Anne Baverey
During the revival of Speedqueens, I came across a number of drivers who did not fit well into the categories I had chosen for the site. Some of them had competed in several different disciplines, making it hard to place them in one. Others raced in slightly obscure disciplines, or in those I had decided not to cover fully.
In time, some of these entries may be moved to "better homes". Below is a list of jills-of-all-trades, non-US stockcar racers, speed eventers and entrants in events like the Tour de France, where it was unclear what their normal category was.
This page has been divided from its former location. “Les Autres” from between 1950 and 1980 can be found on the original page, here. For drivers competing in Africa, go here. Indian drivers, here. Truck racers now have their own post. Amanda Hennessy's profile can now be found here, Sarah Bovy, here, Francesca Linossi here, Lucile Cypriano here, Abbie Eaton here, Sarah Moore here, Jessica Hawkins here, Amna al-Qubaisi here, Marie Baus-Coppens here, Kattlyn Magno here, Cindy Gudet here and Naomi Schiff also has her own post.
Tina Annemüller – raced in the Opel Astra OPC Cup
section of the VLN in 2015. She was thirteenth in class, alongside her
team-mates, Tatjana Hanser and Thomas Rehlinger. She also took part in the RCN
series, in the same car. Tina is more usually involved with rallying, mostly as
a successful co-driver. It was in this way that she got into motorsport in
2010, after working for a number of rally teams in the catering department. She
has also driven herself a few times, driving a Renault Twingo in the ADAC
Rallye Wartburg in 2012, and a Citroen DS3 in the Wartburg and Sachsen rallies
in 2013. In 2016, she switched to the co-driver's seat and sat alongside German and Austrian drivers, including Michael Kogler.
Monika Arvidsson - Swedish driver who races small sportscars in Europe. She began racing a Mallock Clubman car in 2016, when she was only fifteen years old. Her first season ended in a second place in the SPVM Clubman championship. In 2017, she went one better and won the championship outright. A season in the Swedish Radical Cup followed, although she did not take part in all the rounds. Her best result was a third at Kinnekulle and she was usually in the top five. In 2018, she raced the Radical and the Clubman again, and travelled to the UK to race in the BARC Clubman championship in May. A double-headed attack on the British and Swedish Clubman championships in 2019 was derailed by a lack of funding, but she was still fifth in the Swedish series with one second and one third place. She has since bought a Formula Ford 2000 car which she has raced in Sweden, with the intention of doing a full season in 2022.
Florencia Barboza – Uruguayan driver who competes in
both touring cars and single-seaters in her home country. She first made her
mark on the scene in 2011, racing in both the Turismo Libre series, in a VW
Gol, and Formula Vee. She was twelfth in Formula Vee, with one podium finish. 2012
continued in the same vein, with Florencia doing quite well in Formula Vee,
scoring a third place at El Pinar and a sixth place overall. She also raced the
Gol in Turismo Libre. In 2013, she concentrated on saloon racing, taking part
in the Chevrolet Sonic Racing Cup, in which she managed two top-five positions.
She returned to the Sonic Cup in 2014, and was part of its “Copa Damas”, which
had its own dedicated all-female final race. After a long break, she reappeared in 2019, racing a VW Beetle in the SuperEscarabejos series in Uruguay. She was 22nd in this one-make championship.
Lyssia Baudet - karter and racer from Belgium. Her first entry in a car appears to be the Fun Cup 25 Hour race in 2019, which she finished in 66th place with her three team-mates. In 2022, she tried different disciplines, including rallying. She was selected as a supported female driver by the Belgian motorsport association earlier in the year and this helped her get a seat in a Renault Clio Rally5 for two Belgian events, the Condroz-Huy and Hautes-Fagnes rallies. She was 54th in the latter. She also entered the Auto Slalom competition at the FIA Motorsport Games in October, finishing 15th with Dylan Czaplicki. She won the Belgian Rally Championship's Lady Cup in 2023 and was fourth in the Clio Trophy. Her best result was a fourteenth place in the Ardennes Rally. In 2024, she was one of the shortlisted drivers for the WRC Beyond Rally women's development programme. This meant that she got to drive a Ford Fiesta Rally3 in the Central European Rally, finishing 40th after rejoining under SuperRally rules. In addition to this, she competed extensively in northern Europe, in the Clio and an Opel eCorsa, which she used in the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup. She was the 2024 Belgian Ladies' champion and was also signed up for the WRC Young Driver team for a 2025 part-season in the WRC.
Anne Baverey - Frenchwoman who tried her hand at various disciplines between the late 1970s and early 1990s. She rallied, raced in Formula Three and F3000, and attempted to qualify an Argo for Le Mans in 1990. The attempt, assisted by Ian Khan and Michael Dow and using a works JM19C, was unsuccessful. In the 1980s, Anne took up hillclimbing and soon became competitive. In 1985, she took part in historic hillclimbing and came eleventh in the championship. Using a BMW-engined Duqueine F3 car, she did very well in French climbs in 1986. She is still known in some French motorsport circles as “Le reine de la Montagne”.
