Women in the Dubai 24 Hours

The Reiter Engineering team in 2017

The Dubai 24 Hours is an endurance race for sports, GT and touring cars, promoted by the Dutch Creventic organisation and run at the Dubai Autodrome. It is a mass-start event with multiple classes and a large field of both professional and “gentleman” drivers. It is now part of a worldwide endurance series run by Creventic.

Women drivers have been involved in every edition of the race, since its inaugural event in 2006. In 2011, Claudia Hürtgen, driving a BMW Z4 for the Schubert squad, was part of the winning team. She has scored several podium finishes in BMWs. In recent years, Swiss Chantal Kroll of the Hofor team has been the leading female driver, with four class wins and a championship class win in 2016. Flick Haigh, from the UK, has also challenged for overall honours, along with her team-mates.

For the 2006-2009 races, the data below may not be complete, as entry lists with full team listings are hard to find. Team names have been included, for those who wish to refer to the earlier results lists.

2006

Schubert Motors 3 Claudia Hürtgen/Pierre von Mentlen/Johannes Stuck/Bernhard Laber/Thomas Jager (BMW 120d) - 9th (class win)

First Motorsport Belgium Kelly Jamers/Kevin Leest/Pascal Nelissen Grade/Dirk van Rompuy (Porsche 997 Supercup) - 20th

Orbit Autosport 1 Sheila Verschuur/Mike Verschuur/Tim Buijs (SEAT Ibiza) - 25th

Realizer Team Kati Droste/Stephanie Halm/Nicole Lüttecke/Catharina Felser (Mazda RX8) - DNF

2007

Pro Speed Competition 1 Alexandra van de Velde/Rudi Penders/Franz Lamot/Stephan Schrauwen (Porsche GT3 RS) - 3rd

Team Rhinos Stefanie Manns/Marcel Leipert/Joe Schmidtler/Igor Skuz/Vitaliy Bilotserkivskyy (Ford Fiesta) - 41st

Seyffarth Motorsport Gina Maria Adenauer/Jan Seyffarth/Hannes Plesse/Christian Hohenadel/Philipp Wlazik (Porsche GT3) - DNF

2008

Schubert Motorsport Claudia Hürtgen/Stian Sorlie/Heinz Schmersal/Jörg Viebahn (BMW 120d) - 15th (class win)

G Force Racing Catherine Desbruères/Daniel Desbruères/Philippe Greish/Christian Kelders (Porsche 997) - 18th

Achterberg Motorsport Renate Sanders/Frank Wilschut/Pim van Riet (BMW 120d) - 25th

Equipe Verschuur Sheila Verschuur/Harrie Kolem/Mickey Bertram (Renault Clio) - 26th

2009

Al Faisal Racing Claudia Hürtgen/Stian Sorlie/Paul Spooner/Abdulaziz al Faisal (BMW Z4 Coupe) - 2nd (class win)

TeamA Sweden Sandra Oscarsson/Per Oscarsson/Anders Frid/Jimmy Johansson (Volkswagen Golf) - 51st

2010

Al Faisal Racing Claudia Hürtgen/Abdulaziz al Faisal/Marko Hartung/Khaled al Faisal 9BMW Z4) - 3rd

Nicholas Mee Racing 2 Corentine Quiniou/Jalal Mahmoud/Tarek Mahmoud/Greg Audi (Aston Martin V8 Vantage) - 49th

RED Motorsport Karolina Lampel-Czapka/Marco Deutsch/Martin Roos/Gunther Deutsch (Lotus Exige) - 62nd

First Motorsport 1 Catherine Desbruères/Daniel Desbruères/Philippe Greish/Christian Kelders (Ferrari F430 GT3) - DNF

2011

Need for Speed Schubert 1 Claudia Hürtgen/Tommy Milner/Edward Sandström (BMW Z4 GT3) - 1st

Auto Sport GT 2 Caroline Grifnée/Thierry Mulot/Fabien Vericel (Renault Clio) - 29th (class win)

Besaplast Racing Team 2 Cora Schumacher/Franjo Kovac/Martin Tschornia/Rainald Mattes/Christian Leutheuser (Mini Cooper) - 30th

K&K Racing Valek Motorsport Karolina Lampel-Czapka/Michaela Peskova/Marcel Kusin/Petr Vallek (BMW 130i) - 40th

