Women in One-Make Series, Part III

Edina Bús with her SEAT Leon

The last list is of female drivers in one-make series across the rest of Europe, including the Mini Challenge. Italian drivers, Polish drivers, German drivers, Swiss drivers, Croatian drivers, Hungarian drivers and Swedish drivers can be found in their own posts. Michelle Gatting now has her own post, as do Alba Cano, Lilou Wadoux, Laia Sanz and Nathalie Maillet.

Ana Alvarez – raced in the Spanish SEAT Leon Supercopa, in 2006 and 2007 at least. In her first season, she did fifteen races, managing to score points once. She was 29^th in the championship. Her second season was only three races, and she was unable to challenge for honours. In between, in 2007, she raced the Leon in the Barcelona 24 Hours, and was tenth, as part of a four-driver team. She may well have entered the championship again in 2008, but the results are not forthcoming. She was certainly part of the Spanish endurance championship that year, and scored at least one third place.

Ana Barreras - races small cars in Spain and took part in the 2021 G Series ice racing championship in Andorra. She has been competing on circuits since 2017, mainly in one-make series and mostly in the Toyota Aygo Cup. She had a best finish of fourth at Jarama in 2020 and also came fourth in the non-championship Christmas Trophy, driving alongside her mother, former rally co-driver Ana Barbero. The two are racing in the Spanish Mini Challenge together in 2021. Although both of her parents competed in off-road events, Ana’s first attempt off-road was the 2021 G Series, driving a Ford Focus for Sandoval Racing. 

Isabelle Biela - Czech driver who raced in the Volkswagen Scirocco-R Cup in 2010, in Germany. Her best race result was thirteenth, at the Lausitzring. She was 17^th in the overall standings, and ninth in the Junior Cup. Although she has done some instruction, and has possibly been involved in classic rallying, with an Audi, she does not appear to have raced again after her debut season. Although she did have an accident at the Nürburgring, it did not seem to affect the rest of her season much, although she was not as close to the pace as she had been. Her father is sportscar racer, Frank Biela.

Caroline Candas - French driver who made her senior debut in 2021. She is a former French female karting champion who raced in the 2022 Peugeot 208 Cup, which was part of the TCA Light category in the French touring car championship. She was third in the TC Light class after two class wins at Nogaro. The following year, she was third the TC category, in a Peugeot 308. In 2024, she will race for the Rafa team in ADAC GT4, having won a female drivers' shootout for them in November 2023. Her first steps in cars were some guest appearances in the 2021 Funyo Cup, scoring a class third at Albi. She is supported by La Filiere Endurance.

Tanja Dexters – Belgian model and media personality who raced in the Mini Cooper Challenge in 2004. She was not among the front-runners, and did not race in all of the rounds. She was 43^rd overall. Her entry was linked to her participation in that year’s Miss Belgian Beauty competition. She has not raced since.

Sabine Dubois - Belgian racer who won the 2003 VW Fun Cup 24 Hours with Fanny Duchateau and Sylvie Delcour. She has been a regular in the Fun Cup throughout the 2000s and for a while, was usually one of the front-runners. After 2006, she seems to have driven for different teams and has not been quite on the pace. The 2003 team returned to the Fun Cup 25 Hours in 2008, but did not win this time. 

