Alline Cipriani

Alline Cipriani is a Brazilian driver who races in both her home country and the USA. She won her class in the 2013 Brazilian Endurance Championship and the 2018 Chase for the Trigon Trophy. 

She began racing in 2011, after a serious injury ended her jetski racing career. She competed in the Audi DTCC (Driver Touring Car Cup) for two rounds, as well as trying out single-seaters in the shape of Formula Vee. 

She entered the whole DTCC Cup in 2012 and had two top-ten finishes, the best of these being an eighth place at Interlagos. She was eleventh in the championship. 

In 2013, she moved away from Audi power and acquired a Ford Focus, in which she competed in the Brazilian Endurance Championship. Partnering Adolpho Rossi Neto, she won the Class V championship outright. Had she had entered all four rounds, she would have helped her team-mates to a Class IV championship as well. As it stood, she was second in that class, with her team-mates as winners. She also raced in some rounds of the single-make Sprint Race series, finishing 19th in the championship.

In 2012, she and Adolpho, who are a couple, had shared a Volvo C30 for the Tarumã 12 Hours, which they managed to finish. Driving together again and with two further co-drivers, they were eighth in the 2013 Parana Endurance race, using a Volkswagen Gol.

Since 2013, Alline has been racing a Ginetta in endurance events in the USA, mostly those in the FARA series. She was a class winner in FARA in 2014 and 2015 and became a FARA Ambassador in the process.

Brazilian motorsport had not been forgotten completely. Alline was seventh in the 2014 Sprint Race championship, having completed two-thirds of the season. In 2015, she raced in the Mercedes-Benz Challenge in a C250. Her best finish in this one-make championship was seventh at Interlagos. 

She raced the Ginetta in the States again in 2016, making a guest appearance at Barber in the Pirelli World Challenge. Her best result was a fifteenth place; the weekend was wet and she had not qualified well. She did better in FARA events and ended the year vice-champion in the series.  

After taking some time out to have her son, she raced again in the States in 2018, winning the Chase For The Trigon Trophy TA3 series. Her car was a Ginetta G55 sponsored by Ginetta USA. Her particular class win was a first for a female driver and the first for a Brazilian in an American series.

She raced once more for Ginetta in her home country in 2020. The Stillux Ginetta team entered a G55 GT4 into the Imperio Endurance Brasil series. Alline competed at Sao Paulo, Goiania and Curitiba, but did not manage to finish a race.

(Image from https://lucmonteiro.wordpress.com/2018/03/03/a-bela-e-as-feras/)

Deborah Gregg

Deborah Gregg raced sportscars in the States in the 1980s, and ran Brumos Motorsport after the premature death of her husband, Peter Gregg, in 1980.

The Greggs first met at a party, and initially bonded over a late-night road race they held with friends. Deborah had never actually raced. Peter competed internationally, as well as owning four car dealerships.

Their relationship progressed quickly, and they married within a few months. However, just five months after they met, Peter drove out into the desert and shot himself. He had changed his will in favour of Deborah, and left her a note telling her not to blame herself for what he had done.

She was now a widow, and went through the normal grieving processes, but she was also, now, a very wealthy woman, with the resources at hand to go racing, an ambition she had always harboured. According to her mother, she had been interested in cars since the age of five.

Her first IMSA event, in 1982, was the Daytona Finale. She drove a Porsche 924 with Elliot Forbes-Robinson. They were 22nd overall, and eleventh in the GTO class.

In 1983, she started racing for the Brumos team, which now technically belonged to her, as it had been owned by Peter since 1965. Hurley Haywood, a former team-mate of Peter’s, was on hand to help. Deborah ran a Porsche 924 for an all-female team of herself, Bonnie Henn and Kathy Rude. Their first event together was the Daytona 24 Hours, and they were thirteenth overall. The trio reunited for the Sebring 12 Hours, in which they were 35th. Deborah and Kathy then did the next three rounds of the IMSA series together, with a best finish of 17th, at Charlotte.

Mid-season, Deborah travelled to Germany for the Nürburgring Grand Prix. She shared a car with Lili Reisenbichler and Jürgen Hamelmann, but they did not finish. Back at home, she did the last two rounds of IMSA in two different Porsches 924s, driving alongside Elliot Forbes-Robinson and George Drolsom.

1984 was a much quieter season. She raced with the El Salvador team, in another 924. Her team-mates were Jim Trueman and Alfredo Mena. They were meant to do the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours together, but Deborah never got to race at Sebring. The team did not finish either race anyway.

1985 saw her back in a Brumos car for the Road America Trans Am round. This time, it was a Buick Regal. She was 23rd. She also drove an Alba AR4 for Malibu in the Watkins Glen 500km, and was fifteenth.

She returned to IMSA in 1986, driving a Tiga GT286. For Daytona, she was part of a four-driver Rinzler Motoracing team with Mike Brockman, Steve Durst and Jim Trueman. They qualified in 28th place, but the car’s engine failed. Sharing with Jeff Kline, Deborah was eleventh at Laguna Seca, then ninth at Charlotte, with Jim Trueman. This was her best finish of the year. Later in the season, the car was taken over by Brumos. This particular team’s best result was a twelfth place at Palm Beach, before another Tiga was brought in, which did not run as well.

Her fourth Daytona 24 Hours was the best of her career. She got a ride in a Roush Racing Ford Mustang, with Scott Pruett, Scott Goodyear and Bobby Akin. They were ninth overall, third in class. This was more remarkable considering that they were unable to set a qualifying time, and started from the back of the grid.

Deborah remained a Roush driver for the rest of the season, and tackled the Trans-Am series in a Mercury Capri. This car seemed to suit her. She was eighth in her first race at Long Beach. By the third round at Portland, she was into the top five. Her first podium happened at Road America, and was quickly followed by another third place at Memphis. She was fifth in the championship, and won the Rookie of the Year award.

In 1988, she joined up with another Roush driver, Lyn St. James. They drove a Mercury Capri at Daytona with Mark Martin and Pete Halsmer, but crashed out quite late on. Deborah and Lynn had more success as a duo, finishing eighth at the Sebring 12 Hours in a Mercury Merkur XR4Ti. They were second in the GTO class.