Nooren Autosport 2 Liesette Braams/Maurice Bol/Rich Pham/Sunny Wong BMW 123d) - 67th

Springbox Cyndie Allemann/Jade Handi/Amandine Foulard/Corentine Quiniou (Renault Clio) - 70th

2012

Saudi Falcons by Schubert Claudia Hürtgen/Edward Sandström/Abdulaziz Al Faisal/Faisal bin Laden/Jörg Müller (BMW Z4 GT3) - 4th

Fach 1 Auto Tech Andrina Gugger/Marco Zolin/Daniel Allemann/Martin Rogginger/Swen Dolenc (Porsche 997 GT3 R) - 13th

Exagon Engineering Catherine Desbruères/Daniel Desbruères/Christian Kelders/Maurice Gouteyron (Porsche 997 GT3 R) - 21st

Besaplast Racing Team 2 Cora Schumacher/Franjo Kovac/Martin Tschornia/Fredrik Lestrup/Reinhard Nehls (Mini Cooper) - 25th (class win)

Besaplast Racing Team 1 Stephanie Halm/Franjo Kovac/Martin Tschornia/Roland Asch/Sebastian Asch (Porsche 997 GT3 R) - 28th

Kuepperracing Chantal Kroll/Martin Kroll/Michael Kroll/Raffi Bader/Bernd Küpper (BMW E46 Coupe) - 36th

Racingdivas Liesette Braams/Sandra van der Sloot/Paulien Zwart/Sheila Verschuur/Gaby Uljee (Renault Clio) - 39th

Gulf Team First Keiko Ihara/Yusuf Bassil/Martin Baerschmidt/John Iossifidis (Aston Martin Vantage) - 50th

2013

B2F Competition Laetitia Tortelier/Pascal Colon/Benoit Fretin/Bruno Fretin (Porsche 997) - 23rd

Racing Divas Team Schubert Liesette Braams/Sandra van der Sloot/Paulien Zwart/Sheila Verschuur/Gaby Uljee (BMW 320D) - 26th (class win)

Optimum Motorsport Flick Haigh/Lee Mowle/Joe Osborne/Ryan Ratcliffe (Ginetta G50) - 27th

Kuepperracing Chantal Kroll/Martin Kroll/Michael Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Bernd Küpper (BMW E46 Coupe) - 35th (class win)

Saudi Falcons Team Schubert 2 Claudia Hürtgen/Abdulaziz Al Faisal/Faisal bin Laden/Jörg Müller/Dirk Müller (BMW Z4 GT3) - 38th

GT Academy Team RJN2 Sabine Schmitz/Peter Pyzera/Alex Buncombe/Steve Doherty/Mark Schulzhitskiy (Nissan 370Z) - 43rd

2014

Walkenhorst Motorsport Claudia Hürtgen/Daniela Schmid/Henry Walkenhorst/Jens Richter/Ralf Oeverhaus (BMW Z4 GT3) - 6th

SX Team Schubert Claudia Hürtgen/Dirk Werner/Paul Dalla Lana/Bill Auberlen/Dane Cameron (BMW Z4 GT3) - 10th

Racing Divas Team Schubert Sandra van der Sloot/Paulien Zwart/Gaby Uljee/Shirley van der Lof/Natasja Smit Sø (BMW 320D) - 31st (class win)

Bonk Motorsport Liesette Braams/Jörg Hatscher/Michael Bonk/Max Partl/Ralf Oeverhaus (BMW M3 GT4) - 40th

Hofor-Kuepperracing Chantal Kroll/Martin Kroll/Michael Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Bernd Küpper (BMW E46 Coupe) - 54th

2015

Bonk Motorsport Liesette Braams/Sandra van der Sloot/Gaby Uljee/Max Partl (BMW M235i) - 23rd (class win)

Speedworks Motorsport 2 Flick Haigh/John Gilbert/Paul O’Neill/Devon Modell (Aston Martin Vantage) - 29th

Hofor-Kuepperracing Chantal Kroll/Sarah Toniutti/Martin Kroll/Hal Prewitt/Bernd Küpper (BMW E46 Coupe) - 34th (class win)

