Female Drivers in the Spa 24 Hours, 2001-present

A victorious Lilian Bryner and her Care Racing team-mates in 2004

After 2000, the Spa 24 Hours became a race for sports and GT cars. It was part of the FIA GT Championship from 2001 until the series' demise in 2009. After one year as part of the FIA GT2 European Cup, it was picked up by the Blancpain Endurance Series.

Women drivers have continued to play an important role, none more so than Lilian Bryner, who became the first female winner in 2004. In recent years, the number of female entrants has declined, but this may change in the future. Parts 1 and 2 of this list are here.

2001

Vanina Ickx/Xavier Pompidou/Christophe Tinseau/Tim Verbergt (Porsche 996 GT3-RS) – DNF

2002

Sylvie Delcour/Philippe Tollenaire/Loic Deman (Porsche 996 GT3-Cup) – 21^st

Fanny Duchateau/Jean-François Hemroulle/Jeffrey van Hooydonk (Vertigo Streiff) – 26^th

Vanina Ickx/Renaud Kuppens/David Saelens (Gillet Vertigo Streiff) – DNF

Lilian Bryner/Marco Zadra/Andrea Piccini/Jean-Denis Déletraz (Ferrari 550 Maranello) – disqualified

2003

Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Fabrizio Gollin/Luca Capellari (Ferrari 550 Maranello) – 2^nd (1^st in GT class)

Sylvie Delcour/Loic Deman/Peter Scharmarch/Christian Land (Porsche 996 GT3 Cup) – 12^th (1^st in Class G3)

Vanina Ickx/Jean-Luc Blanchemain/Stefano Zonca/Pertti Kuismanen (Chrysler Viper GTS-R) – DNF

Paula Cook/Jacques Laffite/Neil Cunningham (Morgan Aero 8) – DNF

2004

Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Luca Capellari/Fabrizio Gollin (Ferrari 550 Maranello) – 1^st

Vanina Ickx/ Jean-François Hemroulle/Peter Wyss (Porsche 996 GT3 Cup) – 10^th

Liz Halliday/Moreno Soli/Franco Groppi/Luigi Moccia (Porsche 996 GT3 Cup RSR) – 14^th

Sylvie Delcour/Lino Pecoraro/Philippe Ménage/José Close (Lotus Elise) – N/C

Fanny Duchateau/Loic Deman/Marc Duez/Stéphane Lémeret (Chrysler Viper GTS-R) – DNF

2005

Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Steve Zacchia/Frédéric Bouvy (Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS) – 4^th

Vanina Ickx/ Jean-François Hemroulle/Heinz-Josef Bermes/Helmut Reis (Porsche 911 GT3) – DNF

Liz Halliday/Justin Keen/Bobby Verdon-Roe/Jens Møller (Lister Storm GT) – DNF

Sylvie Delcour/Jérôme d’Ambrosio/Renaud Kuppens/Bas Leinders (Gillet Vertigo Streiff) – DNF

2007

Sarah Bovy/Bas Leinders/Renaud Kuppens (Giller Vertigo Streiff) – DNF

2008

Catherine Dèsbrueres/Daniel Dèsbrueres/Eric Hélary/Vincent Radermecker (Ferrari F430) – DNF

2011

Claudia Hürtgen/Edward Sandström/Dirk Werner (BMW Z4 GT3) – 2^nd

2012

Michela Cerruti/Tom Coronel/Stefano Colombo/Edoardo Liberati (BMW Z4 GT3) – DNF

Sarah Bovy/Marlène Broggi/ Jérôme Thiry/Massimo Vagliani (McLaren MP4-12C) – DNF

2013

Rahel Frey/Matt Halliday/Nikolaus Mayr-Meinhof (Audi R8 LMS) – DNF

Sarah Bovy/Michael Schmetz/Pierre Grivegnée/Bert Redant (Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3) – DNF

Michela Cerruti/Stefano Comandini/Luca Rangoni (BMW Z4 GT3) – DNF

Marlène Broggi/Christophe de Fierlant/Karim Ojjeh/Laurent Pasquali (McLarenMP4-12C) – DNF

2014

Michela Cerruti/Stefano Comandini/Stefano Colombo/Eugenio Amos (BMW Z4 GT3) – 35^th

Marlène Broggi/Pierre Hirschi/Philippe Richard/Philippe Bourgeois (Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) – 39^th

2016
Michela Cerruti/Loris Spinelli/Cedric Sbirazuolli/Gilles Vannelet (Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 28th

