF

1970

Sandra Bennett/Christine Cole (Gibson) – (Holden LC Torana) – 13^th

Lynne Keefe/Arthur Olsen (Morris Mini Cooper S) – 36^th

Carole Corness/Gloria Taylor (Ford Escort MkI) – 42^nd

1971

Jan Holland/Pat Peck (Holden LC Torana) – 29^th

1972

Christine Gibson/Jan Holland (Holden LC Torana) – DNF

Pat Peck (Holden LC Torana) – DNF

Race length: 1000 kilometres

1973

Caroline O’Shanesy/Peter Williamson (Morris Mini Cooper S) – 26^th

Christine Gibson/Sue Ransom (Alfa Romeo GTV 2000) – DNF

Pat Peck/Darrilyn Huitt (Holden LJ Torana) – DNF

1975

Marie-Claude Beaumont/John Leffler (Alfa Romeo GTV 2000) – 6^th

Sue Ransom/Bill Brown (Ford Escort RS2000) – 11^th

Caroline O’Shanesy/David Booth (Morris Mini Cooper S) – 27^th

1976

Marie-Claude Beaumont/Christine Gibson (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTAm) – DNF

Caroline O’Shanesy/Garry Leggatt (Fiat 128 3P) – DNF

1977

Sue Ransom/Russell Skaife (Ford Capri) – DNF

Janet Guthrie/Johnny Rutherford (Holden LX Torana) – DNF

1978

Sue Ransom/Bill Brown (Ford Capri) – DNF

Robyn Hamilton/Ralph Radburn (Holden LX Torana) – DNF

1980

Sue Ransom/Neville Bridges (Holden VB Commodore) – 22^nd

Alexandra Surplice/John Gates (Toyota Corolla) – 28^th

1981

Christine Gibson/Joe Moore (Ford XD Falcon) – 6^th

Alexandra Surplice/Doug Clark (Toyota Corolla) – DNF

1983

Christine Gibson/Bob Muir (Nissan Pulsar) – DNF

1984

Alexandra Surplice/Bob Holden (Toyota Sprinter) – 26^th

Christine Gibson/Glenn Seton (Nissan Pulsar) – DNF

1987 (ITC)

Annette Meeuvissen/Mercedes Stermitz/Roland Ratzenberger (BMW M3) – DNF

1990

Heather Spurle/Bob Jones (Holden VL Commodore) – 26^th

1994

Melinda Price/Garry Jones/Andrew Reid (Toyota Corolla) – DNF

1997

Jenni Thompson/Aaron McGill/Terry Skene (Ford Mondeo) – DNF

FAI Australia 1000 (race length: 1000km)

Melinda Price/Kerryn Brewer (Holden VS Commodore) – 12^th

The Castrol Cougars: (l-r) Melinda Price, Kim Watkins (never drove), Kerryn Brewer

1998

Heidi O’Neil/Paula Elstrek/Damien Digby (Ford Mondeo) – DNF

Jenni Thompson/Mike Fitzgerald (Peugeot 405) – DNF

FAI Australia 1000

Melinda Price/Kerryn Brewer (Holden VS Commodore) – 11^th

Nicole Pretty/Nathan Pretty/Grant Johnson (Holden VS Commodore) - DNF

1999

(race length: 500 miles)

Debbie Chapman/Dennis Chapman (BMW 320i) – 10^th

Jenni Thompson/Allan Letcher (BMW 318i) – 12^th

Leanne Ferrier (Tander)/Dean Canto (Ford Mondeo) – DNF

FAI Australia 1000 (race length: 1000 miles)

Melinda Price/Dean Lindstrom (Holden VS Commodore) – 17^th

2000

Melinda Price/Dean Lindstrom (Holden VS Commodore) – 20^th

2001

Leanne Ferrier/Paul Dumbrell (Holden VX Commodore) – DNF

2009

Leanne Tander/David Wall (Ford BF Falcon) – 29^th

2015

Renee Gracie/Simona de Silvestro (Ford FG X Falcon) – 21<sup>st

2016</sup>

Renee Gracie/Simona de Silvestro (Nissan Altima) - 14th

2017
Simona de Silvestro/David Russell (Nissan Altima) - DNF

2018
Simona de Silvestro/Alex Rullo (Nissan Altima) - 14th

2019
Simona de Silvestro/Alex Rullo (Nissan Altima) - 14th

2023

Simona de Silvestro/Kai Allen (Ford Mustang S650) - 20th

(C. Gibson image copyright News Corp Australia)

Lauren Gray

Lauren came to prominence as a frontrunner in the Australian Formula Three Trophy in 2006. In 2010, she made headlines, as part of the first father-daughter team to finish the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Her first major racing car was not a single-seater, but a Toyota Corolla, which she used in Improved Production races at State and National level, in 2003. That year, she made her first appearance in the Australian Production Car Championship, taking a guest spot in a smaller Proton Satria.

In 2004, she raced in the APCC, in the Satria again, finishing fourth in Class D after twelve races. This was in addition to some more club racing in the Corolla.

The following season, she took her first steps into single-seater racing. Bravely, she bypassed Formula Ford and Formula Vee, and jumped straight into the B class of the Australian Formula 3 championship. Despite her lack of open-wheel experience, she was fifth in the class, driving for the dominant Scud Racing team.

