Sybil Lupp

Sybil Lupp was New Zealand’s first female racing driver. 

Her interest in cars began on the engineering side in the 1930s, and she was one of New Zealand’s first female mechanics, taking a job at JG Ingrams garage in 1938. She started racing after her second marriage, in 1947. She took part in the first hillclimb organised by the Otago Automobile Club.

Initially, she only drove in hillclimbs, scoring several wins in MG cars. She had learned to drive aged eleven and her first car was an MG M-Type, bought for her by her father three years later. The Australian Women’s Weekly reported in November 1948 that Sybil had won her second Otago hillclimb championship in succession, and that she held their circuit’s track record. Her records included the full hillclimb for her class and for the standing quarter-mile sprint.

Circuit racing was quite slow to get going in New Zealand after the Second World War, having been quite sporadic before that anyway. In 1949, she entered the first road race held in the country, the appropriately-named Road Racing Championship. The event was a 105-mile circuit, consisting of 50 laps of an aerodrome. She drove an MG TC and was fifth on scratch, fourth on handicap.

In 1950, she was second in the same race, driving the TC, and first on handicap. She had made considerable progress from twelfth on the grid.

After a year when she does not appear to have raced at all, she returned with an MG TD in 1952. She was seventh in both the Lady Wigram Trophy and the CWF Hamilton Trophy. The RRC’s original organisers had switched their attentions to another track and the Lady Wigram Trophy was its replacement. Her Wigram result was another run from the back of the grid. The CWF Hamilton event was held at the 4km Mairehau circuit, run over 40 laps. Sybil had been given a substantial ten-minute handicap.

In 1953, she changed from an MG to a Jaguar XK-120. In this car, she was seventh in the CWF Hamilton Trophy, driving with “HR Brown”, who was a Dr Bruce Hay driving under a pseudonym. Driving solo, she was seventh in the fifth RRC, now held at Dunedin. 

As well as racing, she was one of the founder members of the Otago Motor Association, and ran a series of garages and car dealerships. Her first marriage ended when Jack Lupp died in 1945; two years later, she married his brother Percival. They divorced in 1961. After 1969, when she married Lionel Archer, she was known as Sybil Archer. They had been partners in a Jaguar garage.

Despite her choice of occupation, Sybil always distanced herself from “women’s lib” and claimed that a woman should be led by her man, although she also bragged about being quicker than her husband early in her career.

She died in 1994, aged 78.

(Image copyright Wellington Evening Post)

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)

Alexandra Whitley

Alexandra Whitley is an Australian driver who is chiefly known for racing a Ute in New Zealand, as part of the SsangYong Actyon Ute series. She is one of its most successful female drivers.

The 2014-2015 season was her first in senior motorsport, after several years of karting. Compared to many of her contemporaries she was quite a late starter at 16, but she still got a few years in, winning seven Australian ladies’ titles. She had written off a switch to cars for financial reasons until she met New Zealand racer and speed record competitor Heather Spurle, who lent her a car and helped her to find a race seat. They tried for the Australian Suzuki Swift series to begin with, but then put a package together for Alexandra to race in New Zealand.

It was a cautious start in Utes, with Alexandra’s deal only for the first rounds as a trial. She was only 23rd in her first race but she impressed fellow driver and Ssangyong importer Deon Cooper, who offered to support her for the rest of the year. His faith was repaid; by February, Alexandra was winning races. She was sixth overall, having been in contention for the title for part of the season. 

Having decided to decamp to New Zealand from her home in Toowoomba, she committed herself to her Ssangyong drive. The following season, she added another win to her tally, as well as some more podiums. It was not all plain sailing as she had to contend with her share of truck trouble, but she kept hold of her sixth place.

She undertook her third Ssangyong season from 2016, and was tenth overall. She scored two podium finishes: third at Hampton Downs and Pukekohe. By now, the calibre of drivers in Utes was getting higher and many of them were able to undertake more testing than Alexandra. She also had more mechanical problems and was taken off-track by another driver.