Zihara Esteban - Spanish driver who began her senior career in the Spanish Clio Cup in 2011, after several years as a successful karter, both on the domestic and international scene. Her first season was rather up-and-down, with a lot of DNFs, but she managed one tenth place, at Catalunya, and was 24th overall, third in the Ladies’ standings. In 2012, she spent much of the year in karting again, but she also tried out the Euro Racecar NASCAR series, recently licensed from the States. She ran at the Loire and Valencia rounds, with a best finish of thirteenth, at Valencia. 2013 continued in the same way: karting, with four races in the Euro Racecar championship, at the beginning of the season. This time, she had two top-ten finishes, tenths at Nogaro and Dijon. In 2014, she did not do much circuit racing; she took part in the Maxi Endurance 32 Hour race at the Algarve track, and third in a SEAT Leon, and fourth in a Renault Clio, driving in two teams. Her main focus was rallying, in a Ford Fiesta R2. She did seven rallies, and her best result was 15th, in the Rallye del Bierzo. That year, she did her first WRC Rally, the Catalunya event. She was 46th. In 2015, she rallied a Peugeot 208 in Spain. Her only major rally was the Comunidad de Madrid RACE Rally, which she did not finish. She came back to the Spanish rally championship in 2017, driving a Peugeot 208. She was tenth in the Ciutat de Valls Rally. A break from competition followed, then she switched to circuit racing again, doing the Valencia rounds of the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries for DF1 Racing. In 2021, she travelled to Mexico and did her first truck races in the Mikel's Trucks series. She did the first five rounds of the championship and was never out of the top ten. Her best finish was third at San Luis Potosi and she was twelfth in the championship. Staying in Mexico, she contested the 2022 Copa TC2000, driving a Ford. She was second in her first race at Queretaro and scored several more top-ten finishes. Only DNFs dropped her to twelfth in the championship. Another TC2000 season in 2023 was more successful and she won three times, on the way to championship second. 

Louise Frost - Danish driver who has been racing in the DS3 Cup since 2016. In 2017, she scored her first win in the series, near the end of the season, at Jyllandsringen. Her second-best finish was fifth, achieved twice, at Jyllandsringen and Djursland. In 2016, she picked up a Rookie of the Year award. That year, she also raced a Ferrari 458 in the Danish Endurance Championship at Padborg Park. In 2018, she moved into the Danish Supertourisme series, driving a BMW. Her best result was sixth at Rudskogen and she was 14th in the championship. 2019 brought another new car: an Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR which she used in the Danish Endurance Championship and TCR Scandinavia. She was not able to start all of the TCR rounds but she scored three top-ten finishes at Knutstorp, Anderstorp and Karlskoga. She was 17th in the championship. In 2020 she drove a Kia Mitjet in the Danish Endurance Championship and was second in her class, sharing with Sander Steffensen. It was back to TCR for 2021, driving a Honda Civic. Her best finishes were sixth places at Bellahoj and Aarhus and she was 15th overall.

Laura Hájková – Czech driver who raced in the Skoda Octavia Cup. She started in 2007, and had a solid, if unremarkable year, with a best finish of ninth, at Brno. A second season in 2008 went very similarly, with a ninth and eighth at Oschersleben her season’s highlights. In 2007, she also did some racing in Germany, using the Octavia in some rounds of the Divinol Cup, at the Nürburgring. She does not appear to have raced since 2008.

Claudia Henning - German driver who began her career in cars in 2023. She entered the BMW M2 Cup, also based in Germany, for her first racing season. Her best finish was a seventh place at Lausitz, followed up with a tenth place at the same meeting. She was 14th overall after a non-finish mid-season. Her BMW debut followed a successful karting career in Germany and Europe, including a championship win in the 2019 ADAC Kart Cup Senior class.

Cornelia Hütter - Austrian Alpine skier, who has done some motor racing. In 2011, when she was 19, she entered some rounds of the racing side of the Suzuki Swift Cup, and managed two sixth places at the Slovakiaring. She also seems to have done some rallying or hillclimbing in the same car. After devoting herself entirely to skiing for several seasons, she made two further guest starts in the 2014 Lotus Ladies’ Cup, at the Red Bull Ring. She was tenth in one race, and did not finish the other.

Luisa Kahler - raced in the BMW M2 Cup in 2023, having come through its shootout for young drivers. Aged 17, this was her first season of car racing and she combined it with a run in the senior Rotax Max Challenge, also in her native Germany. She was the best of the three female novices in the M2 Cup and finished 12th overall, with two top-ten finishes at the Norisring and the Red Bull Ring.

Veronique de Kock – had one season of racing in the Belgian Mini Cooper Challenge, in 2004. She was not really competitive, and does not seem to have completed the season. Her overall position was 42^nd. Following in the footsteps of Brunhilde Verhenne before her, Veronique raced as part of her activities for the Miss Belgian Beauty contest.