As well as a ten-race F3 schedule, Lauren was very busy in 2005, with a full programme of Production Car racing in a Toyota Echo Sportivo. She was third in Class C, and tenth overall.

2006 was another very full season. Lauren moved into the Trophy class of Australian F3, still with Scud Racing. She was one of the leading drivers, with two wins, nine additional podiums and an overall runner-up spot. Her F3 programme also took in the two Australian Grand Prix support races.

Touring cars had certainly not been forgotten. She returned to Class C of the APCC, and the Toyota Echo, and was third in class, fifteenth overall. This year, the Toyota was running under the “Lauren Gray Motorsport” banner. The team ran two cars, one for Lauren and one for Amber Anderson. As well as the APCC, Lauren Gray Motorsport made appearances in other production saloon racing series, and picked up points everywhere.  

She moved up to the National class of Australian F3 in 2007, and was second, driving a 2001-spec car. Another season in the APCC gave her a fifth in Class C, although the Echo was not really powerful enough to compete in the overall standings. She was 24^th in the championship.

In January, Lauren had been part of an all-female team for the Bathurst 12 Hours, with Leanne Tander, Samantha Reid and Christina Orr. They drove a Holden Astra, but did not finish.

Despite her obvious skill in a single-seater, she returned to saloon competition full-time for 2008, in the Australian Manufacturers' Championship. Her car was still the Toyota Echo and she won her class overall. During the season, she scored many class wins and even a few top ten overall finishes, despite having one of the smallest and least powerful cars in the field.

In 2009, she drove again at Bathurst for 12 Hour race, and recorded her first finish. Driving a BMW 130i with John deVeth and Rob Thomson, she was second in class and 19th overall. Unfortunately, this was her only big race of the season, although she did make some appearances in the Victorian State Improved Production Car series, driving a Toyota Corolla.

She contested the 2010 Australian Production Car Championship in a Toyota Corolla Sportivo, driving for her own team, and was tenth overall, although she only contested six rounds. At Phillip Island, her sister Maddison drove with her. Her father, Michael, was another team-mate to her, and the family theme continued at the Bathurst 12 Hours. The Lauren Gray Motorsport Corolla was fourth in class D. This was the first time that a father-daughter team had started the race, after Tania Gulson failed to qualify with her own family team. Tony Head was the Grays’ third driver. They were 19^th overall.

As well as the APRC, she did a few races in V8 Utes, driving a Holden Commodore pickup.

2011 was somewhat of a disjointed season, with some Production races in the Corolla, but not really enough to make a dent in the standings. She was sixth in Class D. The rest of the season was spent in a Holden Torana, in Sports Sedan races, at State and National level.

In 2012, she was set to contest the Aussie Racing Cars series, in a Holden Commodore, with the LaFemme Racing Academy team. This did not happen, and she spent the season hopping between Aussie Racing Cars and the Australian Production Championship, in a Commodore and a Toyota Echo respectively. She was driving for her own team, alongside her sister Maddison and Samantha Bennett. Lauren was third in Class E, just above Maddison. She did less well in Aussie Racing Cars, finishing 33^rd overall after a part-season.

2013 was spent mostly on “maternity leave”, but she returned to the circuits in 2014, again hopping between championships. Jumping back into a single-seater, she scored a few points in the Victorian State Formula Vee Championship, and did a part-season in the Manufacturers' Championship. Her car was a Ford Falcon, and her best result was an eleventh place in class, at Phillip Island. She was running in Class B, for Production cars. A part-season in the APCC, running the same car in Class C, gave her a fifteenth place overall. She was driving for the Australian Auto Wreckers team.

2015 was a quiet one for Lauren, on the competition front anyway. She has been following the US Rally Championship in America, with the FY Racing team. It seems that her future plans may lie in this direction.

In 2016, she did not race competitively, but Lauren Gray Motorsport ran cars for Ellexandra Best and Liam Thompson in the APC. She continued to run cars for Ellexandra and Michael Gray in 2017. She continued as a team owner and manager in 2018 and 2019.

(Image from http://www.amchamp.com.au/)

Saloon and Truck Racing in Australia

Ruthie Bowler

This post is about female racers in the saloon/production scene in Australia. This includes Ute racing. In recent years, there have been several women drivers who have started to appear regularly, and achieve decent finishes. For the results of female drivers in the Bathurst 12 Hours, please click here. For the equivalent drivers in New Zealand, click here. Christine Cole now has her own post, as do Paula Elstrek, Sue Ransom, Melinda Price, Alexandra Whitley, Kerryn Brewer, Ellexandra Best, Madeline Stewart and Sue Hughes.

Amber Anderson - Australian driver who competes in touring cars, mostly Production racers, and sportscars. She began racing a Porsche 944, and still drives it on occasion. She drove in the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2007, 2008 and 2009, finishing fifth in the Porsche in 2009. Her 2007 car was a Toyota Celica, which she shared with Danielle Argiro. They did not finish. They competed together again in 2008, driving a Holden Vectra this time. During the 2007 season, they also drove in the Production Car championship in the Celica. In 2009 she did not race as much and concentrated on driving the course car for the V8 Supercar series. 2010 went in much the same way, but with three rounds of the V8 Supercar development series at the end of the season, with a promise of more in the future. In 2011, again, she did not do much official racing, although she took part in a motorsport reality TV series, competing for a race seat alongside other novice and underfunded drivers. She did not win. For 2012, she was close to a deal for the Fujitsu Supercar Development Series, which appears to have fallen through. She took part in three V8 Ute races, and remained involved as the series' safety car driver. 

