Women in UK Rallycross

Paige Bellerby

This post has been split off from the original Women in Rallycross post, with some additions. Shelley Wakeling, Sue Jeffery, Suzie Brailsford and Amy Binks have their own posts.

Frankie Helliwell (Fyfe) - active in British rallycross since at least 2009, when she competed in Junior Rallycross in a Mini. In recent seasons, she has used a BMW Mini. In 2016, she contested the Mini Rallycross Championship, with a best finish of third, which she earned twice during the year. She was fifth overall. In 2015, she also raced the Mini, and reached at least one “A” Final, at Croft. In 2017, she made one appearance in the British championship, at Croft. She did a longer season in 2018 and earned two sixth places.

Beccy Holland - drove in rallycross events in the UK between 2004 and 2006. Her car was a Peugeot 205 GTi, which she raced in the Stock Hatch class. She started out in the Winter series in 2004, before tackling some of the main season. In 2005, she only qualified for one “A” Final, but was competitive in “B” Finals. The following year she reached three British Championship (BRDA) finals and was tenth overall in the championship. She does not appear to have competed since then. 

Sue Lane - front-runner in the BTRDA 1600cc Production Rallycross championship in 2018, driving a Honda Civic. She scored her first win at Blyton at the end of 2017 and won again at the same track in mid-2018. She ran as high as second in the Production championship points table and finished sixth, second in the 1600cc class, with two wins. In 2019 she won the 1600cc class and was third in Production. She has been active in rallycross since at least 2016.

Samantha O’Flanagan - has driven in Minicross in British championships since at least 2008. In 2010, she was seventh in the Minicross Open Championship. This was the same position in which she finished in 2009. Her best finish in a single round was sixth. In 2010, she improved this to fifth. She was sixth in the 2011 championship, with a best finish of fourth. In 2013, she may have competed in Classic Minicross, but her results are not forthcoming. She remains in the sport as an administrative member of the Minicross Drivers' Association.

Tina Pinder (Scott) - one of Britain’s leading contemporary female rallycross drivers. In 2005, she drove a Peugeot 205 in the Stock Hatch class, with a best finish of fourth in BRDA events. She maintained her momentum the following year, qualifying for some “A” Finals and finishing eighth in the championship, driving both the 205 and a Peugeot 106. This was despite a dramatic crash at the Croft round. The 106 was upgraded to a 206 in 2007, and Tina was eleventh in Stock Hatch. She switched to a Citroen C2 for the 2008 season and was rewarded with second in the small but competitive Stock Hatch B class. She won the Super Modified title in 2009. 

Rebecca Ryder – raced in the BMW Mini class of the British Rallycross Championship in 2014. She was second in the championship, with two runner-up positions. In 2015, she stayed with the BMW Mini, but moved into circuit racing, contesting the Mini Challenge UK. 2014 seems to have been her first season of racing. She returned to straight circuit racing in 2019, contesting the Ford Focus Cup.

Leigh-Anne Sedgwick - winner of the 2017 British Rallycross Hot Hatch title. She won four rounds outright and was second twice, driving a Citroen Saxo. In 2016, she drove in the Irish rallycross championship, and was fourth in the Stockhatch class. Before that, she raced bangers and stock cars on short ovals, having made her debut in 2003, aged ten. She remained in British rallycross in 2018, in the BMW Mini class. She was sixth overall, with a best finish of second. In 2019, she raced two cars, the Mini-class Mini and another Mini prepared to Supermodified spec. She won the championship for 2000cc Supermodified cars and was fourth overall in the class. During the three-race 2020 season she raced a BMW Mini, finishing seventh in the Mini class. She made a guest appearance at Lydden in 2022 after time off for illness, before returning to the BTRDA series in 2023. She was seventh in the Mini class and 32nd overall.

Jordine Wadge - races a Citroen C2 in British rallycross. She won the 1600cc Supermodified title in the 2018 BTRDA Clubmans championship and was seventh overall in the 1600cc Production standings. She also raced in Minicross in the Netherlands. She has been active in motorsport since at least 2016, when she did some sprints in a Ford Fiesta. That was also the first year that she co-drove in a rally, sitting alongside Todd Crooks. She continues to navigate occasionally.

Tania Wilson (Jeffery) – made a comeback in 2009, driving a Peugeot 205 in the Revivals class of the British Championship. She scored some decent finishes, just out of the top three. Previously, she had competed in the contemporary championships in the late 1990s, although details of this are not readily available. She and Sue Jeffery are sisters.

(Image from http://www.swiftrallycross.com/)