Lilit
Belovska – rally
and circuit driver from Bulgaria. In 2010, she took part in the Bulgarian rally
championship in an Opel Corsa, but sadly, did not finish any of her rallies. The
same year, she entered some rounds of the Bulgarian touring car championship,
with a best finish of ninth in class, at Drakon. In 2011, she raced in the
Bulgarian circuit championships, in the Corsa. Her best finish was eleventh, at
Veliko Tarnovo.
Ilona
Bertapelle –
began her racing career in 2014, in the Peugeot 208 Cup. Although her early
performances were praised, she was not among the front-runners. Later in the
year, she signed up for the Andros Trophy Trophée Féminin, which ran through
until 2015. Her best result in her Camotos sprint-car was fifth, at Isola 2000.
She was tenth in the championship. During the 2015 summer season, she raced in the Peugeot 208 Cup in France. She took part in the 208 Cup again in 2016, for No Limit Racing. In 2018, she returned to racing a Peugeot in 208 Racing Cup. After a break, she returned to the circuits in 2023, winning the TCA Light championship in France. She then competed in French rallycross in 2024, driving a Renault Clio. Her mother is Patricia Bertapelle; the two competed in the 2019 Rallye des Princesses in an Austin Healey Mk1.
Marion Beule - winner of the 1986 Ford Fiesta Ladies Cup. She was second in 1985 and third in 1984, after using the series to get started in senior motorsport, in 1983. After that, she raced in the VLN, and then moved into single-seaters, spending two seasons competing in Formula Opel Lotus in 1988 and 1989. She was unplaced both times. In 1990, she and her brother Achim, who had previously driven together in karting and Formula Opel Lotus, entered the Ford Fiesta Mixed Cup together. They won a few races, and Marion was fourth in the Ladies’ standings. She retired in 1991.
Carolyn Boniface - American driver who competed in France in the 1980s. Her first season of rallycross was in 1987, driving a BMW 325i. She was competitive straight away and finished seventh in the French championship, with the Ladies’ title as a consolation. Her best overall finish was second at Pau. She also became the first US driver to compete in the European Rallycross Championship when she did the French round that year. Before and after that, she competed in rallies in France, usually driving a Ford Escort or Sierra. Her best rally finish between 1985 and 1990 was eleventh in the 1989 Rallye Alsace-Vosges. She did one WRC rally: the 1989 Sanremo event. Her job at Ford France led to her competition career being in Europe.
Leticia Bufoni - Brazilian former Olympic and professional skateboarder who switched to motorsport in 2023. She began in the 2023-24 Nitrocross rallycross championship in the USA, driving a Can-Am Maverick SxS vehicle. Her best finish was fifth, at Utah, and she was fifth in the SxS championship. At the beginning of 2024, she announced that she would be competing in the Porsche Cup Brazil. At the time of writing, her best result was in the final round at Interlagos, scoring a fifth place in class.
Diana Carter (Polivka) - Canadian driver active between 1960 and 1967. She won the very first race she entered, driving a Volvo. She often raced Volvo cars, and used a 122 to win the CRDA 2500cc+ Touring Class Championship in 1963, a first for a female driver. She also used a Sunbeam Alpine in Canadian Production races in 1964, sometimes sponsored by Canadian Track & Traffic Magazine, for which she worked. As well as saloons, she sometimes raced a Formula Vee, and she apparently won a Ladies’ race at Nassau, although the results are not forthcoming. Alongside her circuit racing, she was also a rally driver, supported by the Volvo factory and the media for which she wrote. She entered the Canadian Shell 4000 Rally four times, between 1963 and 1966, and won the Coupe des Dames in the first three. After 1967, she concentrated on motorsport administration and her work in the motoring press.
Sonia Cha – winner of the Copa Corsa womens’
championship in Argentina, in 1999. She began her career in the Argentine
ladies’ championships in the 1990s, before moving into the Tursimo Carretera
(TC) series after her Copa Corsa win. From 1999 onwards, she shared a Chevrolet
with Rene Zannatta in the TC series. In 2001, she did one race in the Kia Cup,
before switching to rallying in 2002. That season’s car was a SEAT Ibiza, which
she used in the Argentine Championship.
Jacqueline Dantec - successful driver in French hillclimbs in the 1970s and 1980s, usually in saloon cars, including an Opel Commodore. She also sometimes competed in circuit races, and did some rounds of the French Touring Car Championship. In 1978, she drove in the first two rounds, with a best of eleventh at Montlhéry. Her car was a 3500cc BMW 530. She may well have raced in the FTCC between 1979 and 1981, but the records are not readily available. However, she did reappear in 1982, in a BMW 528i. She completed just over half of the championship, with a best result of tenth, again at Montlhéry. She was 22nd in the championship.
Florence Duez (L’Huillier) - mainly raced sports and GT cars in France and Europe, and was most active in 1998/99. She has driven Lotus Elises, Ferrari 355s and BMW Z3s. She drove the Elise in the 1998 Zolder 24 Hours, although she did not finish. Her best finish was probably fourth, with a class win, in the 1996 Spa 24 Hours. She was driving a BMW in an all-female team consisting of her, Yolanda Surer and Kathe Rafanelli. It was her second attempt at the Belgian classic. She performed well as part of another womens’ team in 1999, winning two class awards at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and finishing seventh. The car was a Carlsson BMW M3 and her team-mates were
Ellen Lohr,
Jutta Kleinschmidt and
Claudia Hürtgen. She also did a few rallies, some of them in a SEAT Ibiza kit car, with her husband, Marc Duez, as her team-mate. Previously, she was a rally driver in the 1980s, driving a Citroen Visa.