Danielle Argiro - competed in three Australian Formula Three rounds in 2004, for the Piccola Scuderia team. She finished twelfth overall. That year, she also raced V8 Brutes, coming 23rd. Previously, she raced saloons at club level with some success, since the age of 17. After some time away from major events, she competed in the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2007 as part of an all-female team, driving a Toyota Celica. Her team-mate was Amber Anderson and they were 21st, sixth in class. She also raced a Holden Vectra in Australian Production Cars, sometimes with Amber Anderson as a co-driver in enduro races. She does not appear to have raced much since 2008, although she was ninth in the Golden Holden One Hour race in 2009, driving a Gemini with Kandice Cannon. She has also taken part in some Time Attack speed events, in a Commodore. In 2018, racing as Danielle Walton, she entered the Phillip Island round of the APRC, driving a Holden Commodore for Katilyn Hawkins's team. She did not finish.

Anne Bennett – raced in Australia in the 1960s. She was second in Class D in the 1964 Sandown 6 Hours, sharing a Toyota Crown with John Colwell. Previously, in 1962, she was one of the first female entrants into the major endurance race that became the Bathurst 1000, when she raced a Simca in the Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island. Her team-mates were Pam Murison and Diana Leighton. Anne may have been active in other saloon races in the early 1960s, but details of her career are very sketchy.

Samantha Bennett – raced as part of Lauren Gray’s all-female team in the 2012 Australian Production Car Championship, driving a Toyota Echo alongside Lauren and Maddison Gray. She was seventh in class E, and 50^th overall, as she did not complete the whole season. Previously, she raced at club level, from at least 2009, when she competed in her regional Holden Gemini Championship. She also raced in sprint cars and production cars, at club level, and tested for the Suzuki Swift Cup, with support from the CAMS Women Drivers’ Development Programme. She does not appear to have raced since 2012.

Carly Black - raced a Renault Clio in the 2016 Australian Production Car Championship. Her best result was eleventh place, at Sydney, and she was 34th in the championship. This was her second time in the APCC, after she raced the Clio part-time in the series in 2014. In between, she raced in the NSW PCC, still in the Clio. She has been active in motorsport since at least 2008, when she took part in the Wakefield 300 enduro, in a Peugeot 206, finishing twelfth.

Karlie Buccini - races in the Australian Production Car Championship, driving for her family team. Her car is normally a BMW E82 135i. She was 26th in the 2023 championship after a part-season. Her best event is probably the Bathurst 6 Hours: she won her class in 2024, sharing with Courtney Prince and Sue Palermo. In 2023, she was 23rd, with Courtney and Ellexandra Best. In a different car, a Suzuki Swift, she was also third in 2022. Previously, she competed in the Queensland Production Car championship in 2019 and 2020, in a BMW.

Teigan Butchers – raced in the 2005 Australian Production car Championship. She used two different cars: a Proton Satria and a Citroen Xsara. She was not among the front-runners, and did not score points in the championship. 2005 seems to have been her only year of competition, and she now works as a physiotherapist and specialist personal trainer for people with disabilities.

Michelle Callaghan – raced saloons in Australia in the 1990s. She competed in two Bathurst 12 Hour races, in 1992 and 1994. The first time, she drove a Nissan Pulsar as part of an all-female team, with Tracey Taylor and Melinda Price. They were 17^th, and fifth in class B. In 1994, she was partnered with Brian Callaghan and Chris Symmonds, in a Class A Toyota Corolla. She finished again, in 23^rd place, and again fifth in class. Earlier, in 1991, she was tenth in the Winton 300, in a Toyota Corolla. Further details of Michelle’s activities are not forthcoming, although she did race in Formula Vee at some point.

Emma Clark – raced in Aussie Racing Cars in 2016. Her car was an Aurion, and she ran in support of ovarian cancer charities. She was not among the front-runners, with her best finishes being two 23^rd places, at Phillip Island and Hidden Valley. In 2017, she was a much improved driver, and neatly got into the top ten at Symmons Plains. She was 13th overall. 2018 was another season spent in the lower midfield. In 2019, she did a part-season and was 30th in the championship. In a new car, she raced in the 2021 Excel Bathurst Challenge, in a Hyundai Excel, although she finished a long way down the order. Although 2016 was her debut year in Aussie Racing Cars, she had raced in club events for the past ten years, driving a Mazda RX-3.

Carole Corness – active in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Australia. She took part in the Hardie-Ferrodo 500 twice, in 1969 and 1970. The first time, she drove a Mini Cooper with fellow Queenslander  Ann Thomson, but did not finish. The second time, she drove a MkI Ford Escort, and was 42^nd, alongside Gloria Taylor. The pair were sponsored by Women’s Day, an Australian magazine. In 1970, she also raced a “Super Bee” MGB with her husband, Iain Corness, and was active in ladies’ races held at Oran Park, possibly in a Mini.