KPM Racing 2 Gosia Rdest/Javier Morcillo/Tom Wilson/Lucas Orrock (Volkswagen Golf) - 51st

Frensch Power Motorsport Lisa Christin Brunner/Martin Heidrich/Reinhard Nehls/Friedhelm Erlebach (Peugeot 207) - 65th

Car Point S Racing Schmieglitz Cyndie Allemann/Daniel Schmieglitz/Axel Wiegner/Heine Bo Frederiksen/Heinz Jürgen Kroner (SEAT Leon Supercopa) - 79th

2016

Hofor Racing Chantal Kroll/Martin Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Christiaan Frankenhout/Kenneth Heyer (Mercedes SLS AMG GT3) - 4th (class win)

Optimum Motorsport Flick Haigh/Ryan Ratcliffe/Joe Osborne/Frank Stippler (Audi R8 LMS) - 5th

Artthea Sport Nanna Gøtsche/Martin Gøtsche/Klaus Werner/Jens Feucht (Porsche 991) - 22nd

Century Motorsport Anna Walewska/Nathan Freke/Tom Oliphant/Aleksander Schjerpen (Ginetta G55 GT4) - 24th (class win)

Bonk Motorsport Liesette Braams/Michael Bonk/Axel Burkhardt/Volker Piepmeyer/Phillip Bethke (BMW M235i) - 49th

Team Altran Peugeot Sarah Bovy/Thierry Boyer/Jérôme Ogay/Michael Carlsen/Mathias Schläppi (Peugeot 208 GTI) - DNF

Sorg Rennsport Rebecca Jackson/Ricardo Flores/George Richardson/Chris James/Ahmed al Melaihi (BMW M235i) - DNF

Car Collection Motorsport Claudia Hürtgen/Markus Winkelhock/Heinz Schmersal/Pierre Ehret/Peter Schmidt (Audi R8 LMS) - DNF

2017

Optimum Motorsport Flick Haigh/Ryan Ratcliffe/Joe Osborne/Christopher Haase (Audi R8 LMS) - 4th

Hofor Racing Chantal Kroll/Martin Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Christiaan Frankenhout/Kenneth Heyer (Mercedes SLS AMG GT3) - 7th (class win)

Zest Racecar Engineering Gosia Rdest/John Allen/JT Coupal/Philippe Ulivieri/John Weisberg (SEAT Leon TCR) - 52nd

Reiter Engineering Naomi Schiff/Anna Rathe/Marylin Niederhauser/Caitlin Wood (KTM X-Bow) - 72nd

2018
Phoenix Racing Gosia Rdest/Joonas Lappalainen/Philip Ellis/John-Louis Jasper (Audi R8 LMS) - 26th
Besagroup Racing Cora Schumacher/Franjo Kovacs/Roland Asch/Sebastian Asch/Fidel Lieb (Mercedes AMG GTR) - 33rd
Hofor Racing Chantal Kroll/Martin Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Christiaan Frankenhout/Kenneth Heyer (Mercedes AMG GT3) - DNF

2019
MRS GT-Racing Gosia Rdest/Helmut Rodig/Wolfgang Triller/Yutaka Matsushima/Christopher Zochling (Porsche 991) - 18th
Hofor Racing Chantal Prinz (Kroll)/Alexander Prinz/Michael Kroll/Kenneth Heyer/Christiaan Frankenhout (Mercedes AMG GT3) - DNF
Hofor Racing/Bonk Motorsport Liesette Braams/Martin Kroll/Michael Fischer/Gustav Engljaehringer/Michael Schrey (BMW M4 GT4) - DNF
ERC Sport Katarina Kyvalova/Ryan Ratcliffe/Jon Minshaw/Gabriele Piana (Mercedes AMG GT4) - DNF

2020 (race stopped at 7h due to track flooding)
MRS GT-Racing Gosia Rdest/John Hartshorne/Ollie Hancock/Jukka Honkavuori (Porsche 991) - 18th
Cicely Motorsport Katarina Kyvalova/Adam Morgan/Jon Minshaw/Adam Butel/Jake Giddings (Mercedes AMG GT4) - 37th
ST Racing Samantha Tan/John Boyd/Nicklas Wittmer/Jon Miller (BMW M4 GT4) - 38th
Heide Motorsport Rahel Frey/Heinz Schmersal/Alex Welch/Mike Beckhusen (Audi R8 LMS GT4) - 41st
3Y Technology Beitske Visser/Gilles Vannelet/Nidal Baumgartner/Petr Lisa (BMW M4 GT4) - 57th