She continued to add to her tally of successes in 2017-18, with three podiums this time. She continued to work with Deon Cooper and they even teamed up in Cooper’s SuperUte, which races in endurance events against Porsches and other sportscars. 

As well as the Ssangyong single-make championship, she entered the NZ V8 Ute series, the first female driver to do so. She drove a Holden truck and was fifth overall, with best finishes of fourth at Manfeild and Hampton Downs. At Manfeild, she also posted a fastest lap.

At the end of 2018, Alexandra was announced as one of the qualifiers for the first season of the all-female W Series. She got through two qualification events but was not selected to race.

In 2018-19, she raced in the NZ V8 Ute championship and was one of its leading drivers. She was sixth overall, with one win at Pukehohe and two third places, at Hampton Downs and Manfeild. 

In Australia, she raced a VW Golf in the TCR championship and had an inconsistent season. Her best finish was ninth at Phillip Island and she was 15th overall. She had not raced on all of the Australian circuits, on slicks or in a front-wheel drive car before.  

She raced in the BNT V8 series in 2020, in New Zealand, driving a Toyota Camry. Despite starting the season with no testing, she scored podium finishes in her first five races at Pukehohe, two third and three seconds. She was second in the championship.

When the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled due to coronavirus fears, Alexandra missed out on a drive in the Asia Pacific TCR Cup in a VW Golf. The New Zealand TCR series, in which he was set to compete, was also cancelled.

It was back to a full season in 2021 and she raced in the New Zealand Toyota 86 Championship, a one-make series for the Toyota TR86. Although she was not among the front-runners, she was a consistent top-ten finisher. Her best finish was seventh at Pukehohe and she was ninth in the championship.

(Image copyright The Chronicle)

Chelsea Herbert

Chelsea Herbert races V8 stock cars in New Zealand. She is the first woman to win a V8 Series race.

Chelsea is a former junior karter who took her first steps in senior competition in the 2014-2015 season, aged 15. She raced in the SsangYong Actyon Ute Racing Series, but was unable to complete the season due to receiving a concussion in round five. She admitted in an interview in the NZ Herald that the jump from karts to cars had been steeper than she expected and that she had often found herself “in the wrong place at the wrong time” on track. That said, she started the fifth round from pole position.

After a three-month recovery, she returned to kart racing, at least temporarily.

Later in 2015, she was part of a 20-woman strong celebration of women in all areas of motorsport at the CRC Speedshow.

She returned to Utes for the 2015-16 season and had an up and down year, although she was getting to grips with driving a much larger vehicle at speed. Her reward was two podium finishes, including a second place at Manfeild.

For the 2016-17 season, she began racing in BNT NZ Touring Cars, in a Ford Falcon. This is a V8 series in the vein of Supercars in Australia. She was fourth in the championship, with one second place at Manfeild and two thirds at Pukehohe and Hampton Downs.

In 2017, she was third in the BNT V8 Series Class 2 Championship, driving a Falcon. She scored two wins at Taupo and Ruapana and led the championship for much of the season. Her Taupo victory was the first for a female driver in this category. She kept up the momentum for most of the season, earning another win and eleven more podium finishes. A disappointing fifth and sixth place at Hampton Downs at the end of the season dropped her down the order a little; Brock Timperley had a late surge and finished fourteen points ahead of her.

Chelsea did her first sportscar races at the end of 2017. She joined former Ute rival Christina Orr in an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 run by Mike Racing for the last rounds of the South Island Endurance Championship. They raced at Ruapana and Timaru. The second time out for the team led to a seventh place overall.  

She stuck with V8s for the 2018-19 season, although she moved up to Class 1. Her car was a Toyota Camry. She scored her first podium in it, a third place at Teretonga, in January. This was part of a long list of top-five finishes that left her sixth in the championship.

For the 2020 season, she tried out single-seaters for the first time in the Toyota Racing Series. She had to leave after crashing out of qualifying for the fourth race at Teretonga. She hit a wall on her opening lap on cold tyres and broke vertebrae. Although she remained conscious and was able to recover without surgery, she was advised to drop out of the F3-based championship.