Emily Duggan - the first female driver to race in V8 Supercars in Australia, in 2016. She entered the three Sandown races in April, finishing one in eleventh place. The rest of her season was spent racing a Hyundai X3 Excel in her home state of New South Wales. She won a one-hour enduro race outright, and was fifth in the state championship. She returned to the X3 NSW series in 2017, and was fourth, driving for her own team. Most of her career has been spent at the wheel of an Excel, the car in which she started her career in 2014. She won her fifth-ever race in this car. In 2018, she moved up to the Toyota 86 one-make series and was 25th overall, with a best finish of eighth at Newcastle. She raced the Excel twice at Mount Panorama. In 2019, she did another season in the Toyota 86, and combined it with a part-season in the Super3 supercar series. She was 19th in Super3, with a best finish of sixth at Winton. In 2024, she joined the Indian Racing League, driving for the Chennai Turbo Riders. She did the first two rounds, finishing ninth and tenth in her two races. She then joined an all-female team for the Circuit Excel Enduro at Mallala, sharing a car with Maisie Place and Lisa Totani. They did not finish.

Madison Dunston - races in the Aussie Racing Cars series in Australia. She began with a part-season in 2016, which was a bit of a disaster with only three finishes from twelve planned starts. She fared much better in 2017 in an ARC Altima, and earned two tenth places at Symmons Plains. She was fourteenth in the championship and third out of four female drivers, closely behind Charlotte Poynting and Emma Clark. At the Townsville race, Madison became the first female driver to race against her own father in Aussie Racing Cars. In 2018, she continued in Aussie Racing Cars and also branched out into other series. She did some rounds of the Toyota 86 Racing Series at Townsville, although she was not near the front. In the ARC championship, she was 15th, with one top-ten finish. It was a quiet season for her in 2019 but she managed three top-ten finishes when she switched to the ECB SuperUtes series mid-season. She switched again to a Toyota GT86 in 2021, racing in the Australia 86 one-make series. Her best finish was a 16th place at Townsville, from six races. Her second season in the car in 2022 gave her championship 27th, with a best finish of 23rd at Townsville. Moving sideways championship-wise, she contested the TGRA Scholarship Series in 2023, finishing 26th after a part-season. Her best finish was 20th at Phillip Island.

Holly Espray - races a Hyundai X3 Excel in Australia. She was ninth in the 2019 Track Attack Excel Cup, a single-make series, finishing on the podium on two occasions. This was her third season in the championship and her best overall finish. She has also done endurance events in the Excel, including the 2019 Track Attack Excel Cup EFS 4x4 Accessories 170, in which she was ninth alongside Jasen Hannagan. Continuing in the Excel, she did five races in the Queensland Excel championship in 2020. In the same car, she was ninth and sixth in the Excel Bathurst Challenge, but she spent most of the year racing a Toyota GT86 in the Australia 86 one-make series. Her best finish was eleventh at Mount Panorama. In 2022, she did some races in a Hyundai Excel, in the National series, before switching to racing Utes in 2023. She was fourteenth in the V8 SuperUtes series, with two seventh places at Sydney and Surfer's Paradise as her best finishes. She also took part in some TGRA Scholarship races in the GT86. Another season in Utes in 2203 gave her a championship thirteenth. She became a top-ten regular and had a best finish of eighth at Hidden Valley. She first appears on the major entry lists in 2016, driving a BMW E46 323i in the Queensland Outlaws Sports & Sedan series and other events. She has been racing karts since the age of seven and was still only fourteen when she started racing cars.

Mary Fabian – raced in Formula Gemini in Australia in 1978, driving a Holden Gemini. She was fourth in at least one race. Further details of her time in Formula Gemini are not readily available. In 1980, she raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship, for at least two races, driving an Isuzu-badged Gemini. Again, further details of her activities this season are proving hard to find. Her surname is sometimes spelled “Fabien”.

Maddison Gray - did two seasons of Production Car racing in Australia, driving for her sister Lauren Gray’s team. Her car in both 2011 and 2012 was a Toyota Echo Sportivo. Both times, she raced in Class E for a part-season only, so was not able to feature highly in the leaderboards. In 2013, she recorded a single tenth place at Phillip Island, but does not appear to have done much since then. As well as saloons, she is a regular Formula Vee racer, competing in state championships, also for Lauren Gray Motorsport. This was her main motorsport activity for 2013. In 2014, she competed extensively in Formula Vee, with Hendrick Racing. She tackled the Australian championship, for at least a part-season, and was twelfth in the Victoria state championship. She raced against her sister in some of the rounds. She made a small return to motorsport in 2016, driving a Eunos 30X in the Phillip Island round of Australian Production Cars. She was seventeenth. Later in the season, she drove for Team Brock in the Ken Leigh 4-Hour Endurance Classic. Her car was a Holden HQ Kingswood. She did not finish.

Amy Griffith - raced a Toyota Echo in the Australian Production Car Series in 2017 and 2018. Both years were part-seasons. In 2017, she scored two top ten finishes: tenth places at Phillip Island and Wakefield. The following year, she only raced at Sandown, in the first meeting of the season. Her best finish was a 23rd place. She raced alongside her husband, Mark Griffith, in their own Griffith Racing Corporation team.

Tania Gulson – raced in Australian touring and one-make series in the 1990s. Her first major races were the AMSCAR Series events at Amaroo, in 1993. She drove a BMW 635 CSi, and managed to finish most of her races, but was not among the front-runners. She was driving for her father, Ray’s team, and was set to contest the Bathurst 12 Hour race with Ray and her brother, Graham, but she could not start the race, due to not qualifying. Later on, she did some one-make racing, including the Suzuki Swift GTi Cup in 1995. In 1996, she won the all-female Mazda 121 Challenge. Later, she raced motorcycles with her husband, Mark Bennett.