2021

ST Racing Samantha Tan/Jon Miller/Chandler Hull/Nick Wittmer (BMW M4 GT4) - 15th (class win)

Vortex V8 Karen Gaillard/Lionel Amrouche/Philippe Bonnel/Alban Varutti (Vortex V8) - 35th

2022

SPS Automotive Performance Reema Juffali/Valentin Pierburg/George Kurtz/John Loggie (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 9th

Leipert Motorsport Betty Chen/Jean-Francois Brunot/Kerong Li/Joel Eriksson/Brendon Leitch (Lamborghini Huracan) - 16th

ST Racing Samantha Tan/Bryson Morris/Harry Gottsacker/Tyler Maxson/Anthony Lazzaro (BMW M4 GT3) - 25th

Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing Jasmin Preisig/Fabian Danz/Constantin Kletzer/Paul Sieljes (VW Golf) - 47th

2023

S'Aalocin by Kox Racing Stephane Kox/Peter Kox/Nico Pronk/Tom Boonen/Dennis Retera (Porsche 911 GT3 R) - 21st

Wolf-Power Racing Jasmin Preisig/Ivars Vallers/Kalle Bergman/Andreas Hofler (Audi RS3 LMS TCR) - 37th

Dragon Racing Rhea Loucas/Leonidas Loucas/Bradley Ellis/Charles Hollings (Mercedes AMG GT4) - DNF

2024

S'Aalocin by Kox Racing Stephane Kox/Peter Kox/Nico Pronk/Tom Boonen/Dennis Retera (Porsche 911 GT3 R) - DNF

Century Motorsport Rianna O'Meara Hunt/David Holloway/Piers Johnson/Nick Halstead (BMW M4 GT4) - DNF

(Image copyright Naomi Schiff)

Sheila Verschuur

Sheila in 2010

Sheila Verschuur was born in 1986 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. She is from a motorsport family: team boss and former racer Frans Verschuur is her father, and Mike Verschuur, another popular Dutch driver, is her younger brother. Therefore, it is not surprising that she decided to go into the family business.

Her first race was in 2002, when she was just sixteen. She took part in one round of the Toyota Yaris Cup, the Trophy of the Dunes at Zandvoort. An excursion off-track kept her off the podium. The following year, she did three races in the Yaris, and did enough to come second in the Ladies’ standings, including a third place in her second-ever race. She was fourteenth overall.

In 2004, she had her first full racing season, in the SEAT Cupra Cup. Driving with Michel Schaap for the endurance element of the competition, she was much more on the pace, and they were second overall, by only eight points. She stayed with the Cupra Cup in 2005, teaming up with Sandra van der Sloot. They were sponsored by the Dutch Army, and finished third overall. The Army team’s sister car, driven by Michel Schaap and Marcel Duits, came in fifth.  

For Sheila’s next season in the Cupra Cup, she stuck with the Army team and Sandra as a team-mate. They won the championship comfortably, by 40 points. That year, Sheila also took part in her first international race. Driving for her family’s Orbit team in a SEAT Ibiza, she was sixth in class in the Dubai 24 Hours. For the first time, her team-mate was her brother, Mike. Tim Buijs made up the team. Sheila and Mike had previously competed against each other in the off-season Dutch Winter Endurance Championship.

A busy year followed. Sheila tried single-seater racing in the form of Formula Gloria in the Netherlands, entering one race. However, her focus remained tin-tops. What would be her last season in the Cupra series, still in the Army car, gave her a second place, with Sandra van der Sloot. They won four of their twelve races and were never off the podium, but Ferry Duivenvoorde and Ronald Morien had more wins. As well as the SEAT, Sheila also raced a VW Golf in the Volkswagen Endurance Championship, alongside Jacques Walch and Coen Hagendoorn. Despite a podium finish, fastest lap and pole position, they could only manage 21st overall, due to only contesting seven races.  

