Female Drivers at the 12 Hours of Sebring: Part I, 1955-1979

Anita Taylor, Donna Mae Mims and Janet Guthrie in 1966 (not at Sebring)

The 12 Hours of Sebring is the second-oldest sportscar race on the calendar, after Le Mans. It has run almost continuously since 1952, with only one break, caused by the 1974 energy crisis.
After one year as a non-championship event, the 12 Hours was run as a World Sportscar Championship round between 1953 and 1972, when it became an IMSA GT event. Its early-season position makes it a favoured early shakedown for Le Mans.

Beginning in 1955, women drivers have competed at Sebring in most runnings, although there was a lull in the 1970s. Below are their results between 1955 and 1979. Denise McCluggage was the most frequent starter during this period, and Isabelle Haskell has the highest finish: eighth, with a class win.

The rest follows here.

1955

Isabelle Haskell/Dick Irish (Bandini Fiat) - DNF

Greta Oakes/Sydney Oakes (Austin-Healey 100M) - DNF

1956

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie (Lotus Mk IX) - 24th

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso (Maserati 150S) - DNF

1957

Gilberte Thirion/Nadège Ferrier/G. Spydel (Renault Dauphine) - 35th

Evelyn Mull/John B. Mull (AC Ace) - DNF

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie/Charles Moran (Lotus Eleven Le Mans) - disqualified

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso (OSCA MT4 750) - DNF

1958

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso/Robert Ferguson (OSCA S750) - 8th, class win

Denise McCluggage/Ruth Levy (Fiat-Abarth 750 Zagato) - DNF

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie/Chuck Dietrich (Elva Mk. II) - DNS (accident in practice)

1959

Isabelle Haskell/Alejandro de Tomaso/Denise McCluggage/Ricardo Rodriguez (OSCA S750) - 18th

Smokey Drolet/Fred Lieb (Turner 750 Sport) - 43rd

Margaret Wyllie/M.R.J. Wyllie/Skip Lange (Elva Mk. IV) - DNF

1960

Denise McCluggage/Marianne “Pinkie” Windridge (OSCA 187S) - DNF

1961

Denise McCluggage/Allan Eager (Ferrari 250 GT) - 10th, class win

Peggy Gelder (McClure) /Ed Gelder/Jim Fuller (Elva Courier) - 35th

1962

Denise McCluggage/Allan Eager (OSCA S1000) - DNF

1963

Denise McCluggage/Christabel Carlisle (MG B) - DNF

1964

Donna Mae Mims/Alan Pease (Austin-Healey Sprite) - DNF

1966

Donna Mae Mims/John Luke (Yenko Stinger) - DNF

1967

Denise McCluggage/Marianne “Pinkie” Windridge (Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Spyder) - 17th

Liane Engeman/Janet Guthrie (Matra Djet 5S) - 23rd

Suzy Dietrich/Donna Mae Mims (ASA 411) - 25th

Smokey Drolet/Anita Taylor (Alpine-Renault A110) - 35th

1968

Janet Guthrie/Liane Engeman (AMC Javelin) - not classified

Donna Mae Mims/Michael Summers (Yenko Stinger) - not classified

1969

Janet Guthrie/Donna Mae Mims/Liane Engeman (Austin-Healey Sprite) - 23rd

Smokey Drolet/Rosemary Smith (BMW 2002) - 26th

1970

Janet Guthrie/Rosemary Smith/Judy Kondratieff (Austin-Healey Sprite) - 19th, class win

Donna Mae Mims/Jim Corwin (Chevrolet Corvette) - 21st

1971

Janet Guthrie/Rosemary Smith/Jennifer Birrell (Chevron B16) - DNF

1974

No race due to fuel crisis

1976

Janet Guthrie/Stephen Behr (Chevrolet Monza) - 63rd

1977
Bobbee Nylander/Gary Nylander/Michael Hammond (Porsche 911 S) - 13th

Lyn St James/John Carusso/Luis Sereix/Emory Donaldson (Chevrolet Corvette) - DNF

1978

Lyn St. James/Luis Sereix/Phil Currin (Chevrolet Corvette) - 17th

Kathy Wallace/Tom Wallace/Gene Rutherford (Oldsmobile Cutlass) - DNF

1979

Bonnie Henn/Lyn St. James/Janet Guthrie (Ferrari 365 GTB/4) - 17th

(Image from http://www.1966shelbynotchbackmustang.com/PhotosRingFree.html)

Women at the Nassau Speed Weeks, Part I

Nassau Speed Week was an annual festival of motorsport, held in Nassau in the Bahamas, between 1954 and 1966. It was traditionally held during the off-season. It was organised by Red Crise and Sydney Oakes, the millionaire president of the Bahamas motorsport association, and a sometime racer. Although it was never part of any official championship, it attracted large entry lists, which included the big names of the era. Stirling Moss, Masten Gregory, Alfonso de Portago, and other stars of the international racing scene, were regular entrants. This was due to its generous prize fund and starting money, provided by a Bahamian government subsidy. The rest of the field tended to comprise of American drivers in the higher echelons of national racing, plus a few local racers.