Sheryl Hanright - New Zealander who races in the Ssangyong Ute Racing Series. Her first season in the Ute was the 2015-16 winter season. This followed a title win in the NZ Holden HQ championship in 2015. At the time, she had been racing the car for almost ten years. She has also taken part in some NZ enduro races in it. So far, she has not been quite as successful in the Ute. She finished in 23rd place in the 2016-17 Ute series.

Sarah Harley – races production saloons in Australia. She began in 2000, and between 2007 and 2011, she raced a Mazda MX-5 in production sportscar races, usually in her home state of Queensland, although she did make a trip to Mount Panorama in 2008, for the Production Sports race at the Easter meeting. In 2010, she took part in the Queensland rounds of the Mini Challenge, with a best finish of tenth, despite narrowly avoiding being involved in a serious accident where spectators were injured. After a couple of seasons in Rocketsports and small sportscar enduro racing, in the MX-5, she got herself a drive in the 2012 Bathurst 12 Hours, sharing a Lotus Exige with Christian Klien and Robert Thomson. They were second in Class C, ninth overall. The following year, she raced a Mazda 3223 Astina in the Australian Production Car Championship, winning Class E by two points. She also did some APCC races in a Honda Integra, and was eighth in Class D, sharing a car with Michael Gray. In 2014, she was back in the Mazda, and was fifteenth in the Willowbank 300. In 2015, she was tenth in the HQ Holden vs Gemini 1-Hour race, driving a Holden, but she does not appear to have raced since then.

Katilyn Hawkins – races a Suzuki Swift in a one-make series in Australia. She started in 2013, at the age of 20, with a short part-season. Her final finishing position was 20^th. In 2014, she was tenth. After a slow start to the season, and some missed races due to car trouble, she managed a seventh  place at Winton, her home track. Her 2015 activities are unclear; the Swift was put up for sale in March. However, she was racing a Swift in November, when she took part in the Winton 300 race, finishing thirteenth. She carried on in the Swift in 2016, on a limited programme. She was eighteenth in the Phillip Island round of Australian Production Cars, and 31st in the Winton round of the Australian Endurance Championship. She also tested a V8 Supercar. Her programme in 2017 was very limited; she drove the Swift twice at Winton, and was tenth and twelfth. 2018 was similar: she entered four rounds of the APC series but only finished one, at Winton. She entered additional cars for Danielle Argiro and others during the year but did not always drive herself. She remained involved in 2019, but mostly as a team manager. 

Darrilyn Huitt – raced saloons in Australia in the 1970s. She entered the Bathurst 1000 once, in 1973, driving a Holden Torana with Pat Peck. They did not finish. Darrilyn drove solo in different classes, and also took part in some of the ladies’ races that were held at Oran Park in the 1970s, but details of her career are very sketchy. She may have been one of the drivers in a Renault 12 ladies’ race at Oran Park in 1977.

Ashley Izod - races a Hyundai X3 Excel in one-make series in Australia. She ran almost a full season in the Queensland Excel Cup in 2018 for Hannagan Motorsport, finishing 42nd in a very strongly subscribed championship and earning one podium finish. In 2019, she teamed up with erstwhile single-seater racer Chelsea Angelo for the Track Attack Excel Cup EFS 4x4 Accessories 170, an endurance race. They were sixth overall, driving for the Brett Parrish Racing Organisation.

Lynne Keeffe – raced in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s. She raced in the Bathurst 500 twice, in 1969 and 1970. She did not finish the first time, driving with Christine Gibson. In 1970, she was 36^th, driving a Mini with Arthur Olsen. Lynne started off competing in rallies in 1964, initially as a co-driver, then as a driver. She drove in the Southern Cross Rally at least five times, between 1966 and 1970, first as a co-driver, then as a driver. She won four Ladies’ awards, one for navigating, and three for driving, and her cars were a Volvo 122 and a Hillman. In 1970, she navigated for Sue Ransom in the Ampol Round Australia Rally. Lynne also competed in rallycross, but no results are forthcoming.

Megan Kirkham – raced Mazda cars almost exclusively between 1996 and 2002. She started much earlier, in the 1980s, in club events. Her car then was a Ford Escort. She competed in this car up to Production Championship level, before taking some time out for motherhood, and racing part-time along with her husband, Phil Kirkham. In 1996, she made a major comeback, and was one of the twelve women who took part in the Mazda 121 Challenge. For the following two seasons, she raced a Mazda 626 in Production events, including two runs in the three-hour Bathurst Showroom Showdown. Both times, she shared the car with Phil. Her best result was twelfth, in 1997. For 1999, the 626 was swapped for an MX-5, which she used in the GT Production championship, finshing fourth in Class S. A move to Class B in 2000 gave her a ninth place. The same car was good for sixth in Class E in 2001. She carried on in 2002, but the results are not forthcoming. After that, Megan retired again, and worked as the team manager for Phil and their son Declan. In 2012, she was set to do some more racing herself, with daughter Lyndsay, but it is unclear whether this happened.