Deborah had not always had such good relationships with other female drivers. Shortly before her 1988 Daytona run, she had appeared on a speaking panel with Janet Guthrie, who said, in front of her, “as for Deborah Gregg, I don't know how much money Peter Gregg left her, but it was evidently enough for her to buy herself a ride.'' It is unclear what her grudge was, or what the context of her remarks was. Others were more complementary. Including former team-mate Elliot Forbes-Robinson, who praised her progress that year.

Deborah’s Trans-Am season was not quite as strong as her 1987 run, although she remained a solid competitor. Her best result was at Detroit, where she was fifth in the Merkur. This was one of four top-tens she earned that year.

During her time at Roush, Deborah also did some truck racing in a Mitsubishi and a Jeep Comanche, although results are proving hard to track down. Lyn St. James used a Ford Ranger.

After the 1988 season, Deborah took a break from racing, although she came back to Trans-Am in a Chevrolet Camaro, in 1991. She was 18th in the 1991 championship, and tenth in 1992. A part-season in 1993 gave her a 21st place.

Her last IMSA race also occurred in 1993. She was twelfth at Miami, in her self-entered Camaro.

Shortly afterwards, she sold her interest in Brumos, and concentrated on other things, including family.

(Image copyright Mark Windecker)

Monique Proulx

Monique with the BMW 2002

Monique Proulx was a Québécois driver who raced mostly in Canada in the 1970s.

She was born in 1947, and had a rather shaky start in life, contracting polio at the age of three, which meant that she had difficulty walking until she was a teenager. Initially, she worked as a teacher. This came to a temporary halt at the end of 1965, when she found herself with a baby son, Stéphane. As a single mother, she continued to work, but now as a model and actress. In 1971, she appeared in several Canadian TV adverts, including one for tights. She also owned a local chain of beauty salons.

She began racing in 1971, after becoming romantically involved with Jacques Fortin, who raced at club level. They shared a BMW 2002, and Monique also raced a Datsun 240Z. She started out in novice races, and often made the podium. She finished as runner-up in a Canadian Production endurance championship in the Datsun. Her start in motorsport apparently followed a court battle with the Canadian Auto Sports Club, which had vetoed her international license being awarded. Early in her career, she had a female rival, Louise Roberge. The press were keen to publicise their apparent dislike of one another.

In 1972, she bought her first single-seater, a second-hand 1600cc Formula Ford. This car was far more expensive to run than the BMW, so she continued to share her boyfriend’s car, making only a few appearances. In the BMW, she was eighth in the Sanair Trans-Am race.

Another run in the Sanair Trans-Am race in 1973, in the same car, led to a fourteenth place. She was the top Canadian finisher.

After some Formula Ford and Formula Vee races, she raised her single-seater game in 1974, and took the step up to Formula Atlantic. In her first season, she became the first woman to qualify for a race at the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, although it was a support race, rather than Formula One. This year, she raced Alan Karlberg’s car, with sponsorship from Kimberly-Clark.

Back in a saloon, she was the first, and still the only, woman to win a mixed race at Catamount Speedway. She was racing in Ministocks.

She competed in Formula Atlantic between 1974 and 1979, once scoring a pole position in 1976. Due to sponsorship pressures, she did not complete as full season during this time. In 1975, she was sponsored by New Freedom, a new brand of sanitary towels, which was somewhat shocking in the male-dominated world of motor racing. Driver and commentator David Hobbs is meant to have joked, “I’m only worried it will rain and the damn car will swell and not get between the guardrails!” 

Monique was quite successful in getting innovative sponsorship deals, albeit short-term ones. She was apparently the first female driver to be sponsored by a tobacco company, although the details of this are proving hard to find. This was probably due to her TV work, which included acting, stunts and being a “traffic girl” in a helicopter. In 1976, she appeared on the Canadian version of “Superstars”, but was not among the leading sportswomen.

Later, she also raced a Chevrolet Camaro. In 1979, she did at least one race in Trans-Am, at Trois-Rivières, finishing eighteenth.

Her son, Stéphane, was also a racing driver. She retired from the circuits in 1980, in order to support him in his own racing activities. He was a contemporary of Jacques Villeneuve and was tipped as one to watch. He died in 1993, from head injuries complicated by advanced HIV.

Monique died in 2012, aged 65.

(Image from http://www.catamountstadium.com/mini_stock_competitors.htm)

Amy Ruman

Amy with the Corvette in 2015

Amy Ruman races in Trans-Am in the United States. In 2015, she made history by becoming the first woman to win the Trans-Am championship.

Before Trans-Am, Amy was a multiple SCCA Regional champion, and has been active on circuits since 1995, after a couple of seasons of autocross and Solo. She is from a motorsport family, who race as a team: Ruman Racing. Her father, Bob, is a stalwart of the Trans-Am championship. Amy’s elder sister, Niki, also raced on and off.

Among the series Amy raced in was the SCCA Spec Racer Ford championship, sharing the car with Niki and their father for the endurance races. Her performances in SRF in 1998 were enough to catch the attention of Lyn St. James, and both sisters were invited to join the Women’s Global GT Series for 1999. That year, Niki was the faster of the two, and Amy found the races rather hard going. She was thirteenth in the championship.

Her second season of the WGGTS was somewhat more successful. She had a best finish of sixth, at Sebring, and was tenth in the championship. However, the series was cancelled at the end of the season, so there were no more chances for Amy to carry on improving.

After another season in Spec Racer Ford, Amy branched out into GT-1 racing in 2002, driving the family GT-1 Corvette. She finished third in an SCCA race at Sebring, one of her best tracks.

Her second season in GT-1 racing proved that she had found her niche. She was in the top five for every race, and scored her first win, at Beverun.

After managing runner-up spots in previous years, she won her divisional GT-1 championship in 2006 and retained it in 2007. During the 2007 season, she scored five wins in seven races.

In 2005, she had begun doing some Trans-Am racing, after substituting for her father in a race he was scheduled to drive. The race was at Cleveland, and she was tenth. Her second Trans-Am race, at Topeka in 2006, gave her a fifth place.

The Trans-Am championship itself did not run for a few seasons, and when it did reappear in 2009, Amy was part of it. Her best finish was third, at Road Atlanta, in her first race of five. Another part-season in 2010 saw her consolidate her top-three credentials, with three thirds from six races

In 2011, she committed fully to Trans-Am, and won her first race, the last round of the season at Road Atlanta. This was the first win in the series for a female driver. Three further third places were enough for third in the championship.