Most of the races were for sports and production vehicles, but there were also some single-seater events. The results for these are harder to track down than the sportscar results. There was no actual Speed Week overall championship, but the Nassau Trophy was its blue-riband event.

Women drivers were initially welcome, and some years, dedicated ladies’ races were held. As with their male counterparts, the Nassau lady competitors tended to be a mix of international professionals, such as Denise McCluggage, and mainly US-based club racers, often competing alongside their husbands. After 1960, female participation reduces drastically.

Early on, one of these ladies was Greta Oakes. She was the wife of Sydney Oakes, and the two had previously competed in international sportscar events together. She drove at Speed Week even after the couple divorced in 1956.

After 1957, Speed Week itself was held on the Oakes family’s own track, the Oakes Course. Its previous home was Windsor Airfield.

Nassau Speed Week ended in 1966, in large part due to the death of Sydney Oakes in a road traffic accident earlier in the year.

Below is a preliminary list of women competitors at Nassau Speed Week, by year. Results of the Ladies’ Races will be published later.

1954

Nassau Speed Trials

Mrs J. Bird (Jaguar XK120) - 4th

Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100M) - 10th

Production Car race

Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100M) - 4th

1955

Governor’s Trophy

Isabelle Haskell (Maserati 150S) - 16th

Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - 31st

Local Residents’ Race

Ruth Ballard (Jaguar XK120) - 4th

Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100) - DNF

Nassau Trophy

Isabelle Haskell (Maserati 150S) - 21st

1956

Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)

Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - 31st

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 35th

Local Residents - Race 1

Greta Oakes (Porsche 356A Speedster) - 8th

Local Residents - Race 2

Greta Oakes (Porsche 356A Speedster) - 4th

Preliminary Nassau Trophy (under 2000cc)

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 18th

Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - final position not known

Nassau Trophy Consolation Race

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - DNF

Nassau Trophy

Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - 29th

1957

Nassau Memorial GT Race

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 7th

Nassau Memorial Trophy

Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 9th

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 20th

Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 26th

Nassau TT

Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 9th

Jean Speidel (Porsche 550A RS Spyder) - 13th

Preliminary Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)

Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 6th

Isabelle Haskell (Osca S1500) - 13th

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 15th

Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)

Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 4th

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 18th

Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 28th

AC Bristol & Austin-Healey Race

Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 2nd

Porsche Race

Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550A RS Spyder) - 4th

1958

Nassau Berkeley Race

Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE328) - 3rd

Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE328) - 6th

Marie Kelly (Berkeley SE328) - 7th

A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE328) - 8th

Governor’s Trophy

Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - result not known

Bahamas Cup

Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE328) - DNF

Nassau Locals Race

Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE328) - DNF

Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100) - DNF

Nassau Trophy

Marion Lowe/Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven) - 9th (class win)

1959

Preliminary Governor’s Trophy (over 2000cc heat)

Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 16th

Preliminary Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc heat)

Denise McCluggage (Osca S750) - 13th

Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - 17th

Governor’s Trophy (over 2000cc)

Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 16th

Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)

Denise McCluggage (Osca S750) - 17th

Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - 34th

 

Locals’ Race

Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite) - 10th

Austin-Healey & Locals’ Race

Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite) - not classified

Ferrari Classics

Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 5th

Nassau Trophy

Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 18th

Denise McCluggage (Osca S750) - 27th

Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - 38th

1960

Nassau Locals Race 2

Heather Bethell (Austin-Healey 100-6) - 3rd

Bahamas Cup

Heather Bethell (Austin-Healey 100-6) - 4th

1961

Preliminary Governor's Trophy (under 2000cc)

Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven) - 6th

Bahamas Cup

Lou Moseley (Porsche 356 Carrera) - 6th

Locals Race

Lou Moseley (Porsche 356 Carrera) - 13th

Provisonal Governor’s Trophy (+2000cc)

Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven) - result not known

Provisional Governor’s Trophy (2000cc)

Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven) - result not known (class win)

Governor’s Trophy

Susan Baron (Lotus Seven) - 23rd

1962

Bahamas Cup

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 6th

Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000) - 18th

Nassau Porsche & Alfa Romeo Race

Joanne Gambal (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 8th

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - result not known

Nassau Locals Race 1

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 5th

Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000) - 6th

Nassau Locals Race 2

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 6th

Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000) - 21st

Nassau TT

Joanne Gambal (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 36th

1963

No women drivers entered.