Glory (Glorymar) Fernandez - Puerto Rican racer who competed in the 2013 Lotus Ladies’ Cup. She was ninth overall, with a best finish of second, at the Hungaroring. She began her motorsport career in autotest-type events in the USA, and has been active in club racing in the USA and the Dominican Republic since then. Her car is usually a Honda Civic. Between 2006 and 2009, she scored several good class positions in US and Dominican national and regional race series, in the Civic. Detailed information about the exact series and classes is proving hard to pin down. In 2014, she returned to the shortened Ladies' Cup. Although she managed one podium, a third at the Red Bull Ring, her two DNFs, and one subsequent non-start, dropped her to ninth in the championship. In 2017, she went to the USA and drove in three rounds of the Pirelli World Challenge, in a Honda Civic. Her best finish was tenth, at Virginia. She competed successfully in autocross and Autosolo in 2019.
Jasmin Fiedler - races a GP2 car in the BOSS Series. Her first outings in the car were at Brno in 2020. That year, she also won Division 2 of the SCC sportscar championship, driving a Honda-engined PRC. She won two of her four races. This was her second year in the series and she was runner-up in 2019. She races alongside her husband Andreas Fiedler for their Fiedler Racing team. They both took part in the Carbonia Cup in 2021, with Jasmin winning at least one race. In 2024, she competed in the Sports Car Challenge in Europe, driving a Honda-engined Tatuus prototype.
Sarah Franklin - active in British motorsport since 2004. She was originally set to make her debut in Formula Woman, but dropped out, in order to start her career on her own terms. She first raced in Formula Ford in 2004, as well as some sportscar racing, in a Ginetta G20. The Ginetta was her car of choice for some years after that. In 2007 and 2008, she did part-seasons in the Ginetta Championshipand the Club Ginetta series, as well as a couple of guest spots in the Porsche Carrera Cup. 2009 saw her try saloon racing, in Britcar, with an MG ZR. She carried on this path in 2010, in the Zing Trofeo Abarth, where she really started to show some results. Her best finish was fifth, and she was tenth in the championship. She kept it small the following year, in the Smart ForTwo Cup. This year, she won her first race, driving a Brabus Smart. In 2012, she went one better, and won her first championship, the B class of the Production Touring Car Trophy, in a Fiat 500 Abarth. She won 17 races that year. 2013 was very quiet, but she came back in 2014, and took part in the Clio Cup Road Series. She was third in the championship, with three third places. In 2016, she was third in the Clio Cup again, with one win. She moved into the Race Car class of the Clio Cup in 2017, and was sixth. Sarah is not a professional driver, and works as a solicitor. She had to sit out the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to a wrist injury, but remained involved through the BWRDC.
Noélie Gerus - has driven in French hillclimbs and rallies since 2002, winning her class on many occasions and the "Challenge Espoir" championship in 2004. She was also French ladies’ champion that year. Her cars include a Tatuus Formula Renault, Dallara F3 and a Peugeot 106.
Vivienne Geuzebroek – Dutch driver who competes in
rallies and circuit racing. She started on the circuits in 2010, after getting
her licence in 2009. Her first car was a BMW E30, which she used in the DNRT championship,
as well as a BMW E36 318. In 2011 and 2012, she raced in the B18 category of
the DNRT, and was third overall in 2012, a result she repeated in 2013. She
returned to the championship in 2014, but was not quite as successful. She was third in the 2015 championship. Her rally career
developed at the same time as her circuit activities. At first, she co-drove in
rallysprints, before taking the wheel herself in 2014. She has driven the BMW
and a Nissan Micra in the RallyPro Circuit Shortrally. She carried on in rallies in 2016, in the Micra. Her best finish was eleventh, in the Zeebodem Short Rally. She was third in the 2017 Dutch Ladies' Rally Championship, in the Micra. In 2018, she continued to rally the Micra in shorter stage events, earning a best finish of twelfth in the Zeebodem Short Rally. Driving a BMW 125, she won the Dutch ladies' rally championship in 2019, with a best finish of twelfth in the JUMBO Short Rally. She did one rally in 2020, the Vechtdal Rally, finishing 51st in the BMW. In 2021, she returned to circuit racing in the DNRT endurance championship, as part of an all-female team, although she did make further rally appearances in the BMW in rallies. The endurance racing continued in 2022 and 2023, and the team was eighth in the Assen 24 Hours in 2023. In 2024, she raced in the BMW Racing Cup in the Netherlands, including some endurance rounds.