In 2012, she won in Trans-Am twice, at New Jersey and Brainerd. Five more races ended in podium finishes; she was only out of the top three for three of her seven races. She was second overall in the championship, and was now one of the leading drivers of the series.

She ran in Trans-Am again in 2013, but could not manage a win, although she put together enough of a challenge to finish fourth in the championship. Her best finishes were two third places, at Brainerd and Sebring.

Amy was very successful in 2014, notching up another two wins, and coming third in the 2014 championship. The first victory came from her first pole position, at New Jersey, and her second, at Daytona, was the first win for an individual female driver in a professional race at the circuit.

She made even more history in 2015, by winning the championship outright, with eight race victories from twelve starts. This was a completely dominant performance, and she was 34 points (and five wins) ahead of her nearest rival.

Amy still drives the Ruman Racing Corvette. She defended her title in 2016, after winning three races and scoring three more podium finishes. 

She did not manage to make it three in a row in 2017, and had to settle for third place. Her best finishes were a pair of seconds at Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta. Contact between her Corvette and cars from other classes was a problem this year. 

In 2018, she had a solid year and finished fifth in Trans Am, now running as the Chase for the Trigon Trophy. She picked up two thirds and one second place, the second coming from Indianapolis, but she was not able to secure another win. Winner Ernie Francis Jr's dominant form kept her off the top spot.

She was third in the 2019 Trigon Trophy, with more consistent results and a best finish of third at Road Atlanta.

Despite motor racing being limited in some places in 2020 due to coronavirus, Amy did the whole Trans Am season in her Corvette. She was fourth in the championshipm with one second place at Brainerd and two thirds at Sebring and Virginia. In 2021, she added another podium finish to her impressive list, coming third at Watkins Glen. She was fifth in the TA championship.

There were no more wins in 2022, but a trio of podium finishes and a consistent overall performance gave her third in the championship. This was repeated in 2023, when she had a best finish of fourth at Road America in her Corvette.

The Corvette came out again for the 2024 Trans Am season and Amy was back on the podium, finishing third at Sebring, Virginia and Road America. She was fourth overall.

(Image from http://americancarsamericangirls.com/)

Female Drivers in National Sportscar Racing, After 1950

Francesca Pardini

This post profiles female drivers in national-level sportscar racing, from club level to domestic GT championships. It includes Caterham racing. Belgian sportscar drivers are likely to be found in the Belcar post. Due to the high number of female drivers in French domestic series, they have their own post, here. British drivers in this category can now be found here, and drivers from the Nordic countries, here. Sybil Lupp, and other contemporary New Zealand drivers, can be found here. Renee Gracie now has her own post, as do Angelique Detavernier, Ivana Giustri Laura Kraihamer, Luisa Rezzonico, Lisa Caceres, Lisa Clark and Chantal Kroll.

Solenn Amrouche - races a Vortex sports prototype in Europe. Her first full season in sportscars was in 2023, and she was a class runner-up in the Spanish GT Endurance championship. She shared the car with her father, Lionel Amrouche, and won one race outright. They were fourth in the championship, having never finished lower than fourth. As well as the Ultimate Cup, Solenn shared the Vortex with Lorina Padovani for the Ultimate Cup, finishing as class runner-up twice. She also took part in the Barcelona 24 Hours with three male team-mates, finishing sixth in class. She began her career in the Mitjet series and also raced a Porsche with her father. She continued to compete for the Vortex team in 2024, in the Spanish Endurance Championship and in the 24H Series European championship, where she picked up a class win. She also raced a Porsche in the 992 class.

Antonella Bassani - former karter who won her first senior race in 2023. She joined the Porsche Sprint Challenge Brasil and won her first race at Goiania, following a pole position and second place at Velo Citta earlier in the season. At the end of the year, she had won her class and finished third overall in the championship. In 2024, she returned to Porsches in the Carrera Cup, winning four races and coming within a whisker of winning the championship. Aged 17, 2023 was her first full season, although she did some races in the Brazilian Turismo championship in 2022, driving a Chevrolet run by Abreu Motors. She won her class twice. She also tried an Audi RS3 in a guest appearance in the 2022 TCR South America championship. Before switching to cars, she raced karts internationally and was a finalist in the FIA Girls on Track competition.

Piera Bertoletti – raced a series of Alfa Romeos in Europe, between 1957 and 1961. Her first major competition car seems to have been a Giulietta, a version of which she used in the 1957 Targa Florio. She finished the event in 117^th place. She normally used Giulietta models, including a Sprint Zagato, but occasionall raced a Zagato-bodied Abarth 500. In this car, she was fifth in the GT500 Coppa Sant Ambroeus in 1959. She was particularly recognised for her efforts in airport-based races at Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. At Innsbruck, she qualified on pole for the 1960 Preis von Tirol, but did not finish.

Eileen Bildman - races a Ferrari in the US Ferrari Challenge. She first competed in the series in 2018, when she was thirteenth in the 458 Challenge, picking up three top-ten finishes at the end of the season. She moved up to the Coppa Shell in 2019 and was fourteenth. Her best finishes were two seventh places at Indianapolis and Mugello, as well as a ninth spot at Mugello. She returned to the Coppa Shell for the 2020 season, supported by Ferrari of Long Island as before. The partnership continued in 2020 and Eileen was 18th in the championship, having missed three of the later races. Her best finish was an eighth place at Indianapolis, which was also one of her best circuits in 2021; she was seventh there, and at Watkins Glen. She was 18th in the championship. She was seventh in the Coppa Shell in 2022, with a best finish of sixth at Daytona.

Nadeene Brengle – raced Alfa Romeos in SCCA competitions in the 1960s. She was given a car, a Giulia, by Alfa Romeo USA to race in 1964. To start with, she took part in Ladies’ races in Florida in a Cooper, in 1961, before moving on to a Fiat-Abarth Zagato , then the first of a series of Alfas in 1963. In 1967, she made history by becoming the first female driver to start from pole in an SCCA National Runoff. She fought her way back from last after a first lap incident with another car, and finished second.