In 2008, Sheila drove for her family team again in the Dubai 24 Hours, in its third car, a Renault Clio. With Harrie Kolen and Mickey Bertram, they were third in class A2. Still sponsored by the Dutch Armed Forces, she also drove the car in the Sportmaxx Clio Cup. The Verschuur drivers were her rivals this time. Her best finishes were three top-three places, and she was ninth overall.

With the same team-mates as before, she tried the VW Endurance series again, and did slightly better this time, in seventeenth, although her race results were very similar to before.

On paper, 2009 was a quieter year, based around the Clio Cup. However, Sheila really found her feet in the series, and managed her first Clio win. She also scored five top-three finishes, and was fourth in the championship.  Earlier in the season, she was third in the Dubai 24 Hours. Her car was a Renault Clio III RS, and her team-mates were Nikolajus Bystriakovas, Vitoldas Milius and Karolis Siksnelis.

In 2010, she went one better, winning two races and finishing on the podium seven times. She was third overall, just behind her team-mate, Sandra van der Sloot. 

2011 saw her partnership with the Dutch Army end, and she returned to Equipe Verschuur, for a double-pronged Clio campaign, in the Dutch series and the Eurocup. Despite a string of very strong finishes, including two second places, Sheila could not produce another win, although she was still second behind Sebastiaan Bleekemolen. The Eurocup was a mixed experience; she was solidly in the top ten for the first two meetings, with a best finish of fifth at the Nürburgring, but a 28th place at Paul Ricard in her sixth and last round was a disappointment. She was tenth in the championship.

In 2012, she joined the Dutch Racingdivas team. This is an all-female driving team, supported by Equipe Verschuur, competing in a number of events. They were 39th and fourth in class in the Dubai 24 Hours, driving a Clio. The RacingDivas this time were Sheila, Liesette Braams, Paulien Zwart, Gaby Uljee and Sandra van der Sloot.

As well as promotional activities for the Racingdivas, Sheila also drove for their sister team, Las Moras, run by Liesette and her partner, in the Burando Production Open. She was fifth overall after winning three times, driving a BMW 123d. This was a car of which she had some experience in the Dutch Winter Endurance Series.

The Racingdivas remained active for the 2013 season. Their first outing was the Dubai 24 Hours. Their car was a BMW 320d, supported by the Schubert team. The same squad as in 2012, including Sheila, was 26th overall, winning class A3T. Although the Divas continued to make appearances and promote themselves, their on-track time was very limited this year, due to funding issues. Sheila stepped away from the Divas setup, along with Liesette Braams, and concentrated on competing with the associated Las Moras team.

Her season picked up during the late summer, when she travelled to Eastern Europe for the Lotus Ladies' Cup, alongside her Las Moras team-mate, Liesette. Sheila was instantly on the pace, and quickly came to dominate the Cup, winning nine races out of twelve. After her first Lotus Ladies' championship, she travelled to India with some other Cup drivers to take part in the Ultima Queens Cup, a women's two-race mini-championship. She won that, too.

As well as her on-track exploits, Sheila also had a slot on a Dutch motoring TV programme, where guests raced against her in their own cars.

In 2014, she seems to have done some promotional work for Jaguar, but did not race. 

(Picture from http://www.equipeverschuur.nl/sheila)

Sandra van der Sloot

Sandra as a Racingdiva

Like many other Speedqueens, the Netherlands' Sandra van der Sloot was introduced to motor racing by her father, who rallied a Peugeot 205 in national events. She was an adventurous child who preferred the rough and tumble of outdoor play to dolls, and she enjoyed attending races and rallies with her father and Frank Caron, a family friend and racer. It was her ambition to compete herself from a young age, and her own racing career began when she was seventeen, in 1992.

The Citroen AX Cup was a popular starting point for young European drivers, and Sandra did not disgrace herself in her first season. She was winning races almost straight away, and came seventh in the Cup overall, runner-up in the Ladies' class. She continued in the GTI class in 1993, and although she did not lift the Ladies' Trophy, she improved on her overall position with a fifth spot.

Sandra took a break from driving a Citroen to race a Rover and a Fiat the following year, with similar promising results. With the Rover she won the 1400cc class of a Dutch saloon championship, and she was the fastest junior driver in the Fiat Cinquecento Rally Trofeo Cup too, as well as the runner-up overall. She won the Cinquecento junior crown again in 1995 and was third overall, with one win. 1995 was the year she really made her mark on the Citroen AX GTI Cup too, winning three times to claim second on the leaderboard, and the Ladies' Trophy for the first time.