Ernesta Globyte – Lithuanian driver active across the Baltic region. She made her first appearance in the Baltic Touring Car Championship in 2009, driving a BMW M3 in the Open class. She was instantly competitive, coming third in her first race, and winning the Open class championship. In 2010, she raced a BMW 318, and was not as effective, with a seventh at Pärnu as her best result. She was sixth in the Open class. In 2011, she switched over to sportscars, racing a Radical in the Radical Nevada championship, before making a part-time return to touring cars in 2012, driving a BMW GSR in some rounds of the Lithuanian championship, without much success. The situation was similar in 2013. The following year, she acquired a Ginetta G50, and was competitive once more, in the Baltic Open championship. Her best overall result was second, at Pärnu. She was also part of an all-female team for the Palanga 1000km, with Indrė Senkutė and Agnė Vičkačkaitė-Lauciuvienė. They drove a Renault Clio as the Sostena Renault team, but did not finish. As well as an all-female driving squad, their service crew were also all female. In 2015, she drove a Ginetta G50 in the Baltic Touring Car Championship, winning one race at Biekerniki, in Latvia. She was third in the 2016 Baltic championship, in the Ginetta, after a series of seconds and thirds. She also drove a BMW in the 4-Hour enduro at Parnu, and was seventeenth with the Samsonasracing.com team. In 2017, she raced a Radical on the circuits, and helped Mantas Jurgaitis to a rally win as his co-driver. She returned to Baltic Touring Cars in 2018, driving a TCR-spec VW Golf and winning the TCR class. She also co-drove a BMW in two Lithuanian rallies for Rokas Stepanovicius. As well as more co-driving, she raced a Golf and an Audi RS3 in the 24H TCE Series, driving at Spa and Catalunya for GSR Motorsport. She drove the Golf in the Baltic championship. In 2020, she was fourth in the two-round Baltic championship, with one second place at Parnu. She raced a Golf in the Hockenheim rounds of the 24H TCE Series, which were both twelve-hour events. She and her team-mates were fourth and third in the TCR class. In 2022, she returned to the Golf and the 24H series, finishing third in the TCR class at Spa. She raced in the Barcelona 24 Hours in 2023, but did not finish. In 2024, she did the Portuguese round of the 24H Series, finishing third in the GT4 class and fourteenth overall in a Ginetta G56. Her team-mates were all Lithuanian.
Laurene Godey - mainly a rally co-driver, although she has done both circuit racing and ice racing. She won two races in the Invitation class of the 2019-20 Andros Trophy, driving an electric Andros car. Since then, she has made more appearances in the Invitation series. She also did two races in the 2019 French GT championship, driving a Porsche 718 Cayman with Sebastien Loeb. They were 16th and 13th at Paul Ricard. Laurene is in a romantic relationship with Sebastien. She has co-driven in some rallies for him since 2019 and they won two events together in 2023. In 2024, she drove a Porsche in two 24H Series races at Mugello, as team-mate rather than co-driver to Sebastien. She and her co-drivers were twelfth and ninth in class.
Leslie González – Mexican driver who has competed in
several different disciplines. She began as a single-seater racer, and took
part in the Mexican Formula 3 championship from at least 1997, until 2001. During
her final season in F3, she was ninth overall. In 2003, she moved into
saloon-based competition, and spent several seasons racing on and off in the
Mexican Clio Cup. 2004 was her best year, and she was ninth. In 2005, she also
tried out the Mexican NASCAR series. After a break from competition, Leslie
returned to the track in 2015, racing a truck in the Freightliner Campeonato
Tractocamiones (Truck Championship). She was ninth overall, and second female
driver after
Gisela Ponce.
Jade Handi - took part in the 2011 Dubai 24 Hours, driving a Renault Clio for Springbox. Alongside Amandine Foulard, Corentine Quiniou and Cyndie Allemann, she was tenth in class A2. As well as the Dubai endurance event, she has driven an Isuzu in the French 24-Hour All-Terrain rally, and other rally raids, in France, since 2010. In 2009, she competed in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, as co-driver to Syndiely Wade. Before that, she raced trials bikes and quads. She is better-known in France as a television presenter.
Helga Heinrich (Steudel) - German driver, originally from East Germany. She started out in motorcycle racing in 1960, and became the first female rider to win a major race, in 1965, at the Sachsenring. She switched to cars in 1970, using a DDR-made Melkus RS 1000 sports racer to begin with. Being an Eastern Bloc sportsperson, she competed within the Communist countries almost exclusively. Schleiz, in East Germany, was her commonest haunt. She achieved many top-ten finishes throughout the 1970s, in the RS 1000, and later, a Melkus Spyder and a single-seater. As well as races, she competed frequently in hillclimbs. She first retired in 1984, only making one more appearance in 1992. However, in 2007, she came out of retirement again, initially for historic events, but more recently, in modern single-seaters. In 2013, she raced a Formula Renault in the ESET Eastern European championship, at the age of 75. Prior to this, she had won a hillclimb championship in 2010. Although she does not appear to have raced in 2014, she still remains Germany’s oldest female racing driver.
Jackie Heinricher – American driver who raced in the Red
Bull Global Rallycross Championship in 2015, in the Lites class. She drove the Hyundai Veloster Lites car for Rhys Millen’s team. Her best result was a seventh place, at Daytona. 2015 is her first year of rallycross. In 2014, she
raced in the Ferrari Challenge USA, finishing 19th overall. Her GRC
drive in 2015 was combined with another run in the Ferrari Challenge, in a
Ferrari 458, although she did not manage to finish at Daytona. She has also
raced a Lola Formula 3 car at club level. In 2016, she did a part-season in the Blancpain Lamborghini Super Trofeo. She raced a Lamborghini again in 2017, coming seventh in the American Super Trofeo. One of her team-mates was Pippa Mann. Injury kept her from competing for much of 2018 and precluded a planned comeback in an all-female team for the 2019 Daytona 24 Hours, driving an Acura NSX. She is now the team's manager instead, although it lost its sponsorship and ran in 2020 as a mixed or male team.