After an extended break for full recovery, she returned to racing in 2022, taking part in the Toyota 86 one-make sportscar championship. After a full season, she was fourteenth, with a best finish of tenth at Taupo. 

During the 2023-24 season, she raced a BMW E46 in a one-make series. She was tenth overall in the championship after a part-season, completing ten of the 15 races. She usually finished and was normally in around sixth place; her best result was fifth at Hampton Downs.

(Image copyright Simon Chapman)

Christina Orr-West

Christina in 2015

Christina Orr, of New Zealand, is mostly known as a single-seater specialist. A precocious talent, she raced karts from an early age, and Formula First at twelve. This made her the youngest person to race a single-seater in competition. Not only that, but she was on the podium too. She was fourteenth in the championship.

The next year, in 2002, she was second in the New Zealand Formula First championship. During that year’s winter season, she moved up to Formula Ford, and won a “Rookie of the Series” award.

Her first full season of Formula Ford began in late 2002, and she was ninth overall, after a part-season. The following year, she was sixth, racing against the likes of Brendon Hartley and Charlie Kimball. She finished on the podium once. 

Her 2003 season was marred by tragedy, as she was involved in an accident in which a fellow Formula Ford racer, Michael McHugh, was killed. A lengthy inquest followed, but Christina was later absolved from blame, despite the protestations of McHugh’s family.

Putting 2003 behind her, 2004 saw her first international events – two races in the Australian Drivers’ Championship. Later, it was back to the NZ Formula Ford championship. Christina kept improving gradually, and was fifth at the end of the season. She scored two podium places, and two fastest laps.

In 2006, she moved up to Formula Toyota, New Zealand’s top-level domestic single-seater series. She was seventh in the winter series, before the main 2006-07 season started. Although she was not able to get another podium place, she did well in the championship, and was fifth overall.

2007 was a quiet year. She travelled to Australia, for the Bathurst 12 Hours, as part of an all-girl driving squad with Samantha Reid, Lauren Gray and Leanne Tander. They drove a Holden Astra, but did not finish.

Her next Formula Toyota season was 2008. This was something of a mixed year, with her best finishes being two fifth places at Manfeild. For the most part, she finished in the top ten, and was eighth overall.

The same year, she also entered four Indy Lights races in the USA. Her long-term goal was now a race seat in one of the American oval series. Out of her four races, she finished three times, and  had a best result of 16th, at Chicagoland. She hoped this would lead to more Stateside opportunities, but sponsorship was not forthcoming.

Most of 2009 was rather quiet for Christina. She did make one major appearance in Australia, in the Bathurst 12 Hours. She was part of a second all-female team, with Molly Taylor and Heather Spurle. They drove a Subaru Impreza, and were 27^th overall, second in class.

After almost a year's lay-off, she returned to motorsport for the 2009-10 southern hemisphere season, driving a Holden Commodore saloon in New Zealand. She entered the BNTV8 and NZV8 series, in a self-entered car. Her best finish in BTV8s was eleventh, at Teretonga, and she was 22^nd overall. She was 14^th in the NZV8 Hamilton 400 Trophy.

A second season in the BNTV8 series in 2010-2011 panned out in a similar fashion. She drove a Commodore, and had a best finish of twelfth, at Taupo, and she was 20^th in the championship.

A break from motorsport followed, during which Christina became a mother.

She returned to New Zealand in 2014, to race Utes. She signed up for the SsangYong Actyon Ute Racing Championship, one of five female drivers to do so. Despite her long lay-off, she was quickly on the pace, and became one of the series’ leading drivers. She won two races, and finished on the podium in four more. Her final championship position was third.

Christina raced Utes again for the 2015-2016 season, but was not quite as quick, and did not make it to the series podium at the end of the year.

However, her third Ssangyong Utes season got off to a fast start, with one win at Taupo at the second meeting of the year. She won again in the last meeting at Pukehohe. In addition, she picked up nine podium positions, three poles and two fastest laps. She was third overall.

She was third again in the 2017-18 Utes championship and signed up again for the 2019-20 season. In addition to the Ute, Christina also started racing an Audi R8 in the NZ Endurance Series, sharing the car with Ben Byers. The pair have scored one third and one fourth place.