Bigger competition was now on the horizon. Mitsubishi entered the Dutch Touring Car Championship in 1996 with the Carisma, and Sandra was chosen for the works squad. The aim was to raise the profile of the car in the Low Countries, but it was not quite up to the job and Sandra struggled with it. She did not record many good placings and returned to other championships the following year.

For a change, Sandra sampled her first endurance race in 1997, winning her class in the Zandvoort 500km. This was part of the Dutch Supercar Challenge for touring cars and was held in October. Her other notable result of the year was a second place in a European Citroen Saxo Ladies' Race, out of 36 starters who had all done well in their national championships.

The lure of another season in the DTCC was strong, and Sandra returned to the Mitsubishi Carisma team, partnered by Allard Kalff. Neither did particularly well and the car was outclassed again, by BMWs and Renaults.

1999 was a much better year. The Citroen AX had been superseded by the Saxo, but the Saxo Cup was in the same spirit as the AX Cup. Sandra's return to Citroen was triumphant; she won her first outright championship this year, after a string of fine wins. She also won the Ladies' European Final for the Saxo series, against similar opposition to before. In addition to her one-make glories, she finally secured a decent drive in the DTCC, in a more competitive BMW this time. She was twelfth overall, and the third-best privateer driver.

Although she continued to race Saxos in Italy, Sandra moved on to a different marque in 2000. Her first season as an Alfa Romeo driver netted her the runner-up spot in the Alfa 156 Challenge. Proving that she was not just a Citroen specialist, she walked off with the 156 Championship the following year, after a dominant performance. It was her second outright title.

Having hooked up with the Cable1 squad in 2001, she moved on to the Alfa 147 Championship in 2002. Although she was still challenging strongly for positions, she was not quite as quick in 147s and could only come sixth. Endurance racing had not been forgotten either; Sandra took part in a 24-hour touring car race in Barcelona and sampled the SEAT Endurance Cup, a series of two-driver races for SEAT Cupras.

2003 continued in the same vein; a two-pronged attack on the SEAT Endurance and Alfa 147 GTA Challenges. Sandra was still not on top form with the Bleekemolen 147, and could only finish eighth.

The Bleekemolen team, run by Dutch GT and touring car ace Jeroen, moved into the Renault Clio Cup in 2004, taking their lady star with them. The Clio Cup was one of the established European saloon series. Sandra was sixth overall after some good performances, but she was still looking for wins.

2005 saw the Dutchwoman return to winning ways. One of the highlights of her season must have been winning the SEAT Cupra enduro at the high-profile Marlboro Masters meeting at Zandvoort, her home circuit. Her co-driver was 18-year-old Sheila Verschuur, and the duo were sponsored by the Army for their attempt at the SEAT Cupra Cup. The Cup consisted of sprint races, contested by single drivers, and a much longer two-driver endurance race. Both women drove well, and Sandra was second overall in the championship.

When she was not competing with Sheila in the SEAT, Sandra was travelling to Germany for the Toyota Yaris Cup. She claimed the Ladies' Trophy from a field of seven women, and came third overall, after winning the Assen round and scoring well at the other meetings.

In 2006, Sandra was triumphant once more. She claimed the SEAT Cupra Cup Netherlands crown for the first time, partnered by Sheila Verschuur. They were once more sponsored by the Dutch Army. As well as home-based competition, Sandra was also running a parallel campaign in the Spanish GT Open Championship. Her co-driver was Jose Luis Bermudez de Castro and they were driving his works-supported Marcos Mantis. They won their class outright.

2007 began in a similar fashion. Sandra and Sheila continued to drive together for Verschuur Motorsport in the SEAT Cupra Cup, supported by the Army. Although Sandra could not hang on to her championship, she still won four times, and mounted the podium nine times. She was second overall.

In the off-season, she did two races of the Dutch Winter Endurance Championship in the Cupra, and managed one podium.

It was time for a change in 2008. Sandra, still sponsored by the Army, returned to Renault Clios and enrolled in the Dunlop Sportmaxx Clio Cup. She was competitive, and scored two wins, six podiums and two fastest laps over the course of a season. However, she was not quite competitive enough for the overall championship, and had to settle for third.