Gwendolyn Hertzberger - Dutch driver who has raced single-seaters and touring cars. She began in 2004, in Holland, in saloon racing, before testing for several Formula Renault teams. She moved to Italy to further her career in 2005, and took part in a few Formula Ford races, as well as attending race training. She moved straight up to Northern European Formula Renault in 2006 and struggled, ending the year in 20th. She was 28th in 2007, and changed series in 2008. She took part in a couple of Formula Master races in Italy, scoring one pole position, then went back to the Low Countries to race a Marcos Mantis in the Belgian GT championship and Dutch Supercars. She was fourth in class in the Zolder 24 Hours. In 2009, she returned to karting. Since then, she has done some test driving, and motor journalism.
Yasmeen Koloc - Czech driver who races in Formula 4 and the Eset Cup in Eastern Europe. 2020 was her first season; she had previously played tennis competitively but had to retire due to a wrist injury. She started the year in Formula 4 but had quite a bad crash at Grobnik in her first race, despite being fast in testing. She swappd the Eset Formula championship for Endurance championship, driving a Renault Clio. Her best finish was fourth, at Slovakiaring. Her twin sister is truck racer Aliyyah Koloc and both are members of the Buggyra Academy with an eye on the Dakar. She entered the Dakar for Buggyra in 2022, but had to pull out due to not recovering from an injury sustained in the French GT championship, where she raced a Mercedes-AMG GT4. Martina Kwan - US-based driver from Hong Kong who usually drives Porsches in club championships. She won two of the Porsche Owners’ Club’s titles in 2017, driving a 997 which she calls “Firehorse”. As well as circuit racing, she has won awards for time trials. In 2019, she started competing in the Saleen Cup with Hanna Zellers, beginning at Portland. The Cup is a one-make series for Saleen S1 sportscars. She did not take up racing until she was 50. Catherine
Liegeois – has raced
in Belgium since at least 2000, when she drove a Honda Integra in the Spa 24
Hours, with Alexandre Leens and Michel Wilders. They did not finish. In more
recent years, she has been a regular in the Fun Cup 25 Hours, also held at Spa,
driving a VW Beetle. In 2002, she was part of a team including the Belgian
Education and Employment minister, Marie Arena. In 2014, she was part of the “Allur
Girls” team put together by Frederic Bouvy, with Caroline Leens, Charlotte
Martens and Marie Michiels. They were 60th overall.
Rossina Longardi - raced in touring cars and single-seaters in Uruguay between 2011 and 2016. Her first races in 2011 were alongside her boyfriend Marcelo Pessina, and his family provided the Volkswagen Gol she used in 2012. She teamed up with Maria Stephanie Devoto for at least one race in the Turismo Libre series, and finished 15th at AUVO. She used the same car in the Supertouring A1 Championship at El Pinar, but did not finish. In 2014 and 2016, she entered the Uruguay Formula 4 championship, doing a couple of races each time. She was in her mid-thirties, but competing against teenagers. Her best results were a tenth and eleventh place in 2016, at El Pinar.
Emelie Mattsson – raced in the Renault Junior Cup in
Sweden, in a Clio, between 2010 and 2012, following several seasons of karting.
Her best overall finish was sixth, in 2011. Although she managed more top-five
positions in 2012, her finishing record dropped her to seventh place. After apparently
not competing during 2013, she returned in 2014 as a rally driver. She drove a
MkII Volkswagen Golf in Swedish regional and national rallies. Her best finish
was 19th, in the Härjedalsbrickan
event. She also won her class. She was also 20th in the
Offerdalingen rally, another snow event. In 2015, she won a club rally championship outright, in the Golf. She was fifth in a regional or club championship in 2016, in the same car.
Marzia Mezzanotte - raced single-seaters and sportscars in Italy, in the early 2000s. In 2001, she did two rounds of the Italian Formula Renault 2.0 championship, at Monza. This came after some races in Formula Campus, and some testing in the Netherlands. In 2002, she moved into sportscar racing. Driving a Lucchini-Alfa Romeo, she was sixth at Monza, and qualified third at Magione before pulling out, in the Italian Prototype championship. The same year, she drove in the Vallelunga 6 Hours with Angelo Lancelotti and Fabio Spatafora. They were 20th, in a Chevrolet Corvette. Later, she was linked to a drive in the Maserati Trofeo, which she does not appear to have been able to take up.
Nicoletta Misto - took part in one-make racing in Italy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Normally, this was the Renault 5 Cup, in which she was twelfth in 1981. Previously, she was 22nd in the 1979 championship. She may also have raced in 1980. Much later, she also finished third in an all-female rally in 1999, the Racing Show Alpi del Mare, driving a Mazda MX-5.