Carmen Kraav - Estonian driver who races touring cars in Europe. She began with some races in the 2022 Baltic Touring Car Championship, competing in the BMW 325 Cup. Sticking with BMW, she then signed up for the 2023 BMW M2 Cup in Germany. Her final championship position was 13th, with a best finish of ninth at Lausitz. Previously, she had competed in karting as a junior and a senior, finishing seventh in the senior Kart Sprint event at the 2022 Motorsport Games.

Camille Laffite - occasional racer in one-make series and club racing in France. She competed in the VW Fun Cup in 2006 and 2008, including the 25 Hour race, which she finished both times, with different teams. Previously, she raced in Legends in France. At about the same time, 2005, she made her debut as an “Ice Girl” in the Andros Trophy, which she returned to in 2006. She is the younger sister of Marguerite Laffite, and daughter of Jacques Laffite. She and her sister sometimes race together. In 2009, Camille was a contestant on a cross-America motorsport-themed TV show, Bullrun USA. 

Claire Lajoux – raced in the Peugeot RC Cup in 2006. She did not compete for the full season, and was 28^th in the championship. In 2009, she raced in at least some rounds of the VW Fun Cup, sharing a car with Laure de Coligny and Thierry Fecomme for the 25 Hour race at Spa. She does not seem to have raced since then.  

Kersti Lang - Estonian driver who races a BMW. Her first season was 2010, and she drove a BMW 325 in the Gruppe 325i Cup. She was fifteenth, after not quite being on the pace. In 2011, she raced again, and did better this time, finishing tenth. She was usually within the top ten, and had a best finish of eighth, at Pärnu. She did her third BMW season in 2012, but did not go quite as well, with one eighth place at Palanga. She does not appear to have competed in 2013. Previously, she did karate at international level, which she continued alongside her racing. For the past couple of seasons, she has been concentrating on her studies. In 2016, her name appears on lists as a medical car driver at tracks in Estonia. In 2018, she acted as Clerk of the Course.

Nadezhda Mitroshkina - Russian driver who competed in the Mitjet Series in 2011. She did not complete the whole season, and her best finishes were a pair of eighth places, at Smolensk. She was 18th in the championship. Later, in 2013, she seems to have been involved in endurance karting. Language difficulties are impairing further research into her career.

Raquel Morera Ibanez - has competed in the Renault Clio Cup in Spain since 2010. In 2010, she was eighth in the championship. The following year, she was only fifteenth, with a best finish of eighth at Catalunya, and two further tenth places. She also drove in eight rounds of the Renault Clio Eurocup around Europe, with a best finish of thirteenth, also at Catalunya. In 2012, she only seems to have managed two Clio Cup races, at Catalunya. She entered four Eurocup races in 2013, with a best finish of thirteenth again, at Catalunya. 

Juliette Palacin – has been racing in the Mitjet series for several seasons, with the sixth being in 2015. She first entered in 2010, and was 15^th overall in a Skoda silhouette car. After another two trying seasons, she was sixth in the Supersport series in 2013, with one win, at Val de Vienne. In 2014, she was ninth, in a BMW, having not managed to repeat her win. She was tenth in 2015, with a best finish of second, at Ledenon. In 2016, she only did a part-season, and so was down in the standings. Previously, she was a karter from the age of eleven, and also raced single-seaters in the French Formula Renault Campus championship. She has also raced Legends cars, in 2006. 

Marine Pidoux – began her senior racing career in 2014, after a serious accident stopped her from racing her kart any more. She raced in the low-cost Mitjet Supersport championship in France, for the VIP Challenge team. She was 31^st overall. In 2015, she returned to the Mitjet series for a second go, and was 39th overall, after a part-season. Her finishes were solidly midfield. Another part-season followed in 2016, which left her 42nd overall. She appears to have raced a Mercedes in a French GT Cup championship in 2018. Away from the track, she designs motorsport team uniforms and fashion items for her own company. 

Maiken Rasmussen - Danish driver who raced in the VW Scirocco R Cup in Germany in 2011. She was 17th overall, with two top-ten finishes: a ninth at Hockenheim and an eighth at Oschersleben. She also made a trip to India for a guest spot in the Polo R Cup, and was rewarded with a second place in Race Two. In 2010, she had her first season of long-circuit racing, driving in the Smart championship. In 2012, she returned to Smart cars, for the 4Two Cup held across northern Europe. She managed at least one fifth place. 