2017
Sarah Bovy/Giorgio Maggi/Jurgen Krebs/Clement Mateau (Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 31st

2018
Sarah Bovy/Beniamino Caccia/Andrew Haryanto/Andres Josephsohn (Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 47th

2019
Christina Nielsen/Richard Heistand/David Fumanelli/Jack Hawksworth (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 32nd
Angelique Detavernier/Loic Deman/Stephane Lemeret/Marc Duez (Porsche Cup MR) - N/C

2022

Rahel Frey/Michelle Gatting/Sarah Bovy/Doriane Pin (Ferrari 488) - 18th (Gold class win)

Reema Juffali/Tim Muller/George Kurtz/Valentin Pierburg (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 34th (Bronze class win)

Samantha Tan/Maxime Oosten/Nick Wittmer/Harry Gottsacker (BMW M4 GT3) - 36th

2023

Lilou Wadoux/Louis Machiels/Jef Machiels/Andrea Bertolini (Ferrari 488) - 26th

Reema Juffali/Ralf Aron/Yannick Mettler/Alain Valente (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - DNF

Samantha Tan/Jon Miller/Isaac Tutumlu Lopez/Leonard Weiss (Ferrari 296 GT3) - DNF

Rahel Frey/Michelle Gatting/Sarah Bovy/Doriane Pin (Lamborghini Huracan) - DNF

2024

Lilou Wadoux/Eddie Cheever III/Chris Froggatt/Jonathan Hui (Ferrari F163CE) - 16th

2025

Jessica Hawkins/Antoine Potty/Alexandre Leroy/Rodrigo Almeida (Aston Martin Vantage) - DNF

(Image from http://talkingxena.yuku.com/)

Female Drivers in the Spa 24 Hours, 1974-2000

Henny Hemmes and Huub Vermeulen

The Spa 24 Hours ran continuously throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. From 1974 to 1981, it was part of the Trophée de l'Avenir, with one "guest spot" as an ETCC race in 1976. In 1981, it was also included in the World Endurance Championship, before switching back to an ETCC event in 1982. From 1989 to 2000, it was still a touring car race, but not part of a major championship. During this time, female drivers featured in every race, and scored many good finishes. Henny Hemmes was the queen of Spa at this time, racing in the 24 hours fourteen times, with a best finish of second. The first part of this list can be found here. 

1974

Martine Renier ("Tintin")/Guy Deschamps/Jeannot Sauvage (Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV) - 7th
Martine Renier ("Tintin")/Eric Mandron/Edgar Gillessen (Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV) - 14th
Yvette Fontaine/Claude Bourgoignie (Ford Capri II) – DNF

1975

Yvette Fontaine/”Pedro” (BMW 3.0 CSi) – 2^nd

Christine Beckers/Jenny Birrell/Marianne Hoepfner (Triumph Dolomite) – 24^th

1976

Henny Hemmes/Loek Vermeulen (Toyota Celica GT) – 21^st

Yvette Fontaine/Stuart Graham/Reine Wisell (Chevrolet Camaro) – DNF

1977

Henny Hemmes/Loek Vermeulen/Huub Vermeulen (Chevrolet Camaro Z28) – 6^th

1978

Henny Hemmes/Loek Vermeulen/Hans Deen (Chevrolet Camaro Z28) – DNF

Christine Beckers/Daniel Rombaut/Huub Nijsten (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV) – DNF

Lella Lombardi/Thierry Boutsen/Marc Duez (Toyota Sprinter Tueno) – DNF

1979

Henny Hemmes/Loek Vermeulen (Chevrolet Camaro Z28) – 18^th

Christine Beckers/Pascal Witmeur/Jean-Paul Libert (Chevrolet Camaro Z28) – N/C

Anny-Charlotte Verney/Jean-Pierre Delaunay/Cyril Grandet (Ford Escort II RS 2000) – DNF

1980

Christine Beckers/Heinz-Jürgen Hoffknecht/Marc Piessens (VW Scirocco GTi) – DNF

Henny Hemmes/Loek Vermeulen/Huub Vermeulen (Chevrolet Camaro Z28) – DNF

1981

Marianne Hoepfner/Derek Bell/Alain Cudini/Jean-Louis Trintigant (BMW 530i) – 7^th