1964

No women drivers entered.

1965

Locals - Heat 1

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 3rd

Locals - Heat 2

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 3rd

Porsche Challenge Race

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 6th

Bahamas Cup

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 4th

1966

Governor’s Trophy & Nassau TT

Anita Taylor (Shelby Mustang 350GT) - 24th

Bahamas Cup

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B) - 2nd

Nassau Trophy

Anita Taylor (Shelby Mustang 350GT) - 15th

Locals Race 1

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B) - 2nd

Locals Race 2

Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B) - 3rd

(Image copyright Getty Images)

Isabelle Haskell

Isabelle with Alejandro (in car)

Beautiful, blonde American Isabelle Haskell always much preferred the style of continental cars to the brutish muscle-cars of 1950s America.

She was the daughter of a sometime racer and US motor industry veteran, Amory Haskell. He was involved in motor racing, but his real passion was horse racing. He led the US Jockey Club and founded a track in New Jersey. The Haskell family was wealthy and well-connected and Isabelle enjoyed a privileged upbringing with her siblings. She was presented as a debutante at Tuxedo Park, New York, in October 1948. The accompanying newspaper reports describe her own skill as a horsewoman.

Isabelle began racing herself in the early 1950s, first in a British MG TD and then in an imported Siata 300BC sports model. She got into cars and motorsport through her friend Daphne's elder brother, on whom she had a major crush. At first she was happy with driving her MG on the road; she only began racing in 1953 when encouraged by her employers in Florida. Her father did not approve.

It was in this car that she scored her first significant results in the US championships, with a best of fifth in a handicap race at the Lockbourne road circuit in 1953.

She continued in national and regional competition for another season with the Siata, and then moved on to another Italian car, a Maserati 150S, in 1955. That year she drove at the prestigious Nassau Speed Week in the Bahamas alongside international stars such as Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss. She shunned the ladies' races and entered the main draw, coming sixteenth in the Governor's Trophy and 21st in the Nassau Trophy. Closer to home, she became the first woman to race at Sebring in that year's 12 Hours, although she and Dick Irish failed to finish in their Bandini. They were classified 57th. The Siata was retained and used in a few SCCA races, but with no significant results. She decided to try her luck in Europe and set about getting a British racing license. The motorsport authorities in Europe were still more positive about female participation than their counterparts in the States. In 1955, she practised at the Modena airfield circuit in the Maserati, in preparation for a race at Senigallia, although the result of that race seems to have been lost.

At the time of her Italian trip, her brother spoke to the US papers and told journalists that Isabelle was taking the next step in her racing career to prove to someone she could drive, and that the "someone" was their father.

By this time, Isabelle had developed a preference for longer endurance races, and she tasted her first international success in 1956. She and Carlos Lostalo came seventh in the demanding Buenos Aires 12 Hour race, again in the Maserati. The event was also a happy one for her, because that was where she met her future husband, Argentine Alejandro de Tomaso. They ran together at Sebring in Alejandro’s Maserati, but went out after only 15 laps due to a faulty gearshift linkage. Although Isabelle did not drive at the Nürburgring 1000km herself, she entered a pair of Maserati 150S’s for Alejandro and Carlos Lostalo, and Guiseppe Musso and Walter Monaco. Alejandro and Carlos also drove their car in the Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix. Driving alone, Isabelle entered the Venezuela Grand Prix in her Maserati, but did not finish.

Sadly, 1956 was not all happiness for Isabelle. On an early foray into Europe to compete in the Rheims 12 Hours, her team-mate Annie Bousquet crashed the Porsche 550 they were sharing, and died shortly afterwards.

In 1957 she put her sadness behind her, and entered a new phase of her racing career. She and Alejandro married and became team-mates, following a game of will-they-won't-they with an interested US press. They proved a formidable pairing at Alejandro's home event in Buenos Aires, coming sixth in their small 750cc Osca, a class win. Unfortunately that was their only notable finish of the year; they failed to finish at Sebring and in Venezuela, and a crash put them out of the Swedish Grand Prix. They were on the entry list for the Mille Miglia, but it is not clear whether they actually competed. Driving solo, Isabelle finished third in the 1500cc class at the RACB Grand Prix at Spa, using an Osca S1500. Alejandro had previously raced the car, with her as entrant, in Portugal. Isabelle also shared an Alfa Romeo Giulietta SV with Carlos Menditeguy at the Nürburgring 1000 Km, but they did not finish.