Erika Monforte - Italian driver who entered her first races in 2006, driving a Citroen Saxo. That year, she won Italy's Formula Driver ladies' championship. Later, in 2009, she drove in the Fiat 500 Abarth Trofeo, and was eighth overall. In between, she took extensive training in rallying, and participated in the 2008 San Marino Rally. Her car was an Opel Astra, and she was 81st. In 2011, she returned to Fiats, and was ninth in the final standings. In 2012, she took part in some GTSprint events in a Porsche 997 GT3. She and Simone Monforte (her brother) were fourteenth and fifteenth at Mugello. After a break, she raced in the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries in 2014, in a Chevrolet Camaro. It took her a while to learn the car, but by the end of the season, her results began to improve. She managed two seventh places, at Magione and Le Mans, and was tenth overall. Her second Whelen Series season was cut short in 2015, after only six races, three of which she did not start. The best of these was a fifteenth place at Valencia. In 2016, she returned to the Whelen Series for another part-season, in the Elite 2 class. Her best finish was thirteenth, at Adria.
Danuza Moura - first made her mark on the Brazilian motorsport scene in 1999, by winning the Women’s Corsa Championship. In 2000, she took part in the Corsa Metrocar championship, and won the ladies’ award, as well as one of the races. In 2001, she drove in both the Stock Car championship, and the Brazilian Women’s Ford Fiesta Championship. She was a front-runner in the Fiesta series, with race wins. Her car for Stock Car was a Vauxhall Omega, and she was 28th in the championship. For a few races, she also drove a Vauxhall Vectra in the Light category, but did not score points. After a break, she entered Formula Truck in 2004, for at least some rounds. She was not on the pace and did not score points. She does not appear to have raced after that.
Agnese Piazzalunga – raced in the Trofeo Maserati
Europe in 2010 and 2011, in a Maserati GranTurismo. In 2011, she was thirteenth
in one race at Monza. She has also raced motorcycles in endurance events in
Italy. Her Maserati appearances were a comeback of sorts; she began racing
as a youngster, in Formula Junior at
Monza, in 1983. She has also competed in Formula 3 and Formula 2000, in which
she participated in 1984. As well as modern machinery, she has raced historic
cars, and won the Giulietta Trophy at Monza in 2011. She also races motorcycles.
Klaudia Podkalicka - Polish driver who competes in rallying, rally raids and circuit racing. Her earliest motorsport experiences were rallies; she was involved in rallying from the age of 16, when she was part of the winning team in a regional championship in 2002 (co-driving). In 2004 and 2005, she navigated in local Polish club events, with some top-five finishes. She started her circuit career in one-make series, chiefly the Kia Picanto Cup in Poland. In 2006 and 2007, she was the series’ leading female driver, although she was only fifteenth and 17th overall. In 2007, she also raced in the Dacia Logan endurance cup in Germany, and was second, with her two team-mates. In 2008, she had put together a deal to enter the Dakar Rally, but it was cancelled. Between then and 2013, she competed in rally raids in and around Poland, scoring good class positions in the Baja Poland, and winning the prologue of the 2012 Rally Rabakoz Cup. She returned to circuit racing in 2013, for the Volkswagen Castrol Cup, in which she was 19th overall, with best finishes of eleventh at Poznan. Stage rallying had not been forgotten either: she has driven in three editions of the Rally Barbórka, in 2006, 2012 and 2013, in a Kia Picanto, Porsche Cayenne and Subaru Impreza, respectively. In 2014, she concentrated on rally raids. She was second in class T2 in the Baja Poland, in a Mitsubishi Pajero. At the start of the year, she was part of the service crew for Team Poland in the Dakar. She continued to compete in cross-country rallies in 2015, in Poland and Eastern Europe. Her results included a class win in the Baja Poland, and she was second in the T2 Central Europe Rally Raid Championship. She rallied a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII in 2016 and 2017, with a best finish of 21st, in the Rally Barbórka.
Edita Praskova – Czech driver who raced sportscars
and single-seaters in the 2000s. In 2004, she was sixth in the Czech Prototype
Cup, in a Skoda-engined Baghera. In 2008, she raced in Austrian Formula 3, for
some rounds, although the results are not forthcoming. Between 2006 and 2011,
she raced a Dallara F301 F3 car in hillclimbs in Europe. She won one event, at
Orlicko, in 2007.
Simona Premrl - Slovenian driver who races in various parts of Europe. She began in 2012, after a relatively long career in equestrianism, from an early age. She won her first competitive event, a rallycross meeting in Slovenia, driving a Yugo. She continued to do rallycross in the Yugo in 2013, and figured quite strongly in the Slovenian national championship. As well as rallycross, she entered two rounds of the Central European Touring Car Championship, possibly in a Mini. She was 20th and 14th at the Slovakiaring. She does not appear to have raced in 2014.
Mélina
Priam – has raced
on and off in France, and Europe, since 1995, when she took part in the French
Formula Renault Championship. She did not complete the season, and was
unplaced. For a long time, she concentrated on her main career as an automotive
journalist and PR professional, returning to the track in 2008, in the French
Porsche Carrera Cup. She did two guest races. In 2009, she tried her hand at
rallying in a Suzuki Swift, and entered the Rallye Mont-Blanc-Morzine. In 2010,
she drove a 1923 Ford Montier T in the Le Mans Classic, and she did some more
classic motorsport in 2011, navigating in a Renault Dauphine in the Monte Carlo
Classic.