She won one race in the Ute during the 2019-20 season.

After a break due to the coronavirus crisis, she returned to the circuits in 2021, racing a Toyota GT86 in the Toyota 86 New Zealand one-mae series. She was a reliable top-ten finisher, as expected, and had a best finish of third at Manfeild. Her final championship position was seventh and she signed up for another season in 2022. Unfortunately, this year was not as successful and she only really got into her stride late on, recording a sixth place at Hampton Downs in the final race of the season as her best finish. She was twelfth in the championship.

She raced in both Australia and New Zealand in 2023. Guest spots in the Mount Panorama rounds of the Australian 86 series gave her a disappointing 27th, 25th and 29th place, but she began the 2024 New Zealand series more strongly, with two top-tens at Taupo. She had been ninth in the championship in 2023. In between, she did a couple of three-hour races in a Mercedes AMG GT4 with Breanna Morris, as part of the South Island Endurance series.

She carried on with the GT86 one-make series in 2024, staying in New Zealand this time. She was twelfth in the championship, after finishing in the top ten fairly regularly. Her best finish was sixth, at Highlands, where she was also tenth.

(Image from http://nzmotorracing.co.nz/)

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)

Emma Gilmour

Emma Gilmour with the Suzuki Swift

Emma is a driver and co-driver from New Zealand. For quite some time, she has been the top female rally driver in her country, and has competed around the world. In 2014, she branched out into rallycross.

Her earliest forays into rallying were in the co-driver’s seat. In 1999 and 2000, she navigated for her cousin, Gwynn Gilmour, in the Rally of New Zealand. Her sister, Monica, was a rally driver too, and Emma read the maps for her on occasion. From the very start, Emma’s rally career was international in nature; in 2002, she partnered Alistair Cavenagh in the Canberra Rally, in Australia.

2002 was the year that she got behind the wheel herself. Her first rally car was a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3, bought from Gwynn. Her first rally was the Targa Bambina tarmac rally, and she started her career off well, with sixth overall, and first in the four wheel drive class. Her first gravel stage rally was the Rally of Rotorua, and she was on the pace against established APRC drivers, finishing 16^th overall. Almost unbelievably, her first season as a driver included a run in the Rally of New Zealand, which she did not finish, and an overseas trip. She did not manage to finish the Japanese Alpine Rally either, although she set some decent stage times before retiring. 

Emma’s first year as a fully-fledged rally driver saw her push herself so far, it would have been difficult to keep up such momentum. Her return to the Rotorua Rally ended when her Lancer lost a wheel, and another accident dropped her out of the Rally of New Zealand.

In 2004, she contested the New Zealand Rally Championship, driving a Lancer Evo VI this time. Despite a couple of disappointing retirements, it was another year of progress. She scored her first top-ten finish in the Rally of Otago, coming ninth, and then surpassed it in the Rally of Nelson, finishing sixth. For a change, she entered the Targa New Zealand in a works Suzuki Ignis, and won the small car class. She was 30^th overall, and set one twelfth fastest stage time, against cars with much bigger engines.

Her competition schedule in 2005 was squarely based in New Zealand, revolving around the NZ championship in a Lancer Evo VI. During this season, she travelled to Europe, to become a student of the legendary John Haugland, at his Rally School in Norway. She did not actually compete. At home, she managed her first Rally of New Zealand finish, in 26^th place. She was the second New Zealand finisher. In June, she did not finish in Rotorua, normally her best event, but she did score her first podium place; a third in the Rally of Otago. She was second in the NZ championship, after a sixth place in a heat for the Wairapa Rally. Away from the championship, she was fifth overall in the Targa New Zealand, despite a heavy penalty for an illegal tyre change, and ninth overall, with a class win, in the Race to the Sky hillclimb.