Henny Hemmes/Loek Vermeulen (Chevrolet Camaro Z28) – DNF

Anny-Charlotte Verney/Jean-Louis Schlesser/Alain Ferté (Ford Capri III) – DNF

Kathy Rude/Quirin Bovy/Jean-Claude Lagniez (Chevrolet Camaro Z28) – DNF

1982

Lella Lombardi/Tony Palma/Marcello Gallo (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6) – 12^th

Henny Hemmes/Loek Vermeulen/Huub Vermeulen (Chevrolet Camaro) – DNF

1983

Henny Hemmes/Fred Frankenhout/Hans van der Beek (Mazda RX-7) – 14^th

Lella Lombardi/Roberto Marazzi/Giancarlo Naddeo (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6) – DNF

1984

Henny Hemmes/Břetislav Enge (BMW 635 CSi) – 11^th

Lella Lombardi/Giorgio Francia/”Tango” (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6) – 16^th (1^st in Division 2)

1985

Lella Lombardi/Rinaldo Drovandi/”Spiffero” (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6) – DNF

Annette Meeuvissen/Arno Wester/Jörg van Ommen (Ford Escort RS 1600i) – result unknown

1986

Lella Lombardi/Rinaldo Drovandi/Roberto Castagna (Alfa Romeo 75) – 8^th

Anny-Charlotte Verney/Chantal Grimard/Henny Hemmes (Toyota Corolla GT) – 25^th

1987

Annette Meeuvissen/Mercedes Stermitz/Gerrit van Kouwen (BMW M3) – 7^th

1988

Ellen Lohr/Frank Schmickler/Michael Bartels (BMW M3) – 7^th

Patricia Bertapelle/Valentin Bertapelle/Freddy Fruhauf (BMW 635 CSi) – 24^th

Kaori Okamoto/Kaoru Hoshino/Keiichi Suzuki (Toyota Corolla GTi) – N/C

Jenny van Hilten/Evert Bolderheij/ Bernard Winderickx (Ford Sierra RS 500) – DNF

Henny Hemmes/Claude Holvoet/Eddy van Esch (Toyota Corolla GTi) – DNF

1989

Kaori Okamoto/Morio Nitta/Hideshi Matsuda (Toyota Corolla GT) – 12^th

Jenny van Hilten/Bram van Hilten/Philips (Honda Civic) – 34^th

1990

Ellen Lohr/Altfrid Heger/Patrick Slaus/Franz Engstler (BMW M3) – 5^th

Anny-Charlotte Verney/Hideo Fukuyama/Naoki Hattori (Nissan Skyline GT-R) – 12^th

Henny Hemmes/Peter Seikel/Stanislao de Angelis (Honda Civic V-Tec) – 19^th (1^st in Class N2)

Kaori Okamoto/Morio Nitta/Patrick Snijers (Toyota Corolla GT) – DNF

1991

Kaori Okamoto/Naoki Nagasaka/Phil Dowsett (Toyota Corolla GT) – 20^th

Henny Hemmes/Dagmar Suster/Lothar Schörg (Honda Civic V-Tec) – 21^st

Giovanna Amati/Patrick de Radigues/François Turco (Peugeot 309 GTi) – DNF

1992

Annette Meeuvissen/Marc Gindorf/Heiner Weis (BMW M3) – 17^th

Henny Hemmes/Astrid Hild/Thomas Müller (Honda Civic V-Tec) – 23^rd (1^st in Class NB1.6)

Kaori Okamoto/Morio Nitta/Suzuki (Toyota MR-2) – 24^th

Jutta Kleinschmidt/André Carlier/D. Phillips (BMW M5) – N/C

Junko Mihara/Masahiro Matsunaga/Hideo Uehara (Toyota MR-2) – DNF

1993

Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Luigino Pagotto (Porsche 911 Carrera RS) – 9^th

Kaori Okamoto/Morio Nitta/Keiichi Suzuki (Toyota MR-2) – DNF

1994

Kumi Sato/Daniel Brillat/Patrick Bastiaens (Honda Civic V-Tec) – 13^th

Junko Mihara/Satoshi Yamaguchi/Masahiro Matsunaga (Toyota Corolla) – 16^th

Florence Duez/Blaton/Alain Thiebaut (Renault Clio) – 18^th

Kaori Okamoto/Morio Nitta/Keiichi Suzuki (Toyota Carina E) – DNF

Kate Rafanelli/Didier Stassart/Benoit Galand (BMW 325i) – DNF

1995

Florence Duez/Paul Grutman/Michel Schmitz (Renault Clio) – 18^th

Junko Mihara/Michiko Okuyama/Kumi Sato (Toyota Corolla) – 19^th

Katja Müller/Dietmar Konopka/Torsten Neuenbölen (Renault Clio) – DNF

1996

Kate Rafanelli/Yolanda Surer/Florence Duez (BMW M3) – 4^th (1^st in Spa 3.0 class)