Courtney Prince - Australian driver who races sportscars and single-seaters. She was one of her country’s youngest-ever single-seater drivers when she entered a few rounds of the Australian Formula Ford championship in 2016, aged 14. Between then and 2019, she competed extensively in the national, Victoria and New South Wales championships, with a best finish of eighth overall in the 2019 Australian series. She was a regular upper-midfield finisher with a best race finish of fourth. In 2020 she started racing Porsches, scoring three third places at Sandown in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge. She continued to be competitive and was fourth in the 2022 championship, before moving up to the Carrera Cup in 2023. This proved harder and she was 17th overall, managing a couple of top tens. She did better in the Bathurst 6 Hours, finishing third in her class with Karlie Buccini and Ellexandra Best. Their car was a BMW. Racing against Karlie Buccini this time, she drove a BMW in the Aussie Production Cars rounds at Hidden Valley. In 2021 and 2022, she also competed in Aussie Racing Cars. The Buccini team got back together for the 2024 Bathurst 6 Hours, with Sue Palermo replacing Ellexandra Best. They won their class in a BMW. The rest of 2024 was divided between Aussie Racing Cars and Production Cars with Team Buccini, scoring top tens in both.
Adeline Prudent - French driver who has raced on and off in the French Clio Cup since 2017. She did complete seasons in 2017 and 2018 and was slightly quicker in her first season, picking up a best finish of twelfth at Pau. In 2018, she was 26th in the championship, with a best finish of 18th, again at Pau. Earlier, in 2014, she took part in a couple of rounds of the Peugeot RCZ Racing Cup. Since then, she has switched to single-seaters and races in the Formula Cup of the Trophee Tourisme Endurance. She has earned at least two top-ten finishes.
Ivanna Richards - Mexican driver who began her car racing career in 2023. She entered the NACAM F4 championship for the Amozoc Puebla rounds and scored a podium position on her first race, finishing third. Her other results were a seventh and a DNF. Apart from a test in Spain with the Campos team, this was the first time she had been in an F4 car competitively. After that, she took part in a Mexican Grand Prix support race, driving a Mercedes in a round of the Mexican GT Championship. In 2024, she entered the Super Copa class of GT Mexico, competing against her father. She was part of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars karting assessments in 2021, aged 13.
Mathilde Riehl - French driver who has recently become known for her eco-friendly racing. In 2013, she drove an electric Renault Twizy car in the Andros Trophy, and in some French rallies. These included the Alsace Rallye de France, albeit as a course car. In the Andros ice-racing series, she was 17th, after one appearance at the St-Dié round. 2012 was her first year of major competition, at the age of 16 and without a full driving license. She competed in two different Peugeot one-make series for 207 models, one sprint and one endurance. As well as this, she drove in some rounds of the 2012 and 2013 French Clio Cups. She was 24th in the 2013 edition. After this, she returned to the Andros Trophy, in an electric car. During the 2014 summer season, she seems to have done some racing in a Ferrari, as well as some autocross, and a run in the six-hour Anneau de Rhin race, in the TTE. Later, she returned to the Andros Trophy, racing a buggy in the revived Trophée Féminin. A second Andros Trophy season followed at the end of 2015, again in the "Ice Girls" sprintcar championship. In 2016, she concentrated on working as a racing instructor, including work at her own women's driving school. Since then, she has made occasional appearances in the French Twingo Rallycross Cup. Prior to this, she was involved in motorsport from an early age, alongside her family, as a marshal.
Isabella Robusto - American driver who was a member of the NASCAR Drive For Diversity scheme from the age of 12. She made her debut in GT cars in 2023, racing a Toyota Supra in the Sonoma round of the GT4 America series. She was 16th and 20th in her two races, finishing well in the Am class. After a long career in the junior stock car formulae, she signed a deal to race in ARCA in 2023 with Venturini Motorsports, but this was delayed due to her receiving a concussion during a Late Model race. She did some ARCA races in 2024, driving for Billy Venturini, and impressed during her four outings. She was second at Springfield, having started from 19th on the grid. This followed a sixth and a fourth at Phoenix and Elko. She started on pole at Kansas, but crashed on the first lap. In the Eastern series, she scored another second place at Nashville, and in the Western series, another second at Irwindale and a third at Portland. Out of six races, she finished four, always in the top ten.
Victoria Schneider - Austrian driver who has been racing in touring cars in recent years. She began her career in 1999, in Formula König in Germany, finishing 21st in the championship. Later, she seems to have been associated with Suzuki, competing strongly in their one-make Swift Cup in Austria, and winning it in 2008. In 2010, she was one of the front-runners in the circuit Suzuki Cup, and also in its rallying equivalent. She won her class in the Bruckneudorf Rallysprint. More recently, she has been racing a Mitsubishi Colt in central Europe, as part of a one-make series. She won this championship in Austria in 2012. In 2013, she raced the Colt in mixed-grid touring car races in central Europe, and managed some top-ten finishes.
Catherine Sinopoli - Swiss driver known for her participation in French hillclimbs, sometimes driving a sports prototype. She has also competed in rallies. Her first major rally was the 1988 Rallye du Valais, driving a Fiat Uno. She later rallied a Lancia Delta Integrale. Her best result was an 18th place in the 1991 Rallye de Sainte-Cergue, driving the Delta.
