Female Drivers at the 12 Hours of Sebring: Part I, 1955-1979

Anita Taylor, Donna Mae Mims and Janet Guthrie in 1966 (not at Sebring)

The 12 Hours of Sebring is the second-oldest sportscar race on the calendar, after Le Mans. It has run almost continuously since 1952, with only one break, caused by the 1974 energy crisis.
After one year as a non-championship event, the 12 Hours was run as a World Sportscar Championship round between 1953 and 1972, when it became an IMSA GT event. Its early-season position makes it a favoured early shakedown for Le Mans.

Beginning in 1955, women drivers have competed at Sebring in most runnings, although there was a lull in the 1970s. Below are their results between 1955 and 1979. Denise McCluggage was the most frequent starter during this period, and Isabelle Haskell has the highest finish: eighth, with a class win.

The rest follows here.

1955

Isabelle Haskell/Dick Irish (Bandini Fiat) - DNF

Greta Oakes/Sydney Oakes (Austin-Healey 100M) - DNF

1956

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie (Lotus Mk IX) - 24th

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso (Maserati 150S) - DNF

1957

Gilberte Thirion/Nadège Ferrier/G. Spydel (Renault Dauphine) - 35th

Evelyn Mull/John B. Mull (AC Ace) - DNF

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie/Charles Moran (Lotus Eleven Le Mans) - disqualified

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso (OSCA MT4 750) - DNF

1958

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso/Robert Ferguson (OSCA S750) - 8th, class win

Denise McCluggage/Ruth Levy (Fiat-Abarth 750 Zagato) - DNF

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie/Chuck Dietrich (Elva Mk. II) - DNS (accident in practice)

1959

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso/Denise McCluggage/Ricardo Rodriguez (OSCA S750) - 18th

Smokey Drolet/Fred Lieb (Turner 750 Sport) - 43rd

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie/Skip Lange (Elva Mk. IV) - DNF

1960

Denise McCluggage/Marianne “Pinkie” Windridge (OSCA 187S) - DNF

1961

Denise McCluggage/Allan Eager (Ferrari 250 GT) - 10th, class win

Peggy Gelder (McClure) /Ed Gelder/Jim Fuller (Elva Courier) - 35th

1962

Denise McCluggage/Allan Eager (OSCA S1000) - DNF

1963

Denise McCluggage/Christabel Carlisle (MG B) - DNF

1964

Donna Mae Mims/Alan Pease (Austin-Healey Sprite) - DNF

1966

Donna Mae Mims/John Luke (Yenko Stinger) - DNF

1967

Denise McCluggage/Marianne “Pinkie” Windridge (Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Spyder) - 17th

Liane Engeman/Janet Guthrie (Matra Djet 5S) - 23rd

Suzy Dietrich/Donna Mae Mims (ASA 411) - 25th

Smokey Drolet/Anita Taylor (Alpine-Renault A110) - 35th

1968

Janet Guthrie/Liane Engeman (AMC Javelin) - not classified

Donna Mae Mims/Michael Summers (Yenko Stinger) - not classified

1969

Janet Guthrie/Donna Mae Mims/Liane Engeman (Austin-Healey Sprite) - 23rd

Smokey Drolet/Rosemary Smith (BMW 2002) - 26th

1970

Janet Guthrie/Rosemary Smith/Judy Kondratieff (Austin-Healey Sprite) - 19th, class win

Donna Mae Mims/Jim Corwin (Chevrolet Corvette) - 21st

1971

Janet Guthrie/Rosemary Smith/Jennifer Birrell (Chevron B16) - DNF

1974

No race due to fuel crisis

1976

Janet Guthrie/Stephen Behr (Chevrolet Monza) - 63rd

1977
Bobbee Nylander/Gary Nylander/Michael Hammond (Porsche 911 S) - 13th

Lyn St James/John Carusso/Luis Sereix/Emory Donaldson (Chevrolet Corvette) - DNF

1978

Lyn St. James/Luis Sereix/Phil Currin (Chevrolet Corvette) - 17th

Kathy Wallace/Tom Wallace/Gene Rutherford (Oldsmobile Cutlass) - DNF

1979

Bonnie Henn/Lyn St. James/Janet Guthrie (Ferrari 365 GTB/4) - 17th

(Image from http://www.1966shelbynotchbackmustang.com/PhotosRingFree.html)

Women at the Nassau Speed Weeks: Part II - The Ladies' Races

Heather Bethell in her Austin-Healey

Ladies' races were a feature of Nassau Speed Week between 1956 and 1962. They attracted a mix of female professionals, SCCA racers, local drivers and the wives of male drivers.
Below are the results of these races, by year.