Isolde Holderied/Freddy Loix/Renaud Verreydt (Toyota Carina GTi) – 8^th

Vanina Ickx/Christian Jupsin/Pascal Tillekaerts (Honda Civic VTi) – 16^th

Sylvie Delcour/Michel Lambermont/Bernard Dethier (Nissan Sunny GTi) – DNF

Heather Spurle/B. Lawrence/Luff (Peugeot 306 16S) – DNF

1997

Tamara Vidali/Yvan Muller/Brad Jones (Volkswagen Golf TDi) – 12th

Sylvie Delcour/Michel Lambermont/Frédéric Baugnée (Renault Clio Williams) – 25^th

Vanina Ickx/Kate Rafanelli/Florence Duez (BMW M3) – DNF

Paula Cook/Luca Canni-Ferrari/Nicola Bertolucci (BMW M3) – DNF

1998

Sylvie Delcour/Mathias Viaene/Frédéric Baugnée (BMW 320i) – 14^th

Florence Duez/Alain Courmont/Hervé Lelong (Suzuki Baleno) – 26^th

Vanina Ickx/Jacky Ickx (Renault Mégane) – DNF

1999

Vanina Ickx/Mathias Viaene/Martial Chouvel (Renault Mégane) – 5^th

Sylvie Delcour/Damien Chaballe/Etienne Baugnée (BMW 320i) – 7^th

2000

Vanina Ickx/Anthony Beltoise/Thierry van Dalen (Peugeot 306 GTi) – 3^rd

Fanny Duchateau/Jean-François Hemroulle/Tim Verbergt (VW Bora TDi) – 6^th (1^st in SPD class)

Sylvie Delcour/Eric Jamar/Frédéric Baugnée (BMW 320i) – DNF

Catherine Liegeois/Michel Wilders/Alexandre Leens (Honda Integra Type R) – DNF

(Image from www.racehstorie.nl)

Sylvie Delcour

Sylvie on the BTCS podium

Although not a household name outside her own country, Sylvie Delcour of Belgium is one of her homeland's most decorated domestic drivers. Born in Verviers in 1975, she took up club racing at nineteen.

After two years of club competition, Sylvie took her first steps in the Belgian Procar touring series. Her first big race was in 1997, the Spa 24 Hours, which was then a race for saloon cars. Driving a Renault Clio Williams, she was third in the class for small group N vehicles and 25th overall, not a bad first attempt. For the rest of that year, she drove her Clio in the Renault Clio Eurocup.

It was back to Belgian Procars in 1998, where Sylvie teamed up for a part-season with Vanina Ickx. They shared a BMW 320i run by the BMW Fina Junior Team and achieved mixed results, until Vanina left the team to join Renault. Sylvie entered the Spa 24 Hours again in the same car, coming fourteenth this time.

Still in the BMW, Sylvie persevered with the Procar championship in 1999 and started to show her mettle. She ended the year as champion of Division Two and scored her best finish in the Spa 24 Hours to date: seventh overall and second in class.

It was time for something completely different for the following season. Sylvie got involved with the Volkswagen Fun Cup, an endurance championship for space-framed VW Beetles. With her team-mates, she was fully on the pace and came second in that year's standings, an achievement she repeated in 2001.

That year, the VW was not Sylvie's only car. She was also campaigning a Citroen 2CV in national events with considerable skill. At that year's Belgian 24 Hours of 2CV she and her team were fourth, and at the five-hour Dijon 2CV race she was the winner. Earlier in the year, the increasingly-versatile Sylvie had tried her hand at rallying, too. Driving a 1400cc group N VW Polo, she was 26th overall and second in class.

Her career continued in the same vein in 2002. She was fourth in the Belgian Fun Cup and retained her runner-up spot in the European Fun Cup. In the 2CV she fared even better, driving hard in a big field of cars and walking away as Belgian 2CV champion.

Mid-season, she was called back to the Spa 24 Hours, now an FIA sportscar race. She was snapped up by PSI Motorsport to drive a Porsche 996 Supercup alongside Loïc Deman and Philippe Tollenaire. The trio were 21st overall and fifth in their class.