For 2006, she looked toward Europe. Using money from a private sponsor, she secured a wildcard entry into the Ford Fiesta Shootout, in the UK. She was the winner of the International Scholarship award, and received entries into the Rallies of Germany and Finland, as part of the Fiesta Sporting Trophy. She was 50^th in the Rally Deutschland, seventh in class, and although she was only 65^th in Finland, with a class sixth, she secured some class stage wins. Later in the year, she picked up more funding for her Fiesta campaign, and entered the Wales Rally GB, but did not finish. She was thirteenth in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy.

Back at home, she switched from Mitsubishi to Subaru power, and performed well in the Rally of New Zealand, posting top-three Production WRC stage times, and finishing 24^th. Rotorua was once more a lucky event for her, and she was ninth. A third overall in the Targa New Zealand was another podium finish for her collection, and she was second in her class at the Race to the Sky. At the end of the year, she was awarded the Rally Founders’ Trophy by the New Zealand motorsport association, for achievements and sportsmanship.

She had a stellar start to 2007, coming second in the Otago Rally in the Impreza, her best result so far. At the Whangerei Rally, the second round of the NZ championship, she was on course to repeat this, having won some stages, but a major crash ended her involvement, and destroyed her car. She did not compete for several months, until winning another scholarship drive for September’s Rally New Zealand, in an Impreza WRX. Her final position was 33^rd, 13^th in the PWRC. This drive led to an offer from Subaru Japan to compete in the Rally of Japan, a WRC round, in a similar Impreza. She did not finish, retiring at the beginning of the last day.

2008 was a comparatively quiet year. Emma had her own Subaru back on the road, and entered the NZ championship. Her best result was a third place, in the Nelson Rally. Another run in the Rally of New Zealand gave her a 16^th place. Away from the main championship, she was fourth in the Targa.

After this rather subdued season, she spread her wings again in 2009, entering the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, in the Impreza. Her first event was the Red Devil Rally in Queensland, Australia, and she was fourth overall. She was fifth in the Whangerei Rally, third APRC finisher, and fourth in Japan. The Malaysian round gave her her best finish, second, in the jungle, and she was third and sixth in Indonesia and China. Her consistency was rewarded by second in the APRC championship. Despite her international schedule, she still had time for the NZ championship, and her string of top-five finishes, including another second, was enough for third overall.

Although 2010 was more domestic in nature for Emma, it was successful. She did everything apart from win in the NZ championship, scoring two seconds and two thirds, and was the fourth NZRC finisher in the Rally of New Zealand (17^th overall). On the WRC front, she was second in the PWRC in New Zealand, and twelfth overall. This, and her runner-up spot in the NZRC, helped her to become the highest-placed female driver in the Castrol rankings for the year.

The following season, she stayed close to home again, and had another good year in the NZ Championship. Her best finishes were two third places, at Hawkes Bay and in the Rally of New Zealand, which was unfortunately no longer a WRC rally. She retained her runner-up spot in the championship.

In 2012, she was runner-up in the NZ championship yet again, after a second in the Rally of Wairarapa, a third in the Otago Rally and sixth at Whangarei. She was fourteenth in the Rally of New Zealand itself. Only the Gisborne Rally was a disappointment, ending in suspension failure.

2013 was spent developing the Suzuki Swift Maxi in New Zealand. In the one rally where the car made it to the end, Emma was eleventh: the Rally Wairarapa. The Swift had suffered repeated engine problems all season, which were only fixed right at the end.

The situation was similar in 2014, although it was the Whangarei Rally, the first of the season, rather than the last, that she finished this time. She was in 21st place.

She also took part in rallycross, racing in the Red Bull Global Series, in a Hyundai Veloster Turbo, alongside Rhys Millen. The team was also run by Rhys Millen, another New Zealander. Emma was driving in the Supercar class, and competed in the USA and Barbados. Her best finish was seventh, achieved at Austin, Texas. She was thirteenth in the championship.

In 2015, Emma rallied again, driving the Suzuki Swift in the NZ championship, after warming up for the season with a rallysprint in March. Mechanical problems again dumped her out of the Whangerei and Otago Rallies, but she was on the pace again at Canterbury, finishing fourth. She was then fifth at Gisborne, a disappointing 35th in the Coromandel Rally, and a strong third in the Rally Manawatu. This left her fifth in the New Zealand championship.