Balba Camino (Gonzalez Camino) - successful Spanish GT racer in her domestic series, winning in 2000 with Miguel Angel de Castro. Their car was a The duo also won the GTA class in 2003, finishing first or second in every race they entered. Their car was a SEAT Toledo GT. Despite a couple of wins in a Lister Storm in 2002, they could not manage an overall win. In Spain, Balba has raced single-seaters, touring cars and historics. Internationally, she raced in Formula Nissan 2000 in 1999. Later, she did one race for Chamberlain in the LMES in 2005, the Silverstone round. Her team-mate was Amanda Stretton, and they could not finish in their Lola. Balba now works as an artist, but she came out of retirement in 2014. She was the winner of the Prototype race at the Maxi Endurance 32h, held at the Algarve circuit. She was part of a team of six. She was also third in the Sport race, in a SEAT Leon.

Olga Carless – raced an Alfa Romeo Giulietta in the 1958 Venezuela Grand Prix. She was 29^th overall, third in class. Her entry was noted as “Señora Olga”. That year, Olga also competed in a race at Maracay el Limon, in Venezuela, and was fourth, out of seven drivers. She was married to another racer, Giorgio Carless, and may well have entered other races.

Stephanie Cemo - raced in the 2019 UA Lamborghini Super Trofeo. She competed in the LB Cup and has a best finish of second at Watkins Glen, sharing the car with Ashton Harrison. She has been active in motorsport for approximately ten years, although she got her license longer ago than that and has worked as an instructor. Her usual cars have been Chevrolet Corvettes, mainly used with considerable success in Time Attack events, although she has also competed in SCCA and NASA championships, winning several races.

Bobbie Ann Cooper - racer and racing instructor in the mid-1970s. In 1976, she took part in a Toyota Celebrity Match Race supporting the US Grand Prix West and finished second, behind journalist Don Sherman and ahead of Janet Guthrie. Reports at the time stated that she held a G Production lap record at Riverside and that she had had to take a year out of racing in 1975 due to lacking her own car and crew. Later that year, she took part in a Celebrity Race for Charity, driving a Toyota Celica with streamers on its aerial to mark her out as one of three female drivers.

LaVone Daily - Kansas resident who raced sportscars in the 1960s. Her usual car was a Triumph TR3. In 1964, she seems to have had her best finish: fourth in an SCCA National race at Lake Garnett. In 1965, she qualified for the SCCA Road Racing Championship in the TR3, but the results are not forthcoming. Away from the track, she worked as a lawyer and served as a judge. She died in 2017.

Jocelyne Gaborit - raced in the inaugural season of the Coupe de l’Avenir in France in 1976. This was a budget series for sportscars based on the Simca 1300. Jocelyne raced alongside her husband, Yves. Both were involved in the creation of the series and its management. Jocelyne only appears to have competed in the first season, although she stayed involved in an organisational capacity. 

Elisa Giordan - Italian driver who has competed in Italy and Spain. She drove in the Italian Prototype Cup at some point, before coming ninth in the 2004 Italian Superstars touring car series. The following year, she won the Italian Mazda RX-8 Cup. She moved to Spain in 2007 and drove a Ferrari F430 GT2 car in the Spanish GT championship. Driving with Lorenzo Bontempelli and Giorgio Mondini, she was fifth, after two wins at Jerez and Albacete. After that, she does seem to have raced in Italy, although details of her activities are not forthcoming. They may have involved hillclimbing: she competed in climbs in an Osella in 2002 and 2003.

Marybeth Harrison - Canadian who raced sportscars and saloons from the 1990s onwards. She is most famous for her runs in the Trans Am championship in 2000, driving a Chevrolet Camaro. Her best finish from four races was thirteenth at Laguna Seca. She made a few more appearances in 2002 and 2003. Prior to this, she competed in Formula 1600 in Canada and won some trophies, as well as trying Formula 2000. In common with many female racers of the 1990s, she was a member of the PPG CART Pace Car team. 

Anneliese Hartenau – Chilean-born driver who was the winner of the first Sport Limited Speed race in Buenos Aires in 1960, driving a Porsche-engined Gordini. The series was for older Grand Prix cars. She had begun racing another Porsche not long before, in 1959, in her adopted homeland of Argentina. Later, she raced an NSU Prinz in Argentina, with some success. Her motorsport activities included the marathon rallies held in the Andes. As well as driving herself, she worked as a race mechanic, and was part of Juan Manuel Fangio’s crew for quite some time.

Alexandra Irmgartz - has been racing a Porsche in Germany since 2010. She won the Junior title in her first year in the Special Touring Car Trophy (STT), and defended it in 2011, as well as finishing fourth overall in the series. Again, she defended her Junior title, and her fourth place, in 2012. In 2013, she only had a part-season in the STT, although she still managed to win the Junior class again. She was now racing her 964 in the Porsche Club Historic Challenge, and was on the pace very quickly. She scored two podiums in her first season. In 2014, she won the championship outright, finishing on the podium in eleven out of the fifteen races. A part-season in the PCHC in 2015 brought more success in the 964, with seven wins and one second place, from nine races. Her PCHC was not quite as stellar in 2016, but she still managed one win, at Hockenheim, and eight further podium finishes. 

Nina Jerančič – Slovenian driver who had a long and successful time in karting, before going to Italy to start her senior racing career, after a spell in Austria in 1993, in Formula Ford, when she was 16. She began in Formula Campus, as well as other junior single-seater formulae, and also did some guest appearances in one-make cups, as well as one round of the Porsche Supercup, at Zeltweg, in 1999. After more years in karting, she started racing Ferraris in 2004, in the Shell Cup. She started off quite cautiously, but by 2007, was good enough to finish second in the championship, in an F430. She returned to the championship in 2008, and was seventh overall. She does not appear to have competed since then.  

Shirley van Kleeck - raced an Austin Healey Sprite in SCCA H-Production events in the 1960s. She raced alongside Arlene Lanzieri, who later found fame as Arlene Hiss, before Arlene moved away to marry. They had a pair of Sprites which they raced as “The Female Racing Team”. The team was active throughout 1966 and Shirley was competitive in her regional class, despite rolling her car at Lime Rock. It was her first season in racing.