2003 was a hectic but highly rewarding season for Sylvie. She had teamed up with Fanny Duchateau and Sabine Dubois as the "Rain Tyre Ladies" the previous year in the Fun Cup, and the partnership they had proved very hard to beat this year. The three women swept the board of Fun Cup titles, being crowned Belgian and European champions, and winners of the arduous 25-Hour race at Spa. This was a good tactical drive, making use of safety car periods well.

Back at Spa, Sylvie was again doing the 24 Hours as part of FIA GTs. Her car this year was another Porsche, a 996 GT3 Cup belonging to Land Motorsport. Her co-drivers were Loïc Deman, Christian Land and Peter Scharmach. They were a fighting twelfth overall, with a class win, another win to add to Sylvie's haul.

In addition to all these wins, she still found time to compete in the Clio Cup, gaining a best finish of third. At the end of the season, the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium awarded Sylvie its Ladies' Trophy and more importantly, the Casque d'Or (Golden Helmet) for outstanding achievement.

2004 was another busy year. Sylvie's main focus was the BTCS touring car championship. Her car this year was a tube-framed silhouette BMW, which obviously suited her driving style; her results were five thirds, a second and three wins, making her the series champion on her first attempt.

Yet again, she entered the Spa 24 Hours, driving an EBRT Lotus Elise with Jose Close, Lino Pecoraro and Philippe Menage. They were 21st overall and 3rd in class, although not classified at the end of the race. A month later, Sylvie returned to Spa for the Le Mans Endurance Series, where she was sharing a G-Force Pilbeam LM2 car with Philippe Haezenbrouck and Frank Hahn. There was more disappointment here, as the car did not make it to the end of the race. In between the two major Spa events, Sylvie also fitted in a trip to Zolder for the 24-hour race there. She was the fourth driver in the Daikin all-female team of herself, Vanina Ickx, Alexandra van de Velde and Fiona Leggate. They won the Ladies' Trophy in their Mini, despite finishing well down the order.

There were better results for the woman from Verviers in the two rounds of Formula X Sport she took part in. At the Nürburgring round, she came ninth and third and in Dubai she was fifth and sixth. Her results were enough to give her sixth in the championship. She also tested a works Courage C65 sports prototype at Magny-Cours, with a view to entering Le Mans in 2005. To round off another good year, she was awarded a rare second Casque d'Or and the RACB Trophée Féminine.

In the end, Sylvie did not start at the classic French race with the Courage team, although she was named as a reserve driver. 2005 was a much quieter year for her all round, mainly focused around the BTCS. She had moved up a class in the championship and was now driving a Porsche 996 Supercup. She was not as successful as she had been in the BMW and her best result was second at the BTCS 12 Hours of Spa, driving with David Loix. The 24-hour version was less of a triumph though; the Gillet Vertigo that Sylvie was driving with Bas Leinders, Renaud Kuppens and Jérôme d'Ambrosio did not give them a finish. The Belgian Racing machine was fast but unreliable and fragile.

For a complete change, Sylvie also took part in the Yamaha Girls Raid, a motorcycle cross-country rally for women in Morocco.

2006 saw the Belgian woman take another step into the rally-raid world. This time she entered the Rally Aïcha des Gazelles, a women-only event across North Africa, using a similar route to the later stages of the Paris-Dakar. She had an experienced co-driver in Corentine Quiniou, and they were sixth overall.

The BTCS had not been forgotten either. A Toyota Yaris was Sylvie's mount for the Spa 12 Hours. She was 24th overall and the winner of class T1. She also took part in the 24 Hour 2CV race and the Fun Cup 25 Hours. Here, she teamed up again with Corentine Quiniou.

She took part in more rally raids in 2007. Sylvie and Corentine entered the Trans African Classic together in a Toyota HDJ80. They were contesting the Classic class and had hopes of a win. At the end of the event, they were eighth, with one stage win and the Ladies’ award.

The BTCS had not been forgotten either. Sylvie finished third in class S2 after a series of strong finishes, including at least one win. Driving a Street Machine Solution F with Yvon Decour and Jean-Claude Meert, she was seventh in the Spa 12 Hours.

In 2008, she was absent from the BTCS. She entered one rally raid, the Trans Tunisia, on a Bombardier quad. It is unclear whether the event actually took place, and if so, where Sylvie finished. Since then, she has taken off-road riding training in Costa Rica and entered a number of rally raids on a KTM motorcycle, starting with the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, and moving on to mixed events in Libya and Tunisia.