Setting her sights internationally once more, Emma travelled to Qatar to take part in the FIA Women In Motorsport Desert Challenge. This was an assessment and shoot-out, with a prize of a funded drive in the 2016 Sealine Desert Challenge rally raid. With navigator Lisette Bakker, she was the outright winner of the challenge, and will take up her prize-drive. 

Back the the familiar territory of the NZ Championship, she made history in 2016 by becoming the first female driver to win a rally outright. She won the Rally of Canterbury in June, in the Suzuki Swift. This followed a second place in the Rally of Whangarei. Although the Otago and Gisborne rallies ended in mechanical failures for her, she was still sixth in the NZ championship.

Her 2017 season in the Swift started frustratingly, with three retirements, but Emma got back on track later in the year. She was ninth in the Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel, then fifth in the Waitamo Rally. She was ninth in class in Rally New Zealand and 16th overall.

By 2018 she had really got the hang of the Swift and the results started to come. She was fourth in the Whangarei and South Canterbury rallies and second in the Whare Flat Rallysprint.

Emma admitted on social media that 2019 was not a good year for her. The latest AP4 iteration of the Swift was unreliable in the early part of the season and overheated during the Rally of Whangerei. She did manage to finish the Coromandel Rally later in the year, in 24th place. The highlight for her was a win in the Supercharge Batteries Circle Hill Rallysprint, out of 47 finishers.

Despite the reduction in motorsport generally due to the coronavirus crisis, Emma got back on track in 2020. She used two versions of the Swift and was competitive in both. The AP4 had been worked on over the off-season and it took its driver to second place in the Tokomaru East Rallysprint. Later in the season she brought it out again for the City of Auckland Rally, finishing fourth. In between, she drove a Maxi 1600 Swift and was third in the Bay of Plenty Rally, before coming second in another rallysprint at Piakonui Road.

The firrst half of 2021 was almost business as usual for Emma, who entered the New Zealand championship in the Swift again. She suffered a series of mechanical problems that dumped her out of rallies, but she did do well in sprint events, including a fourth place in the Bothwell Loop. 

Mid-year, she was announced as the Veloce team's female reserve driver in Extreme E, the electric off-road championship. It wasn't long before she was called into action, as Veloce's regular female driver Jamie Chadwick had prior commitments with W Series. Emma entered the Glacier XPrix in Greenland with Stephane Sarrazin, finishing sixth in the final. She was poised to score better in the Sardinian Island XPrix, having been third in the first qualifying runs, but Stephane had a serious off in the second and they were relegated to the Crazy Race. Emma tried a daring line at the beginning and almost caught Christine Giampaoli Zonca, but Stephane crashed out again, destroying the car.

On the back of her two debut performances, she was signed for the McLaren team who will enter the championship in 2022. This made her the first female McLaren works driver.

As she had been in Europe for Extreme E and coronavirus restrictions were increased again, she was unable to return to New Zealand until a quarantine spot was available. She spent months in the UK and even entered a round of the British Rally Championship. Her car was a Ford Fiesta and she was twelfth in the Cambrian Rally, alongside Claire Mole, who had last co-driven for her in 2013. 

Her first full Extreme E season was a challenge. Sharing the car with Tanner Foust, Emma had her share of offs and rolls and the McLaren team often struggled with qualifying. After a Crazy Race win in Chile, they finally put together a strong run through the weekend and finished second overall. Emma and Tanner were joint seventh in the championship. 

This year, she was able to return home and enter some New Zealand rallies. Driving the Swift, she and Malcolm Peden were second in the Bothwell Loop rallysprint and fifth in the Otago Rally.

She only did one New Zealand rally in 2023 as most of her time was taken up by Extreme E. She was fifth in the Rally of Otago, driving a Citroen C3 Rally2. 

Her Extreme E season with McLaren, still competing with Tanner Foust, was just getting underway, with a promising second place in Scotland, when a huge practice crash in Sardinia ended her chances. She suffered a broken rib and concussion and had to sit the rest of the season out. At the end of the year, she announced that she was leaving McLaren. Foust also left.