Jeff (Lois) Koehne - raced in SCCA events in the US in the 1950s and early 1960s. She drove a number of cars over the years, including an Allard, Jaguar, Siata and a Chevrolet Corvette. She won her first race in the Jaguar in 1955, a ladies’ race at Walterboro. Later in the 1960s, she occasionally raced an Alfa Romeo Giulietta and even tried out a Formula Vee single-seater in 1963, at the Jim Bowie Sportscar Races in Louisiana. Jeff’s name was actually Lois; it is unclear where her nickname came from. She was from Texas and married to George, another racer.

Christina Lam - races a BMW E46 M3 in NASA and SCCA Majors events in the USA. She has been active in circuit racing since 2016 and this is her second BMW. In 2019, she secured podium finishes in at least three SCCA Majors races, at Pittsburgh and Mid-Ohio. She recorded more top tens in the SCCA National Runoffs and on the Hoosier Tour in 2020 and 2021. In 2025, she stepped up to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, racing a TCR-spec Audi RS3. She was inspired to start competing by a visit to the Nurburgring in 2012, and started gaining experience of the circuits through autocross, track days and the NASA Time Trial series.

Donna Sue Landon - raced in the SCCA Escort Endurance Championship in 1986 and 1987. Her first car was a Honda CRX, which she shared as part of a mixed team, enjoying some Class B success. In 1987, she was one of an all-female roster driving a Saleen Mustang, with Lisa Caceres and Desire Wilson. Donna Sue subbed for Desire in some of the lower-profile events. Earlier in her career, she raced in the Showroom Stock category from at least 1983, in cars including the Honda CRX.

Carina Lima - raced in the Portuguese GT championship in 2012. Her car was a Ferrari F430, run by Oasis Motosport, and she competed in the GT Cup class. Out of her six races, her best result came at Jarama, the last round, where she was eighth. With her team-mate, Luis Reis, she was thirteenth in the championship, and third in the GT Cup class. Although she intended to return to the series in 2013, she does not seem to have raced again. In 2014, she raced in the Lamborghini Trofeo, finishing tenth in the Amateur class. She entered the Trofeo again in 2015, and won the Gallardo Am class three times, at Monza and Paul Ricard. She and Andrea Palma won their class outright. She raced a Lamborghini Huracan in the Italian GT Championship in 2016, with Andrea Palma. Her best finish was ninth, at Mugello. 

Valerie Limoges - raced in the Koni Grand-Am Challenge, in the States, in 2007. She debuted in the series in 2006, having driven karts, Formula Renault and touring cars, coming fourth in the Hankook Touring Car Series in 2004. Her Grand-Am car was a Ford Mustang prepared by Black Forest. During the season, she had many mechanical problems to deal with, although she proved herself capable of running in the top ten. After 2007, her sponsorship was withdrawn and she has been unable to race, although she did make one guest appearance in Canadian Touring Cars in 2012. In 2015 and 2016, she raced in the Canadian Nissan Micra Cup, finishing fifth overall both times.She was fourth in the 2017 Micra Cup, with several third places, despite being disqualified once and put on probation. In 2018, she was fourth in the championship after becoming the first female driver to win a race in the series, at Mosport Park. She won two races in 2019 and was third in the championship. In 2021, she was sixth in the Nissan Sentra Cup in Canada. She won the 2022 Sentra Cup, despite not winning any races outright. She was second at Mont Tremblant.

Carmen Lista – raced in IMSA in the 1980s, after competing in the late 1970s in US sportscar events. She always drove Chevrolet cars, and her first big races were at Daytona, in 1976. She drove a Corvette in the Daytona 250 Miles, and was 39^th, with “Bean”. The following year, in the same race, she was 62^nd, driving solo. A final appearance in the 250 Mile race in 1978 led to a 19^th place, again as a single driver, in Debra Tribiano’s Corvette. In 1983, she reappears in the entry lists, driving a Camaro in IMSA races. She was 47^th in that year’s Sebring 12 Hours, with Bobby Diehl, David Marks and Roy Newsome, with Diehl’s team.  

Rhea Loucas - Cypriot driver who races sportscars, mainly in Europe. She did some rounds of the GT Cup in the UK in 2022, driving a Porsche Cayman for the Valluga team with Charlie Hollings. She has also competed in the 24H Series, winning her class in the 2023 Dubai 24H for Dragon Racing/ROFGO. Her car this time was a Mercedes-AMG GT4. In 2022, she drove the Porsche in the Hockenheim 12H. Away from the track, she is an entrepreneur in the video game industry. 

Mia Lovell - made her Trans Am debut in 2025, driving a Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang in the TA2 class. Between her first and second races, she improved her result from 33rd to 13th. Before that, she raced in the Toyota GR Cup North America, beginning in 2023. In her second season, 2024, she was twelfth in the championship, with a best finish of sixth at Sonoma. She recorded several top-ten finishes for the Colin Crabbe team. Away from motorsport, she is also a professional skateboarder.

Joke Maasland - Dutch driver who raced in Europe from the age of eighteen. She raced a Ferrari 250 Monza at Zandvoort in 1954, finishing one International Sportscar heat second in class before crashing out of the second. She was competing alongside her brother Hans. Earlier, she had raced a BMW 328 Cotura with her father. She also used this car in rallies and shared it with Carel Godin de Beaufort on the 1952 Fakkel Rally which ran between Eindhoven and Bayeux.

Vittoria Maffi – raced in Italy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She is most associated with Alfa Romeo, having competed in the 1959 Coppa Ambroeus in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce. She was ninth in the race. The following year, she shared a Fiat 500 with Alma Cacciandra, and was 31^st in the Coppa Ascari. She had owned the Alfa since 1956, so may have done some earlier races, possibly in the women-only circuit that existed in Italy at the time. 

Tania Mann – Australian driver who races in the UK. She began competing in 2011, in the Lotus Cup, after doing track days in her own Porsche. 2012 was her first full season, and she drove in the Porsche Carrera Cup. Her best overall finish was twelfth, at Donington, but she was one of the leaders of the Pro-Am class, and was second, with four wins. After a year spent putting together sponsorship, she took part in some rounds of the British GT Championship in 2014, in a Ginetta G55. She was fourth and sixth at Oulton Park and seventh at Rockingham, partnering Jade Edwards for one race.  