1956

Ladies - Race 1

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

2. Sally Chapin (Ferrari 500 TR)

3. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

4. Suzy Dietrich (Porsche 550)

5. Jean Speidel (Porsche 356 Speedster)

6. Mary Constantine (Jaguar D-Type)

7. N. Pearce (Austin-Healey 100)

8. Greta Oakes (Porsche Speedster)

9. Marion Lowe (Jaguar D-Type)

  

Ladies - Race 2

1. Marion Lowe (Jaguar D-Type)

2. Sally Chapin (Ferrari 500 TR)

3. Suzy Dietrich (Porsche 550)

4. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

5. Denise McCluggage (Osca MT4-2AD)

N. Pearce (Austin-Healey 100) - result not known

Jean Speidel (Porsche 356 Speedster) - result not known

Mary Constantine (Jaguar D-Type) - result not known

Greta Oakes (Porsche Speedster) - result not known

1957

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

2. Isabelle Haskell (Osca S1500)

3. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

4. Jean Speidel (Porsche 550)

5. Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

Suzy Dietrich (Elva) - DNF

Ruth Levy (Aston Martin DBR2) - DNF

Ladies - Heat 2

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

2. Ruth Levy (Aston Martin DBR2)

3. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

4. Jean Speidel (Porsche 550)

5. Suzy Dietrich (Elva)

6. Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) 

Ladies - Final

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

Suzy Dietrich (Elva) - DNF

Ruth Levy (Aston Martin DBR2) - DNF

Jean Speidel (Porsche 550) - result not known

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - result not known

1958

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

2. Evelyn Mull (Lotus Eleven)

3. Pinkie Windridge (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce)

4. Fifi Fleming (Osca S750)

5. Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE 328)

6. A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE 328) 

7. Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE 328) 

8. M. Kelly (Berkeley SE 328) 

9. Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven)

Ladies-Heat 2

1. Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven)

2.  Evelyn Mull (Lotus Eleven)

3. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

4. Fifi Fleming (Osca S750)

5. Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE 328)

6. A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE 328) 

7. Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE 328) 

8. M. Kelly (Berkeley SE 328) 

Overall

1. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

2. Evelyn Mull (Lotus Eleven)

3. Fifi Fleming (Osca S750)

4. Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE 328)

5. A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE 328) 

6. Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven)

7. Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE 328) 

8. M. Kelly (Berkeley SE 328) 

9. Pinkie Windridge (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce)

1959

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

2. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

3. La Veeda Grimm (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

4. Greta Oakes (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder)

5. Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite)

6. Joan Galloway (Austin Healey Sprite)

Ladies - Heat 2

1. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

2. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

3. La Veeda Grimm (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

4. Greta Oakes (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder)

5. Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite)

Joan Galloway (Austin Healey Sprite) - DNF

Ladies – Final

1. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

2. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

3. La Veeda Grimm (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

4. Greta Oakes (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder)

5. Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite)

6. Joan Galloway (Austin Healey Sprite)

1960

Ladies’ Race

1. Smokey Drolet (Daimler SP250)

2. Heather Bethell (Austin-Healey 100-6)

3. Greta Oakes (Lotus Eleven)

4. Vivian Publicker (Ferrari 250 GT LWB California)

5. A. Stephens (Austin-Healey Sprite)

6. V. Moore (MG A)

7. A. Goodfellow (Triumph TR3)

1961

Ladies’ Race

1. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

2. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356 Carrera)

3. Susan Northcutt (Triumph TR3)

4. Susan Baron (Lotus Seven)

5. Lou Moseley (Porsche 356 Carrera)

6. Janet Madsen (MG A)

7. Patsy Kennedy (Jaguar XK120)

1962

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356B Carrera)

2. Smokey Drolet (Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ)

3. Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera)

4. Nedra Ware (Fiat-Abarth)

5. Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000)

6. Sibilla O’Donnell (Lotus Super Seven)

7. Joanne Gambal (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

Ladies - Heat 2

1. Smokey Drolet (Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ)

2. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356B Carrera)

3. Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera)

4. Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000)

5. Nedra Ware (Fiat-Abarth)

Overall

1. Smokey Drolet (Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ)

2. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356B Carrera)

3. Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera)

4. Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000)

5. Nedra Ware (Fiat-Abarth)

(Photo from the Terry O'Neil Bahamas Collection)