Iveta Slaboševičiūté - Lithuanian driver active in racing and rallying. She has competed in the Palanga 1000km race every year since 2005, usually in a Volkswagen Polo. Her best finish was fifth, in 2007, in the Polo, co-driven by Raimundas and Marius Slaboševičiūs. Her other cars have included a Vauxhall Calibra, and a BMW 120d in 2013. She also acts as a rally co-driver in Lithuania, navigating for Raimundas Slaboševičiūs and others. In 2012, she announced that she would be driving herself, but no results are forthcoming. She began her motorsport career in slalom competitions, in a Peugeot 206, in 2002.
Heather Spurle - finished 5th in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hours, driving a Rollcentre Mosler MT9000R. Her co-drivers were Martin Short, Patrick Pearce and Charles Lamb. Previously, she drove in endurance races in Europe, and at Bathurst itself in 1990. She failed to finish the 1995 Nürburgring 24 Hours in an Opel Astra, and gremlins interfered again during the 1996 Spa 24 Hours. The British-born New Zealander has raced a number of touring and single-seater cars, as well as setting speed records on land and water. She was a regular competitor in the New Zealand junior formulae in the early 1980s and drove for the factory Peugeot team in New Zealand Touring Cars in the early 1990s. After a long lay-off and serious illness, she raced at Bathurst again in 2009, driving a Subaru Impreza. She and her team-mates were second in class G.
Rosário
Sottomayor – Portuguese driver recently active in the Portuguese Ladies’
Rally Championship, after a long career in motorsport. Her car was a Skoda
Fabia, and she scored two second places in the Ladies’ series, in mixed
rallysprints, as well as four further class wins. she was third in the Ladies' series. In 2016, she drove a Citroen Saxo in the Azores Ladies' Rally Trophy, and was fourth in the championship, with two second places. Previously, she raced on circuits, and won her national Formula
Ford 1600 title in 1993. She has also raced a Ford Fiesta at some point, and
taken part in hillclimbs in saloon cars. Her latest track action seems to have
been the Sport Prototype series, in a Radical, which appears to have been a
return from some time away from the sport.
Kamila Stara – Czech driver who raced a “Formula
Easter” historic single-seater between 2007 and 2009, in Eastern Europe. Previously,
in 2001, she was very successful in hillclimbs, driving an 850cc Saab 96. She
won a series of events around Europe. In 2004, she also took part in the Czech
Protoype Cup, driving an Opel-engined PRC. She was sixth in the championship.
Clare Surtees - raced in the 2017 Ginetta Racing Drivers Club Plus series in the UK, in a Ginetta G40. This is her first time on track since 2013. Previously, she raced historics, including an MGB and a 1934 Singer Le Mans, which she used in races and hillclimbs as far afield as Australia. She has been active since at least 2008.
Hanna Tolstrup – former karter who raced in the
Renault Junior Cup between 2010 and 2012. Her first two seasons were steady,
but unspectacular, and she was thirteenth, then eleventh in the championship.
In 2012, she became a regular visitor to the top five, and was rewarded with
fifth overall. The same year, she did some junior rallying in Sweden, in a VW
Golf. This carried on in 2013, although she also drove a Clio. Her mother,
Susanne Tolstrup, was her navigator. In 2014, she carried on rallying, in club
and regional events. Her car was still a Renault Clio. Her biggest result seems
to have been a 48th place in the Eriknäsbosprinten
rally.
Laetitia Tortelier – most recently seen racing in the
Girl’s Twin Cup in 2015. The Twin Cup is an all-female French motorsport
initiative, based on the Renault Twingo. Prior to this, she had been active in
French motorsport for some years, including a run in the Peugeot 206 Sprint Cup
in 2006. She has also raced internationally in endurance events. In 2012, she
drove a Porsche 997 in the 24 Hours of Barcelona, and finished second in class,
with three other French drivers. Their overall position was tenth. The
following year, Laetitia, with the same car and team-mates, tackled the Dubai
24 Hours. They were 23rd overall, and fourth in class. She seems to have suffered some personal difficulty in 2016, and did not race. In 2017, she was back in the 24-Hour Series in a TCR-spec Peugeot 308.
Anneli Vigh - raced in Swedish Formula Ford in 1989. She was fifth in the opening round, at Kinnekulle. Previously, she raced in the Lancia Lady Cup for at least one season, in 1986. She was fourth overall. Unusually, she was racing against her mother, Ulla-Britt Vigh, a founding member of the Swedish Lady Racing Club.
Magdalena Wilk - competes in both races and rallies in Poland. Between 2006 and 2009, she was a regular in the Kia Lotos one-make racing series, driving in the Picanto Cup. She gradually improved during her four seasons, and by 2009, she was eighth in the championship, with her first podium finish. After that, she moved into rallying, first as a co-driver, then as a driver. As a driver, she used a Kia Picanto to begin with, in 2011. That year, she was 59th in the Rajd Babórka, in the 1100cc Picanto. In 2012, she got herself some more power, first with a Renault Clio, then a Citroen C2. Her co-driver was Jolanta Zuk, and her best finish was 33rd, in the Rajd Czechowicki. After that, she returned to the navigator’s seat, in historic competition with Arkadiusz Kula. After a break, she resumed driving duties in 2015, in a BMW 318. Her best result was a 46th place in the Ziemi Bochenskiej Rally.
(Picture from www.forum-auto.com)