After a single race in the Winter Endurance Series, Sandra continued with her Clio mission for the Army. This time, she won four times and walked away with the championship.

Her last season with the Army team gave her a second position in the Clio Cup, after she was narrowly beaten by Addi van de Ven, despite not posting any wins. Team-mate Sheila Verschuur was not far behind.

In 2011, she had a new car, a Clio RS 197 run by the Day V Tech team. This time, she was not among the frontrunners, with only one podium finish and a fastest lap to her name. The podium was a third place at Assen.

For 2012, Sandra joined forces with some old friends and rivals in the Dutch Racingdivas team: Sheila Verschuur, Paulien Zwart, Liesette Braams and Gaby Uljee. Their car was a Clio. Their first major race together was the Dubai 24 Hours, in which they finished 39th, fourth in class. The team was Sandra's own idea.

For the rest of the year, the Racingdivas undertook fundraising and media work together, but did not have enough budget for a full racing season. Sandra entered two rounds of the Dutch Clio Cup, and scored enough points for 19th overall.

The story for the Divas was similar in 2013. They only had one competitive outing together, the Dubai 24 Hours, driving a Schubert BMW 320D with Liesette Braams, Paulien Zwart, Gaby Uljee and Sheila Verschuur. They were 26th overall, with a class win. They also took part in the Rotterdam Street Races, but that event is more of a demonstration run.

Sandra remained involved with the Racing Divas in 2014. The team was working on sponsorship, but they still struggled. Again, they took part in the Dubai 24 Hours, in a Schubert BMW, and won their class again. They were 31st overall.

In 2015, they entered the Dubai 24 Hours again, in a BMW 325. For the first time, the driving squad included a male driver, Max Partl. Gaby Uljee and Liesette Braams made up the four-driver team with Sandra. They were 23rd overall, and won their class. Away from Diva duty, Sandra, driving a BMW 132 with Robert van den Berg, did some races in the Dutch Supercar Challenge. Her best finish was seventh, at Spa, in the Supersport class. She was 16th in the championship.

It was back to an old faithful in 2017: the Alfa Romeo 147. Sandra won three rounds of the Sport class of the Supercar Challenge in this car, at A1-Ring, Zolder and the Nurburgring. She was third in the championship with John van der Voort.

A new challenge awaited in 2018. Sandra entered the Benelux Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge in a 991. She was a leader in her class and her best overall result was sixth, achieved at Spa and Zolder. Later in the season, she travelled to China for a guest appearance in the Asian Porsche Carrera Cup at Shanghai, finishing fourth and eighth.

Her second season in the Benelux Porsche Carrera Cup resulted in a series of class wins and podiums. Her best overall finishes were two sixth places at Spa and Zolder and she was twelfth overall in the championship. She also made a guest appearance in the Dutch Supercar Challenge, driving a BMW M4 Silhouette for JR Motorsport.

Her only outing in 2020 came after a last-minute call-up by Fulgenzi Racing. She was part of a four-driver team for the Coppa Florio, a double six-hour race at Enna-Pergusa. Their car was a Porsche 991 and they finished fourth in class in the second race, having dropped out of the first.

In 2021 she drove with Team Driverse in some rounds of both the ADAC GT4 Trophy and the DTM Trophy, in their BMW M4. Driving solo in the DTM Trophy, she was 15th twice at Assen. Sharing the car with Charlie Martin, her best result from fourth GT4 Trophy races was a 16th place at Oschersleben. 

Continuing her theme of guest appearances, she joined the BMW M240i Cup at Assen, finishing third and ninth. Early in the season, she joined the JR Motorsport team for the Mugello rounds of the 24H series, finishing fifth in one and recording a DNF in the other. Her car was a BMW F80 M3 and her co-driver was Ted van Vliet.

She stuck with BMW in 2023, entering the Benelux BMW M2 CS Racing Cup. Her co-driver was John van der Voort and they were seventh overall.

In 2024, she moved to Italy for her racing, entering the Italian GT Championship in a Porsche 911. Her co-driver was Andrea Buratti and they competed in the Am class. They won the Imola round.

(Image from www.racingdivas.nl)