In 2011, she drove a Dacia Duster in the Rallye des Gazelles, and won the Eco Driving Award for the lowest fuel consumption. They were second overall. She continued to enter the Gazelles event until at least 2014.

(Image copyright Tom Symons)

Fanny Duchateau

The Uniroyal Rain Tyre Ladies

Yet another versatile Belgian, Fanny branched out into GT racing later in her career, although most of her big successes came in touring cars.

The Duchateau family were all involved in karting (Fanny's father ran his own kart track) so it was inevitable that Fanny would take it up at a young age. She began at seven, in 1984. She was Belgian junior champion in 1992, sixth in the European Championships in 1994 and a member of the winning team in some notable 24 hour- races in Belgium. After a glittering kart career she moved on to cars in 1997, at the age of twenty.

From the beginning, Fanny was quick and competitive. In her first season she was fourth in the Belgian Renault Championships and second in the VW Fun Cup series. The following year she won the Fun Cup outright, a first for a woman.

For the next two years she continued as a front-runner in the Fun Cup and also tried her hand at national-level sports and touring car races. In 2000 she was the runner-up in the VW series and attempted her first Spa 24 Hour race. She drove a Gillet Vertigo Streiff but failed to finish. Always keen to try new forms of motorised competition, Fanny also entered her first rally, driving a Ford Ka in the Rallye Condroz. She was 75th.

She continued her rallying adventures in 2001. As part of a driver exchange programme organised by the two national motorsport bodies, Fanny got the chance to sample winter rallying in Canada. She did not finish the Perce Neige et Glace Rally, or the Charlevoix event in Quebec, in her SEAT Ibiza, but she returned a better driver for it. In the Rallye Condroz in 2002 she was second in class N2 in a Volkswagen Polo, 37th overall.

In 2002 Fanny was receiving works support from VW, mainly due to her Fun Cup success. She was entered into the Belgian Procar championship in a Bora turbodiesel, and carried off the Division Two crown. She often finished in the top ten alongside more powerful Division One teams. Spurred on by her good results, she hooked up with Gillet Vertigo Streiff again for the Spa 24 Hours. The team was 26th after a fire.

2003 was a busy year. Rallying in the Polo again featured large in her calendar. She was 35th and second in class N2 in the Omloop van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) rally and third N2, 44th overall in the 12 Hours of Haspengouw event. The big Condroz rally was her only disappointment as she failed to finish.

The Fun Cup had not been forgotten either. It had expanded into a multi-driver VW enduro series and Fanny, Sylvie Delcour and Sabine Dubois were competing as the Rain Tyre Ladies Team in selected events. Mechanical troubles meant that they suffered a few retirements, but they also scored a momentous win in the 25 hour race at Spa, Fanny's favourite track.

Towards the end of the season, Fanny was invited to join the Chamberlain TVR women's team for the inaugural Le Mans 1000km. She drove alongside Amanda Stretton and Liz Halliday, after fellow Belgian Vanina Ickx pulled out due to illness. The girls were a respectable 19th overall, closely behind their more experienced male team-mates.

Sportscars became her main focus for 2004. She had been selected to drive the Rollcentre Noble GTO in the British GT championships, with young GT ace Simon Pullan. Testing went very well, and Pullan remarked how quickly Fanny learnt the car. In their first race at Donington they were 13th, fourth in the GT Cup class. The second race ended in a slightly disappointing 18th. Mondello Park in Ireland gave the pair their best result: two eighth places and a second in class. Sadly, they were unable to match that form for the rest of the season. They failed to finish both Snetterton races and managed a 16th and 13th at Castle Combe, regarded as a good circuit for GT cars. Simon Pullan parted company quite suddenly with Rollcentre and Fanny drove with team boss Martin Short at the Oulton meeting. Both races ended in DNFs and Fanny herself was replaced by Harvey De'ath, who fared only marginally better.

However, back in Belgium, her efforts had not gone unnoticed. She was invited to join Zwaan Racing for the Spa 24 Hours, driving a Chrysler Viper with Marc Duez, Loic Deman and Stephane Lemeret. Unforunately they did not finish. She also returned to rallying for the Boucles de Spa, and was 25th overall in a VW Polo. Her co-driver was Denis Borremans.

At the time of writing, Fanny's future in motorsport is unclear, and she does not appear to have competed since 2004. She has become a mother to at least one child.

(Image source unknown)