Having recovered from her injuries, she planned a season in the NZ rally championship in 2024, which ended in a third place in the NZ championship standings. Her best championship rally finish was third, in the Rally Bay of Plenty. Away from the championship, she was second in the Popotunoa Rallysprint. Her car was a Citroen C3.

(Image from https://handbrakeshairpins.wordpress.com)              

Early Female Racers in New Zealand

Sybil Lupp

There was no major, organised motor racing in New Zealand until after the Second World War. After that, in the late 1940s, road races began to be held, first on public roads, then on purpose-built circuits. Women drivers were involved in these, right from the start. They were also part of the speed eventing scene, which grew up shortly before this.

This post describes some of New Zealand’s female racers in the 1940s and 1950s.

Nola Blackburn – raced a JAP-engined Cooper single-seater in road races in the 1950s. She took part in the New Zealand Championship Road Race in 1952 and 1953, and finished once, in tenth place, at Mairehau, in 1952. The following year, when the race was held at Dunedin, she crashed out. Nola may also have raced a Buick alongside her father, Vic Blackburn, shortly before. The Cooper remained in the family until about 1958, when it was sold.

June Monk – started off racing a Ford 10 special, then acquired a Triumph TR2, painted pink, which she raced in some major events in the mid-1950s. She did not finish the CWF Hamilton Trophy in 1955 or 1956, but was twelfth in the South Island Championship Road Race in 1957. Her position on handicap was fourth. After this, she competed in club events only, in a Jaguar XK140.

(Image from http://www.drivesouth.co.nz/news/4395/had-drive-and-makeup)

Michela Cerruti

Michela on the podium, at Monza, in 2013

Michela is a multi-talented Italian driver, who competes in several different disciplines, sometimes almost simultaneously.

As with many female drivers, she got her start in motorsport rather late, at 19, when she began taking performance driving instruction in 2006. As a child and teenager, her main sporting interest was skiing, rather than motorsport, although her father, Aldo, was a racing driver in the 1970s. However, she was soon bitten by the bug, and wanted to compete herself.

She began her career in earnest in touring cars in 2008, in an Alfa Romeo 147. She drove in some rounds of the Campionato Italiano Touring Endurance, with Mario Ferraris, who had been her driving instructor previously. Her best overall result seems to have been a 19th place, at Adria.

In 2009, she returned to the series, or part of it, at least, in a more powerful Fiat 500 Abarth, which she had helped to develop with the Ferraris team. She and Mario were tenth in Division Two, having scored four class wins. They were 29th in the overall CITE championship. Michela’s best overall finish was tenth, at Misano.

In 2010, she made the jump up to the mainly Italian-based International Superstars touring car series, driving a Mercedes supported by the Ferraris team. This was a big step up into international competition, against very experienced opponents, such as Fabrizio Giovanardi and and Johnny Herbert. She struggled somewhat at first, finishing near the back or not finishing at all. However, her form improved, and her best finish was seventh, at Varano, near the end of the season. She also scored two tenth places, at Kyalami and Mugello, in the second half of the year. She was 30th in the final standings.

In addition to this, she tried GT racing in the Italian GT Cup, still with Ferraris. Her car was a Ferrari 430. The learning curve was shorter here, and she was fifth and seventh in her first two races, at Varano. At Vallelunga, the next meeting, she scored her first podium finish, a third. Later in the season, she was fifth and third again, at Mugello. She was fourteenth in the championship, ahead of her team-mate, Francesca Linossi.

In 2011, she concentrated on the Italian and International Superstars series in an AMG Mercedes. At the first meeting, at Monza, she grabbed attention by finishing second in her first race, then winning the second. She was in the top ten again at Valencia and Algarve, but was unable to match her home race form. However, her improved performances gave her ninth in the International series, and eighth in the Italian standings. As well as this, she found time for a couple of CITE races, in another Mercedes.

In 2012, she was an extremely busy driver, moving into single-seaters as well as GT cars. During the early part of the season, she decamped to New Zealand for the Toyota Racing Series, a single-seater championship. Although she had almost no single-seater experience, she did not disgrace herself, managing three top-ten finishes: tenth places at Teretonga and Hampton Downs. At the end of February, she was 16th, and it was now time to move back to Europe.