Mary McGee - most famous as a motorcyclist, this Alaskan driver started off in sportscars before winning titles in road racing and motocross. She raced cars between 1957 and 1964, including a Mercedes 300SL, Chevrolet Corvette, Ferrari 250 and several Porsches. Over the years, she raced a 356, 550 and 718, in which she was very successful in ladies’ races. She won four of these in 1961, in Las Vegas, Tucson and Santa Barbara. Later, she also raced in the open classes of SCCA competition, mainly in California.

Paige Monette (Alexander) - American driver who races sportscars in the USA, in the Trans-Am series. She has been active in club racing since 2004, starting with dirt-track events, and began racing sportscars in 2007, when she contested the GT1 class of the National Championships. Her car was a Chevrolet Corvette, run by her family team. In 2008, she managed her first podium position in this championship, and was ninth overall. In 2010, she moved up to the SCCA Trans-Am series, still driving alongside her brothers, and finished in 30th, after a limited programme. In 2012, she stepped up to the national Trans-Am championship, entering selected races. Paige is notable for being one of the only drivers of Native American origin racing in the States.

Angela M. Negrão da Cunha - Portuguese racer active in GT racing in Portugal and Spain in 2012. She drove a Lotus Evora Cup in four rounds of the Portuguese championship, with Joffrey Didier, with a best finish of ninth, at Braga. Her best result in the Spanish series was also ninth, at Jarama, in the same car, with Didier and Nuno Batista. She does not appear to have competed again after 2012, and it looks to have been her first and only racing season.

Elouise Norris – raced in SCCA events in the 1960s. Rather unusually, she favoured European cars, and she came on the scene in 1963, driving an Alfa Romeo Giulietta to third place at Midland, with her boss, Dave Dooley. At 42, she was a rather late starter. In 1964 and 1965, she raced a Triumph TR3, competing in the American Road Race of Champions twice, with a best finish of eighth in 1964. In 1966, she used both a Lotus Cortina and a Datsun 1500, belonging to Dooley. The Cortina was her car for Trans-Am races. During her six-year career, she took part in the ARRC five times. Her best result was a second place in 1967, driving a Mini. She was bestowed with many awards by the SCCA, including the 1968 Oklahoma Driver of the Year. After retiring from active competition, she served as a steward and SCCA committee member, earning more accolades for her work. She died in 2012.

Rianna O’Meara-Hunt - races GT cars in New Zealand. She started in the Toyota 86 one-make series in 2022, after a long karting career. She still combines racing cars with karts. It was not a full season in the Toyota, but it was enough for her to progress to the NZ GT championship in 2023, driving a Porsche Cayman GT4. She was also chosen for a race seat in the GT4 America series, as part of the Heart of Racing scholarship that got her into senior motorsport. This was in an Aston Martin Vantage GT4, in the Winter series. She was third, fourth and second in class in her three races. In the NZ series, she was fifth and 15th in two rounds at Taupo. She did not finish the third.

Francesca Pardini - Italian Prototype title-winner in 2001, and runner-up in 2000 and 2002. Her car in 2001 was a Lucchini-Alfa Romeo. She came to England to race in Formula Palmer Audi in 2004, and was a regular fixture in the top ten. In between, she did more Prototype racing and entered the Ferrari Challenge and Clio Cup in Italy. At some point in 2004, she returned to Italy for some Prototype races. Her low final position suggests she only took part in a few races. Her activities since 2004 are unclear. During 2005, she took part in at least one VW Fun Cup event as part of a ladies’ team, driving with Fun Cup regular Sabine Dubois and touring car racer Valentina Albanese. This appears to have been a limited programme. In 2018, she reappeared as a driving instructor, the only female race instructor in Saudi Arabia and the only one to take on female pupils.

Nancy Pierce - raced an Austin-Healey 100 in the United States in the late 1950s. She mainly raced in Florida between 1957 and 1959 and she also travelled to the Bahamas for Nassau Speed Week in 1956, where she was seventh in a Ladies’ heat. Her American racing took in both Ladies’ and mixed events, mostly in the production classes. Her best result was a sixth place at Venice in 1959. According to a Florida newspaper article from 1959, Nancy worked as a commercial artist, set designer and window dresser. She travelled extensively in Europe to paint and acquired one of her Healeys in London. One of these Healeys was a 100-M Le Mans prototype.

Vivian Publicker - raced a Ferrari 250 GT in 1960 and 1961, alongside her husband, Robert, both in Florida and the Bahamas. Her first big race in the car was in December 1960, when she was fourth in a ladies' race at the Nassau Speed Week. She had her first success in April 1961, winning a novices' race at Masters Field in Miami. She later competed at Bartow in SCCA events and at Sebring, but disappears later in the year. She and Robert appear to have owed a lot of money to people and Vivian was later arrested for driving without a road traffic license.

Danijela Radulovic - raced a KTM X-Bow in Austria and Europe, in the X-Bow Battle series. Her first season was 2012, and she was sixth in the Rookie standings. Her best finishes were a pair of sixth places. She did not run a full season in 2013, and was out of the points table, and the situation was similar in 2014. A good finish in the first Endurance race, with Reini Kofler, gave her a fourteenth place overall. She had entered the Sprint championship in the early part of the season, but scored no points. She appears to have raced an X-Bow in events other than Battle meetings, but details are not forthcoming. In 2015, she moved away from the X-Bow, and seems to have raced a BMW in the DMV BMW Challenge. 

Ellen Reed – raced sports and GT cars in Australia in the 1970s. She drove an MG Midget in the Australian Sports Car Championship in 1978, participating in the Calder, Lakeside and Amaroo Park events, and finishing fifteenth in the championship. Earlier, in 1975, she raced a Triumph Spitfire in the Production Sportscar championship.  She was usually the only woman in the series.

Loretta (“Tetta”) Richert - raced sportscars in the USA in the 1950s and early 1960s, normally in her native Hawaii. She was a regular at Hawaii Speed Week between 1957 and 1959, driving either a Triumph TR2 or a Porsche 550. In 1958, she won four 1600cc class races in the Porsche. The following year, she won a SCCA race for 2000cc cars in the same Porsche. In 1960, she won another race for Modified cars at Kahuku airfield, one of at least two races she did that year at that venue. Previously, as Loretta Turnbull, she raced powerboats and set water speed records. She died in 2000, aged 88.

