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

Heather Bethell in her Austin-Healey

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

1956

Ladies - Race 1

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

2. Sally Chapin (Ferrari 500 TR)

3. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

4. Suzy Dietrich (Porsche 550)

5. Jean Speidel (Porsche 356 Speedster)

6. Mary Constantine (Jaguar D-Type)

7. N. Pearce (Austin-Healey 100)

8. Greta Oakes (Porsche Speedster)

9. Marion Lowe (Jaguar D-Type)

  

Ladies - Race 2

1. Marion Lowe (Jaguar D-Type)

2. Sally Chapin (Ferrari 500 TR)

3. Suzy Dietrich (Porsche 550)

4. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

5. Denise McCluggage (Osca MT4-2AD)

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

Jean Speidel (Porsche 356 Speedster) - result not known

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

Greta Oakes (Porsche Speedster) - result not known

1957

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

2. Isabelle Haskell (Osca S1500)

3. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

4. Jean Speidel (Porsche 550)

5. Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

Suzy Dietrich (Elva) - DNF

Ruth Levy (Aston Martin DBR2) - DNF

Ladies - Heat 2

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

2. Ruth Levy (Aston Martin DBR2)

3. Evelyn Mull (AC Ace)

4. Jean Speidel (Porsche 550)

5. Suzy Dietrich (Elva)

6. Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) 

Ladies - Final

1. Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550)

Suzy Dietrich (Elva) - DNF

Ruth Levy (Aston Martin DBR2) - DNF

Jean Speidel (Porsche 550) - result not known

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - result not known

1958

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

2. Evelyn Mull (Lotus Eleven)

3. Pinkie Windridge (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce)

4. Fifi Fleming (Osca S750)

5. Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE 328)

6. A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE 328) 

7. Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE 328) 

8. M. Kelly (Berkeley SE 328) 

9. Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven)

Ladies-Heat 2

1. Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven)

2.  Evelyn Mull (Lotus Eleven)

3. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

4. Fifi Fleming (Osca S750)

5. Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE 328)

6. A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE 328) 

7. Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE 328) 

8. M. Kelly (Berkeley SE 328) 

Overall

1. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

2. Evelyn Mull (Lotus Eleven)

3. Fifi Fleming (Osca S750)

4. Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE 328)

5. A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE 328) 

6. Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven)

7. Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE 328) 

8. M. Kelly (Berkeley SE 328) 

9. Pinkie Windridge (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce)

1959

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

2. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

3. La Veeda Grimm (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

4. Greta Oakes (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder)

5. Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite)

6. Joan Galloway (Austin Healey Sprite)

Ladies - Heat 2

1. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

2. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

3. La Veeda Grimm (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

4. Greta Oakes (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder)

5. Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite)

Joan Galloway (Austin Healey Sprite) - DNF

Ladies – Final

1. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

2. Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven)

3. La Veeda Grimm (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

4. Greta Oakes (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spyder)

5. Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite)

6. Joan Galloway (Austin Healey Sprite)

1960

Ladies’ Race

1. Smokey Drolet (Daimler SP250)

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

3. Greta Oakes (Lotus Eleven)

4. Vivian Publicker (Ferrari 250 GT LWB California)

5. A. Stephens (Austin-Healey Sprite)

6. V. Moore (MG A)

7. A. Goodfellow (Triumph TR3)

1961

Ladies’ Race

1. Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven)

2. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356 Carrera)

3. Susan Northcutt (Triumph TR3)

4. Susan Baron (Lotus Seven)

5. Lou Moseley (Porsche 356 Carrera)

6. Janet Madsen (MG A)

7. Patsy Kennedy (Jaguar XK120)

1962

Ladies - Heat 1

1. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356B Carrera)

2. Smokey Drolet (Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ)

3. Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera)

4. Nedra Ware (Fiat-Abarth)

5. Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000)

6. Sibilla O’Donnell (Lotus Super Seven)

7. Joanne Gambal (Alfa Romeo Giulietta)

Ladies - Heat 2

1. Smokey Drolet (Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ)

2. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356B Carrera)

3. Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera)

4. Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000)

5. Nedra Ware (Fiat-Abarth)

Overall

1. Smokey Drolet (Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ)

2. Alice Stephens (Porsche 356B Carrera)

3. Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera)

4. Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000)

5. Nedra Ware (Fiat-Abarth)

(Photo from the Terry O'Neil Bahamas Collection)