She continued to shine in the GT3 division of the Italian GT Championship, with one win and three podiums in a BMW Z4. By now, she was driving as an official BMW Italy driver. Her win came at Mugello, and she scored additional podiums at Misano and Mugello. She was tenth in the championship. She drove the same car in the Spa round of the Blancpain Endurance Championship, and was 19th overall.

Later, she competed in Formula Three in Europe, combining drives in the German (ATS Cup) series and the Euro F3 Open. Lacking in top-level experience in this sort of car, she was somewhat less competitive in a big single-seater. She did the second half of the German championship, with best finishes of ninth, at the Nürburgring, Lausitz and Hockenheim, and was consistently around tenth place. For the first half of the season, she raced in the Cup class of the Euro F3 Open, which was considerably more difficult. She was usually near the back of the main field, but got up to tenth in class at Algarve.

If this was not enough, she also made guest appearances in the Mini Rushour one-make cup, as an official Mini guest driver.

She maintained this busy schedule in 2013. The Italian GT series was a success, with a win and a second at Imola, and a third at Mugello, in the Z4. This was the first win for a female driver in the championship, which is remarkable, considering the female sportscar racing greats who have raced in Italy. She was eighth overall. In the same car, she also did the Blancpain Endurance championship, with a best finish of second, in the last race, at the Nürburgring. She was ninth in the GT3 Pro-Am Cup. She was also sixth at Paul Ricard.

On the single-seater side, she contested the FIA European F3 Championship, but was far less competitive, with a best finish of only 18th place, at the Norisring. She did not run in all of the races, suffered a DNF at Monza and was unplaced in the championship.

She also found time to travel to Bahrain for two rounds of Formula Middle East, giving her two thirds. Later, she went to Moscow, for a guest appearance in a Megane Eurocup race. She also went to Brno and the Nürburgring, for guest spots in Auto GP. The German round was better, giving her a ninth and eighth place.

In 2014, she put together a deal to race in Auto GP with the Supernova team. This proved to be a good move. She was on the pace straight away, with a fourth and fifth in Marrakech. At Monza, she scored her first podium, a third place, and at Imola, her first win. She was sixth in the championship, after another third at the Red Bull Ring.

Part-way through the season, she was announced as a driver in the FIA Formula E championship, for electric-powered single-seaters. She was driving for the Trulli team, alongside Jarno Trulli. Unfortunately, she was less competitive in Formula E than in Auto GP, with a best finish of twelfth, at Punto del Este. She was replaced in the team after the fourth round.

The rest of her 2015 season was spent hopping between the VLN, and guest spots in several different one-make series. Driving a works-supported Z4 in the VLN, she won her class twice, but did not feature highly in the championship's complex final leaderboard. She finished the Nürburgring 24 Hours, driving the Z4 with John Edwards, Daniel Keilwitz and Felipe Fernandez Laser. They were sixth overall. 

The Z4 also came out for a guest spot in the Italian GT championship, at Monza, where Michela was ninth and eleventh. The following month, she travelled to the UK for the Brands Hatch round of the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries, but she could only manage one 20th place. Back at the Nürburgring, she took guest spots in the Renault Sport Trophy, finishing eighth and fourth, and a trip to the Red Bull Ring gave her eighth and tenth place in the SEAT Leon Supercopa. 

She competed in the TCR International touring car series in 2016, driving an Alfa Romeo Giulietta for Mulsanne Racing. She missed some races mid-season, and lost some momentum, and it was not one of her most illustrious seasons. Her best finish was ninth, at Oschersleben, and she was 29th in the championship. 

In 2017, she drove the Mulsanne Giulietta in TCR in the Middle East. She took part in the Dubai rounds of the Middle East championship, securing one second place. A few months later, she raced in the International TCR series at Bahrain, and was fourteenth and twelfth. 

She is also involved in the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission. In recent years, she has become a mother and now works in team management.

(Picture from www.michelacerruti.com)

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/)