Nicole Rigger (Kern) - Austrian driver who began her senior career in the Suzuki Cup in 2007, driving a Suzuki Swift. She was then known as Nicole Kern. Initially, she competed in the rally series. In 2008, she scored her first points in the series, and was twelfth overall. The following year, she managed her first podium, at the Mozartpreis, and was fifth overall in the racing series, making only a couple of appearances in the rally side. She moved away from rallying completely in 2010, and was fifth again, with another third place at the Pannoniaring. It was this year that she married fellow competitor, Jörg Rigger. In 2011, they seem to have shared a car for the first part of the season, and Nicole’s best finish was fifth, at the Red Bull Ring. She does not appear to have competed in cars after this, but she was part of an all-female team called the "Miss Austrias" in the Alpin Juwel Kart Trophy race in 2015.

Marta Suria - Spanish racer who has recently been active in several one-make series. In 2008, she was eighth in the Spanish Renault Clio Cup. This was her fourth season in the Cup, and her best finish. She returned to the Clio Cup in 2011, although she was less successful, only managing 23rd overall after some DNFs. In between, she was second in the Spanish Mini Challenge in 2010, with one win and several podiums. In 2012, she raced in the Clio Cup again, and was thirteenth overall after car trouble limited her participation. She also drove in two rounds of the German MINI Trophy. In 2013, she only seems to have entered two Clio Cup rounds, at Motorland in Spain. After a long break, she did four Clio Cup rounds in 2018, scoring a best finish of seventh at Catalunya and Valencia. In 2019, she entered a couple of rounds of the Spanish TCR championship. 
Marta began racing historics in 2002, and drove an Alfa Romeo GTAm for some time. In 2004, she also won a Valencia regional speed eventing championship. She also competes in rallies, both of the stage and cross-country variety.   

Oksana Trofimova - Russian driver who raced in the 2011 Mitjet Cup. She was seventh in the championship, after best finishes of fourth, at Tushino and Smolensk. Apart from this year, she does not appear to have done more racing, despite being from a motorsport family. More recently, she has done some writing and PR work on behalf of her brother, Vladimir Trofimov.

Brunhilde Verhenne - former Belgian beauty queen. She raced in the Mini Challenge in 2004, as well as two rounds of the Toyota Yaris Cup. In 2005, she took part in a few races in a Volkswagen Lupo, and some kart events. She now concentrates on her PR career, focused around pro cycling.

Amalia Vinyes - Andorran driver who competed in the 2010 SEAT Leon Supercopa, in Spain and Europe. She was thirteenth in the Spanish championship, and only completed two rounds of the European series. Previously, in 2009, she raced in the Catalunya round of the International GT Open Championship, in a Ferrari F430 GTS. She was driving with her brother, Joan, for their family team, Baporo Motorsport. At some point earlier than this, Amalia did some ice racing. For 2011, she switched to rallying, in a Suzuki Swift, and was 22nd in the Rallye de Ferrol and twelfth in the Rallye Villajoyosa. She competed in the SEAT Leon Supercopa in 2014, and finished in the top ten four times. Her best finish was fifth, at Monza, and she was 15th overall. She did half of the Supercopa in 2015, finishing four of her six races. Her best finish was eleventh, at Paul Ricard, and she was 27th overall. She raced in the Spanish Endurance championship in the SEAT in 2016, and was fifth in the TCR class, with one win. As well as this, she did a couple of rounds of the Eurocup. Sticking with SEAT and TCR, she did part-seasons in the Spanish, Portuguese and Iberico touring car championships. In 2018, she switched to off-road events, winning at least one in Spain. It was back to TCR in 2019, and she was one of the leading drivers in the Spanish series, finishing third in the TCR class with two wins. Her car was a SEAT Cupra. In 2021 she took part in the Spanish Endurance Championship, driving a Cupra. She won at least one race at Navarra. A part-season in TCR Spain in 2023 led to sixth at Estoril and eighth at Jerez, from pole.


(Image from http://www.szon.hu/)