Robin Lacey - races saloons and sportscars in Australia, often in endurance events. She has been active since at least 2004. Normally, she does part-seasons in the Queensland Production Car Championship, using a Mazda MX5 until 2016 and a Volkswagen Scirocco after that. In 2007, she had a good year in the series, finishing seventh overall with Sarah Harley. Normally, she shares cars with her husband, Peter Lacey. In 2021, they teamed up with Matilda Mravicic for the Bathurst 6 Hours, but did not finish. This was Robin’s third attempt at the race. She and Matilda were fourth in class in the 2018 and 2019 events. In 2022 she raced a Volkswagen Scirocco in the 6 Hours, with the same team.

Bronwynne Leech - racing in the Ssangyong Ute Racing Series in 2016-17, in New Zealand. She is driving a pink Ute, in support of breast cancer charities, having had the disease herself. Her team is named 4-D Cup, and will feature other drivers. She only began racing in 2016, initially in a Peugeot 206 that she raced as part of an all-female team in endurance events. Her co-drivers were Sheridan Broadbent and Wendy Metcalfe.

Brooke Leech - races saloons in Australia. She first started racing in 2010, by winning a CAMS “Young Guns” young driver’s sponsorship deal during her karting days. She was 17 years old. She did a full season in Aussie Racing Cars, driving a Holden Commodore, and was 28th overall. She also did a couple of Production Car races in a Holden Vectra, which she shared with Belinda Halliwell. In 2011, she moved into the Australian Swift Racing Series, a one-make championship. Despite missing out on a win, she was second overall, with four top-three finishes. She returned to the Swift series in 2012, but was only able to enter six rounds due to a lack of sponsorship. In 2013, she did some karting.

Maria Mare - South African-born racer who began her career in her 40s, in 2007. She mainly competes in her home state of Queensland and the Holden Commodore has been her most frequent car of choice. She has done part-seasons in the Queensland Outlaw Sports & Sedan series, Queensland Saloon and HQ Holden championships, either in the Commodore or in a Ford Falcon. Since 2017, she has been racing a 6200cc Dodge Ram pickup in the Sports class of the Outlaw series.

Bronte Michael – began racing in 2011, when she was only 16. She started out with a historic Datsun 120Y, which she used for two seasons in Queensland. Continuing in historics in 2012, she raced a Holden Torana and HQ, finishing twelfth in the Golden Holden One Hour race. 2013 included her taking part in the Suzuki Swift Racing Series, vying for a funded place in the championship in 2014. She was 19^th overall. She also raced a Hyundai Excel in the Excel Cup, a series she returned to in 2014 for three races, finishing 29^th, as well as some endurance events in the same vehicle. Mid-season, she did some rounds of the Production Championship in a Honda Integra, and had a best finish of eleventh, at her home track of Queensland.

Elly Morrow - Australian driver most famous for competing in the V8 Supercar junior classes. She first entered the Super3 championship in 2021, driving a Holden Commodore. After three races, she had a best finish of sixth at Mount Panorama and was thirteenth in the championship. Brad Jones Racing moved her up to Super2 in 2022, which proved tougher. She was fourteenth overall, just missing out on a top-ten finish at Townsville. After missing the last meeting of the season, she then joined the Shannons S5000 Tasman Series, a V8 single-seater championship. She was the first woman to enter and was tenth overall, with a best finish of eighth at Surfer’s Paradise. At the start of 2023, she continued her single-seater adventures with a run in a Formula Ford at Mount Panorama, finishing eighth. Her main plan for 2023 was another campaign in Super2, driving a Ford for the Tickford team. She did all twelve races and was thirteenth overall.

Matilda Mravicic - has raced a Mazda MX5 or a Volkswagen Scirocco in Australia since at least 2009. She has competed in the Bathurst 6 Hours four times, in 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018, finishing fourth in class in the first two races. Her car was the Scirocco. All three times, her co-driver was Robin Lacey. Before that, she drove the MX5 in single-make championship and endurance events, including three runs in the Valvoline 300 at Wakefield. She also drives in Targa endurance rallies occasionally in the Mazda. 

Brooke Newson - raced a Subaru Impreza in Improved Production Nationals in Australia. She began in the class in 2015, driving a Mitsubishi Mirage in the 1600cc Western Australia series. She acquired the Impreza in 2016 and was eighth in the Western Australia 2000cc championship. She did more 2000cc races in 2017 and also competed in the Wanneroo 300 as part of an all-female team with Stephanie Esterbauer. They were sixth overall. Since then, Brooke has not raced as much as she would have liked as the Impreza developed serious problems at the Improved Production Nationals, held at The Bend. At the end of 2019, she switched to racing sprint cars.

Lorraine Orchard - raced in endurance events and Formula Vee from the 1970s onwards. She began in Formula Vee in 1976, initially in hillclimbs. Her car was a Venom. Later, in 1981, she raced a Triumph Dolomite with Martin Power, sharing the car for the Hang Ten 400 at Sandown. They were 26th overall. In 1985, she drove for the Gerald Kay team in the Australian endurance championship, as team-mate but not co-driver to Martin Power in another Dolomite.

Sue Palermo - usually races German cars in Improved Production in Australia. Her best result so far has been a class win in the 2024 Bathurst 6 Hour, driving a BMW 135i E82 with Karlie Buccini and Courtney Prince. They were tenth overall. That year, she also raced a Mercedes AMG C63 in the Duggan Family Hotels Combined Sedans series, finishing fifth in class. She used the same car in the Improved Production Nationals.