Alice Ridpath - raced sportscars and saloons in the 1980s. She shared a Saleen Mustang with Lisa Caceres for 1986, racing in the Escort Endurance series. Previously, she raced historics, including an Austin Healey, and worked as a test driver for a Ford Mustang project. She was also one of the PPG Pace Car Team which provided safety car drivers and gave precision driving displays at Indycar events. 

Isabell Rustad - Norwegian driver who is one of the front-runners in the Scandinavian Porsche Sprint Challenge, winning it in 2024. She was fourth and third in her first championship races at Anderstorp in 2022, despite never having driven a GT3 car before. Her best result was a second place at Falkenberg, achieved twice. The same year, she made two guest appearances in the GT4 class at Rudskogen, scoring two class podiums. She was fourth in the 2023 championship, with six podium finishes. This became fourt wins in 2024. Previously, she raced a Peugeot 206 and was active in karting. She is the daughter of Tommy Rustad.

Molly Saleen - raced in the Saleen Cup in the USA. This is a one-make series for the Saleen S1 sportscar and Molly shares her car with Johan Schwartz for the endurance rounds. Previously, she raced karts, Legends cars and Late Model stock cars. She is in charge of Saleen’s retail operation as her day job, as well as being involved in visual aspects of car and merchandise design. Saleen’s “MollyPop” paint scheme and merchandise line was created by her. She is the daughter of company founder Steve Saleen.

Sharlene Seavey - raced in SCCA events in the 1960s. She drove an Austin-Healey Sprite in 1967. In 1969, she is said to have won four SCCA races out of thirteen that she entered. This was presumably in the Sprite. Sharlene is best known for her membership of the Ring Free Motor Maids team, and practised with them for the 1970 Sebring 12 Hours in a Sebring Sprite. She did not take part in the race itself. Further details about her career are proving very hard to find.

Birgitt Schmack - a graduate of the Ford Fiesta Ladies Cup in 1985. She was not among the front-runners, and was 17th overall. That year, she also took part in the Porsche Club Trophy in Germany, driving a 911. She was second in the Ladies’ standings,  winning at least one ladies’ race, or ladies’ class in a race, possibly at Hockenheim. She continued in Porsche club motorsport in 1986, driving in the Porsche 944 Turbo Cup. She was not overly competitive, and finished out of the top twenty.

Agata (Agi) Smolka - Polish driver who races a Ferrari 488 in the Ferrari Challenge Europe. She was fourth in the Coppa Shell amateur class in 2018 with two runner-up spots as her best finishes, plus a pole position at Mugello which led to a fifth place. 2018 was her first season of competition and the 488 is her first racing car. Her second Ferrari Challenge season ended in a second place in the Am class, with three wins and three seconds. She was third Amateur driver at the Coppa Shell finals, held at Mugello.

Priscilla Speelman - winner of the Sport 1 class of the Dutch Supercar Challenge in 2012. She won eight out of her fourteen races and was only out of the top three on three occasions. Her co-driver for the series was John van der Voort. This was her first senior racing season, and previously, she had a long career in karting. This included three seasons in Superkarts, culminating in an International Championship victory in 2011. Her racing programme was smaller in 2013, but she managed two second places in in the PR1 division of Supercar Superlights, driving a Praga R1 prototype, and another win in the SR3 class, in a Radical. She ran five races overall, and made the podium in all of them. In 2014, she joined the Acceleration MW-V6 Pickup Series for its second half. She was quite competitive, with a sixth place at Monza. She was 21st overall. In 2015, she raced in the Supercar Challenge again, in a SEAT Leon run by Ferry Monster Autosport. She had a mixed season in the championship, but her real highlight was a win in the Oschersleben 24 Hours, driving with Ferry and Robin Monster, Pim Kievit and Theunis van der Grifft. She was fifth in the Supersport Division in 2016, driving Jan van der Kooi's Lotus. In 2017, she was eighth in the Supersport Division 1 championship, driving a SEAT Leon run by Ferry Monster's team. She was partnered by Danny Kroes for the two-driver events. She drove a Lotus again in the 2018 Supercar Challenge (Supersport 1). She was seventh, with three second places and one third. In 2020, she did a part season for the Monster team, driving a VW Golf. Her best finish was a fourth at Zandvoort. She was back in the Supercar Challenge in 2022, racing a VW Golf with Jonas de Kimpe. They were fifth overall. In 2023, she contested the Supersport 2 class in the Golf and finished second, winning eight times.

Emilee Tominovich - started racing in 2010, at the age of 18. She began in SCCA events, in her own Pontiac Solstice, and recorded her first race wins in 2011. In 2012, she was signed up by the TrueCar team, who were putting together an all-female driver lineup. She raced in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, and was tenth overall in her first season, managing two top-ten positions after finishing last in her first race. In 2013, she returned to the Cup on a part-time basis, with different sponsors. The following year, she moved into the Pirelli World Challenge, in the Touring class, driving a Volkswagen Jetta. She was fourth and sixth at New Jersey, and eighth and fifth at Mid-Ohio. In 2017, she drove a Honda Civic, and was fourth in the championship with one third place, at Mosport. Initially, she only got interested in motorsport because she was injured and unable to play football any more.

Germana Tognella - Italian driver who competes in the Ferrari Challenge in Europe. Her career began in 2021 and her Ferrari 488 Challenge car is her first racing machine. Competing in the Am category of the Coppa Shell, her best finish has been a fifth place in one of her earliest races at Brno, following a sixth at Spielberg. She was previously a competitive sailor. 

Jessica Tracy - American driver who races in the American Endurance Racing series. She began her career in club competition in 2015 and then founded a team for the AER with her husband Justin. They ran a number of different cars including a Mazda Miata and a BMW E46 M3. She started driving for the team in 2017 and picked up a class win in her first season. At the end of 2022, she joined the Random Vandals team to race their BMW M2 in the AER and in the US TC series. With co-drivers Alyx Coby and Michael Kanisczak, she won an AER race at Road Atlanta at the start of the season. The TC plans appear to have been shelved.

Sita Vanmeert - Belgian driver who races mostly races sportscars. She competed in the JS2 R class in the 2024 Ligier European Series and became quite quick towards the end of the season, picking up a fourth and third place in Portugal. She was seventh in the championship, partly due to a few DNFs. This was her first season in cars. At the start of the year, she was announced as a driver in the electric Mini-based NextGen Cup, but this did not happen. She is an FIA Motorsport Games karting gold medallist.