Cheryl Parnell – raced a Mini in New Zealand in the late 1970s, for at least three seasons. No actual race results are forthcoming, but pictures exist of Cheryl alongside her Mini, which was sponsored by Unipart in 1976. She continued to race in 1977 and 1978, until the car was sold at some point.

Pat Peck – raced from about 1969 to 1973, normally in a Ford Falcon or Holden Torana. She drove in the big Bathurst races on three occasions, between 1971 and 1973. Her first attempt gave her a 29^th place in a Torana, with Jan Holland. The two raced against each other in 1972, but neither finished. She did not finish in 1973, either. During the same time period, she drove both the Falcon and the Torana in the big yearly Sandown endurance race, but does not appear to have finished any of them, either. After this, she continued to race karts, and had some success at club level. She now runs a chain of garages.

Maisie Place - races a Mazda RX-8 in Australia. Since 2019, she has been a regular presence in the one-make series for that car. A full season in 2021 led to a tenth place in the championship, her best so far. A part-season in 2022 led to an 18th place. This improved to 17th in 2023. She did at least some races in the RX-8 in 2024, as well as some in the Hyundai Excel one-make series. She uses the same car in endurance races such as the Wakefield Park 300, which she has competed in twice, once in the RX-8 and once in an MX5 in 2018. As well as racing herself, she manages Maisie Place Motorsport, which runs three cars for herself and others in the RX-8 Cup and various endurance races.

Charlotte Poynting – raced for two different teams in Aussie Racing Cars in 2016. This was her debut season, and it was mostly a learning year, but she did manage to win one race, at Hampton Downs, and was fourth in another, at Queensland. Her cars were a Camaro and an Aurion. She was 28^th in the championship. 2017 was another split season, spent racing for her own team and Laser Electrical. She was twelfth in the championship, with three top-ten finishes: two ninths and a tenth. In 2018 she was twelfth again and best female driver, but her top-ten tally rose to five. She also did some rounds of the SsangYong Ute series. Another strong season in ARC followed, with three top-ten finishes and twelfth overall. She also raced in the ECB SuperUtes Series at Queensland, and managed one ninth place from pole. The 2020 ARC series gave her an eighth place at Mount Panorama. She did not do as well in 2021, managing an eleventh place at Symmons Plain as her best finish. After a year out, she returned to ARC in 2023. Prior to her switch to cars, she raced karts in Australia for five years.

Nicole Pretty – raced touring and stock cars in Australia in the 1990s. In 1998, she raced a Holden Commodore prepared by her family team. She took part in the FAI 1000 Classic event with her brother, Nathan, but they did not finish. In 1999, she did another major touring car race, the Bathurst V8 300. Again, sharing the Commodore with Nathan, she was fifth overall. That year, she did some more races in the SCS series, including one at Calder Park, for which she did not qualify. After that, she seems to fade from the scene, although the Pretty family remains involved in Australian circuit racing.

Summer Rintoule - races at Toyota 86 in the one-make series organised by Toyota Gazoo Racing. She got her start in Toyotas aged 16, in 2023, taking part in the TGRA 86 Scholarship Series. Previously, she had raced a Hyundai Excel in another one-make championship. In 2024, she took on both the Australian and New Zealand GR Cup. So far, her best result has been a 25th place at Sydney Motorsport Park, in the Australian series. She also raced in the Bathurst 6 Hours, in the same car, finishing fifth in class. 

Monique Sciberras - former boxer and martial artist who has raced a Hyundai Excel in Australia on and off since 2017. In 2017 and 2018, she entered the New South Wales X3 series for the Excel, running for most of the year in 2018. She was 15th in that year’s championship. In 2021, she returned to the circuits, doing two rounds of the MRF Tyres Excel Bathurst Challenge. Her best finish was a 27th place. Her only race in 2023 was the Bathurst Challenge again. She usually competes alongside her father, Brian.

Gwenda Searle – raced production saloons in Australia in the 1990s. Her car in 1994 was a Suzuki Swift, and she was eighth in Class B of the Australian Production Car Championship. In 1995, she tried out a more powerful car, a Class C Toyota Celica, and a Toyota MR2 in the same class. She was driving for the New Woman magazine-sponsored Toyota team, and was second in Class C, with one win. That year, she shared a Celica with the Scots driver, Heather Baillie, in the Bathurst 12 Hours, but did not finish. Although she no longer races, she is still involved in motorsport, in development.

Caroline O’Shanesy – raced in the Bathurst 1000 three times, in 1973, 1975 and 1976. She drove a Mini for the first two attempts, finishing 26^th and 27^th. The third time, she drove a Fiat, but did not finish. She had been racing Minis on the Australian circuits since at least 1970, and was active in other touring car enduros in 1975, including the Sandown 250, which she did not finish. Caroline was also a rally driver, and remained active until at least 1989. In 1984, she was second in the Australian Rally Championship’s Production class, with Meg Davis, driving a Fiat Superbrava. She competed several times in the Rally des Femmes, a women-only event.

Ashleigh Stewart - New Zealand-born driver who races a Radical in Australia. 2019 was her first year of senior competition after ten years racing karts alongside her younger sister, Madeline. The two competed against each other in the Western Australia Formula 1000 series, with Ashleigh in the Radical and Madeline in a Stohr single-seater. The Radical was not as fast as the Stohr and Ashleigh did not do a full season. She also made a guest appearance in the Radical Australia Cup at The Bend, finishing eleventh and thirteenth in her two races. She now works on the team side of motorsport.