Veronika Vanyova – Slovakian driver who raced in the Lotus Ladies’ Cup, in 2013 and 2014. Her first season yielded a sixth place overall, with a best race finish of fifth, at the Hungaroring. In the shortened 2014 series, she was fifth, with one fourth-place finish at the Red Bull Ring. In 2015, she raced in mixed competition, taking on the STC Touring Car series in and around Slovakia, and the RCM Cup, which runs throughout Eastern Europe. She has scored better results in the STC Cup, with a seventh and eighth place, at Brno. The situation was similar in 2016; she entered the D4 touring car championship and the Hankook Racer Cup. She struggled in the former, but was a leading driver in the latter, and won a race at the Hungaroring, among many podiums and top-fives. She did a couple more races in 2017, but only managed two 18th places. 

Alexandra Vateva - Bulgarian driver who races Porsche in one-make series around Europe. In 2025, she signed for the Porsche Cup Benelux, after a run in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East. She was the first woman to race in the Middle Eastern championship and was third in the Pro-Am class with six podium finishes, three of those being second places at Losail, Bahrain and Jeddah. She was a member of the Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland Talent Pool programme in 2024, having competed in the championship of that name in 2023 and 2024.  

Estelle Vermooten – races a Locost in South Africa. In 2013, she and two team-mates were tenth in the African 6 Hour at Phakisa, against much larger and more powerful cars. In 2014 and 2015, she has been racing in the Lotus Challenge in South Africa. In 2015, she got together with Freak Show Racing again, for the African 6 Hour, still in the Locost. In 2016, she drove the Locost for the TransGlobal team, and raced in the African Endurance Series. Estelle built the car herself. She raced in the Michelin Cup Challenge in 2017, earning a fifth place in the Ladies' standings. This looks to have been a part-season. In 2018, she dis at least one endurance race in South Africa. She initially competed in gymkhana events.

Margaux Verza - raced in the Alpine Elf Europa Cup in 2022. Driving for the Patrick Roger Autosport team, she was 21st in the championship. She describes 2022 as a learning year for a new car and a new championship and she improved throughout the year, posting her best result of 13th place in the final round at Monza. Her Alpine activities continued in 2023 and she was 20th in the championship, with a best finish of seventh at Dijon. She previously raced a Porsche, and returned to German power in 2024, entering the Porsche Sprint Challenge France. 

Erin Vogel - races in the Pirelli GT4 SprintX series in the USA. Her car is a McLaren 570S run by Flying Lizard Motorsport, shared with Michael Cooper. In 2020, her best results were a fourth at Virginia and a fifth place at Road America. In 2021, she became the first woman to win a round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge, driving a Mercedes AMG GT3. Her win came at Virginia in the Pro-Am class and she was also second at Sebring and Watkins Glen. She and Michael Cooper were fifth in the championship. Previously, she raced an Audi R8 LMS for the team, entering the Sonoma rounds of the GT4 Sprint series in 2018 and joining a five-woman team for the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill. She also drove in the Porsche Trophy West for Flying Lizard, winning her class. Before that, she raced Porsches and Subarus at club level. In 2022, she and Michael Cooper switched to a RealTime Racing Acura NSX for the Fanatec GT World Challenge. They were sixth in the championship after a best finish of third at Watkins Glen. In 2023, she assumed the presidency of Shift Up Now, a women's motorsport association founded by Pippa Mann.

Dinah Weisberg - races a Mazda MX5 (Miata) in the USA. She has been active in this car since 2015, competing in SCCA events, TC America and the TC class of the Pirelli World Challenge. In 2019, she won an SCCA Major Championship event outright, on her way to ninth overall. Two years earlier, in 2016, she was twelfth in the Pirelli World Challenge, her best points tally in a nationwide championship. Before the Mazda, she raced a Porsche Boxster in the Pirelli World Challenge between 2012 and 2014.

Joy Wilkerson - racing driver and actress in the USA in the 1970s. She started in an all-female “powderpuff derby” at Ascot Speedway, after having been a trophy girl in the 1960s. Most of her racing was done in midgets and sprint cars, but she also raced USAC stock cars and an SCCA Formula Ford. She took part in a Toyota Match Race which supported the US Grand Prix East, a forerunner of the Toyota Pro Celebrity Race. At around the same time, she became licensed by NASCAR for stock car racing in 1974. Although she never quite competed at the highest level, she drove the pace car for a NASCAR event in Ontario.

“Julie Wood” – competed in the KTM X-Bow Battle, based in Austria. She was part of the championship between 2012 and 2014. In 2012, she was eleventh in the Rookie standings. He following year, she was unplaced in the Battle standings. The situation was similar in 2014, although she did manage a fifteenth place in the Endurance championship, with Harduin Putrich. She does not appear to have raced since then. Her real name is unclear; “Julie Wood” is the name of a female motorcyclist in the Michel Vaillant motorsport comics.

Mary “Mickey” Wright - races in Trans Am in the USA. After competing in local “powder puff derby” events in her youth, she took up motorsport again in her forties. Between 2011 and 2013, she raced on dirt tracks, and in club-level stock car and road circuit races. She moved into Trans Am in 2012, running a part-season in the TA2 class. Another season with a couple of guest appearances followed, and this year she managed her first top ten, an eighth place at Sebring. In 2014, she joined up with Derhaag Motorsports, having secured some decent sponsorship, and did the full championship season. Her second season with Derhaag, in 2016, gave her one top-ten finish, a tenth place at Brainerd. She has used the name “Mickey” since childhood, a nickname given to her by her brothers due to her squeakiness.

Margaret (Peggy) Wyllie - raced in the US between 1953 and 1965. She started off in Ladies’ races, but was soon regularly taking part in mixed SCCA events, in a Jaguar or MG. She won eight races during her career, all Ladies’ events. In 1956, she drove in her first Sebring 12 Hour race, sharing a Lotus Mark IX with her husband, Jesse “Doc” Wyllie. They did three Sebring races together, as well as seven editions of the 500 Miles of Road America. Their best finish was sixth, in 1962, driving a Lola Mk I. In recent years, she has been working to promote and provide engineering education to female students.

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