Helen Stig – raced in the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2007, as part of an all-female team in a Toyota Celica, with Amber Anderson and Danielle Argiro. The same year, she competed in the ThunderSports series, in a Toyota-powered car. She was 20^th in the championship. This was her second year in ThunderSports, as she had driven the same car in 2006. Both seasons, she did particularly well in the AMRS 500 event, finishing third in both occasions, in the same car. She was still racing in 2015. 

Alexandra Surplice - raced in Australian touring cars in the 1980s, usually in a Toyota. She made three Bathurst starts between 1980 and 1984. Her best result was 26th, in 1984. She also finished 28th in 1980, driving a Toyota Corolla with John Gates. In 1981 and 1982, she shared a Toyota Celica with Doug Clark for other Australian endurance races. Although their finishing record was patchy, they did manage a points finish at Oran Park in 1981. 

Hayley Swanson - began competing in sprints in Australia in a Subaru Impreza WRX in 2009. She switched to Aussie Racing Cars in 2011, in a Holden Commodore and Toyota Aurion, but only managed one race in each. In 2012, her career really took off, and she contested a whole season of V8 Utes. It was a learning year, and she was 25th overall after 21 races. In 2013, she entered three Aussie Racing Cars events, in a Commodore. Away from the track, she is a model, and she entered the Australian motorsport-themed reality show “Supercar Showdown.” In 2014, she raced her Impreza in the Winton 300, although she does not appear to have finished. She also raced a Holden in at least some events. She returned to the Winton 300 in 2015, in the Impreza, but did not finish. In 2017, she entered the Impreza into the Wanneroo, but did not finish.  

Gloria Taylor – raced saloons in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She took part in one Bathurst classic, the Hardie-Ferrodo 500 in 1970. She drove a MkI Ford Escort with Carole Corness, sponsored by the magazine Woman’s Day. They were 42^nd overall. The year before, she had raced another Ford with another female co-driver, Pat Peck. They raced in the Datsun 3 Hours at Sandown, in a Falcon, and were listed as finishers. She is also known to have raced a Holden in Australian touring car events, in 1970 at least. She also drove in ladies’ races, often held at Oran Park, in cars belonging to her husband, Herb Taylor. She died in 1990.

Jane Taylor – raced at Bathurst, in the 12 Hour race, in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, she drove a Holden Commodore with Alf Grant and Peter Brierley, but did not finish. Sadly, her second attempt, in a Citroen BX, also ended in a non-finish. Her team-mates this time were Chris Wiles and Chris Clearihan. Jane may well have taken part in more races, but information is proving hard to track down. “Taylor” is the name of at least two racing or rallying families in Australia, and it is possible she is part of one of them.

Tracey Taylor – raced in the Bathurst 12 Hours in 1992, as part of an all-girl team with Michelle Callaghan and Melinda Price. They were 17^th overall, fifth in class B. Their car was a Nissan Pulsar. Away from major saloon races, she was also involved in Formula Vee racing, and seems to have competed in New South Wales in the 1990s. Unfortunately, further details are proving hard to find.

Ann Thomson – driver from Queensland active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning in 1966. She partnered Carole Corness in a Mini Cooper for the 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500, but did not finish. Earlier, in 1968, she raced a Ford Cortina, a car she also rallied. Among her other cars were a Lotus Elan and a Holden Kingswood, which she drove in the 1970 Round Australia Rally. Later, she became more involved in the technical side of motorsport, acting as a timekeeper, and a Clerk of the Course for State-level rallies, in addition to serving on club committees. She is still active in her motor club to this day.

Midge Whiteman - drove in the Bathurst 500 race in 1967 and 1968, finishing both times. Her cars were a Morris 1100 and a Mini respectively. She was 36th in 1967, driving with Jane Richardson, and 41st in 1968 with Christine Gibson. Presumably, she entered other touring car races in Australia, but the results are not forthcoming.

Natalie Willmington – driver from a motorsport family who competes in different disciplines in Australia. She first raced in the 2006 Production Touring Car Championship, in a Mitusbishi Magna. She was on the pace straight away, and was third at the end of the year. Sadly, she did not finish the AMRS 500 enduro. Her second season in the APTCC was another success, and she was second, driving a Ford Falcon. Back in the Magna, she was sixth in the AMRS 500, driving with Simon Morison. Since then, Natalie has competed in drag racing and won burnout competitions. She now supports her teenaged son in his own motorsport career.

Brianna Wilson - raced in the Australian Production Car Championship in 2017. Her car was a Nissan Pulsar. She only did a part-season, but managed to get into the top ten in her last race, finishing ninth at Wakefield. She was 34th in the championship. In addition to this, she raced the car in her state’s (New South Wales) championship, driving for her own team. She was 17th overall. In 2019, she raced a Nissan Pulsar in the Sydney 300 and was fourteenth overall with Nathan Stephens. In 2020, she partnered Gene Phillips for the Wakefield 300. They finished eleventh in a Maxda MX5. She won her class in the 2021 Bathurst 6 Hours, sharing a Mazda3 with Ryan Gilroy. In 2022, she entered again, this time in a Subaru WRX and sharing with Dimitri Agathos. Another Bathurst entry in 2023, in the Subaru, was not as successful. She drove a BMW M3 in the 2024 6 Hours, but does not appear to have finished.

(Picture from http://www.kartsportnews.com/)