The following year their fortunes were reversed. Although the couple failed to finish in Buenos Aires, Isabelle finally cracked Sebring, ably assisted by Alejandro and Robert Ferguson. They finished the 12 Hour race eighth overall, with a class win, in a works-entered Osca S750. This was in contrast to a disastrous Buenos Aires event two months previously, when the axle on the S1500 broke only five laps in.

The smaller Osca brought them another class win at Rouen in June. Isabelle and Alejandro were ninth overall in the three-hour sportscar race.

1959 was to be her last year of major competition. Isabelle and Alejandro returned to Sebring, with Denise McCluggage and Ricardo Rodriguez this time, and were eighteenth overall, in the 750cc Osca. Denise and Isabelle entered the Nürburgring 1000 Km in the 1500cc version, but the gearbox failed on the first lap. Isabelle also applied to enter Le Mans with her husband, but her entry was refused. The French authorities were still mindful of Annie Bousquet's fate three years earlier, and were keen to avoid adverse publicity. However, not all European motorsport authorities were so defensive, and Isabelle drove an Osca at the Grand Prix des Frontières at Chimay, although she does not appear to have finished. At the Spa Grand Prix, she was second to Carel Godin de Beaufort, driving the Osca S1500.

In 1959, Alejandro and Isabelle retired to Italy and founded the De Tomaso motor company, which produced both single-seater racing cars and exotic sports models for the road. Isabelle was involved with the design and was responsible for the idea and name behind De Tomaso's two performance saloons of the 1970s, the Longchamp and the Deauville. Both are named after French racecourses; by this time she was the owner of a string of racehorses.

Later in life, Isabelle's interests leaned back towards the four-legged variety than the four-wheeled. She and her sister, Hope Haskell Jones, established a successful breeding line of racehorses. As well as horses, she continues to breed prizewinning Cocker Spaniels to this day.

(Image source unknown)

Annie Bousquet

The name of Annie Bousquet is no longer well known, although she was a very influential driver, albeit in an unfortunate way. Adopted Frenchwoman Annie died following injuries sustained in a crash at the Reims 12 Hour sportscar race in 1956. Subsequently, women were barred from ACO-sanctioned events in France until 1971, due to fears for their safety. This chiefly meant the Le Mans 24 Hours. The ban had an impact on many female drivers' careers, like Maria Teresa de Filippis, who was unable to drive in the French Grand Prix.

Annie was born in Vienna, Austria, in the mid-1920s. Her exact date of birth is debated. Prior to her marriage to a Frenchman, Pierre Bousquet, she was known as Annie Schaffer. Pierre also raced, and it seems to have been through him that she got involved in motorsport.

Her first forays into competitive motorsport were in 1952. She entered the Alpine Rally in a Renault, but does not appear to have finished. As well as this, she entered other rallies in Europe, with varying degrees of success.

Annie's death put paid to a promising racing career, as well as making life difficult for other women drivers. She began circuit racing in earnest in 1953. Alongside the Belgian Gilberte Thirion, she came 16th in the Spa 24 Hours, using a Fiat 1100. Prior to that, Annie and the veteran Simone des Forest made the finish of the Mille Miglia in Annie's Renault 4CV. Annie, driving solo, also entered a race at Agen in a DB-Panhard, but it ended in a bad crash in which she was injured.

The Bousquet/Thirion pairing were to compete again the following year in the Mille Miglia, in a Gordini T17S. This time they were 55th and fifth in the 1500cc class. They owned the car together and it was Annie's regular mount that year. She came sixth in the Agadir Grand Prix in Morocco and continued her African adventures in the Senegal GP. Closer to home, she won a qualifying heat for the Nimes GP, but failed to start the final with car trouble. There was more bad luck for Annie and Gilberte in the Sebring 12 Hours. The authorities were not keen on female participants and did not accept their entry. She had a better run in the Tour de France, in which she was eighth with Marie-Claire Beaulieu, driving a Porsche 550. This was one of her best results.

Although Annie and Gilberte were still joint owners of the Gordini through 1955, they did not race it together. It was reported that the two had become very jealous of one another, whenever one got a better drive than the other. They competed separately from now on.

The powerful Porsche gave her her best-ever finish, second in the Bol D'Or at Montlhèry with Josef Jeser in 1955. However, she was only an active participant for the first four hours or so of the race. Another driver had to have a leg amputated at the scene due to a serious accident, which made her lose her nerve and sit the rest of the race out.

She was less successful in Agadir and crashed the Porsche, which had already suffered damage in an abortive speed record attempt at Montlhèry.

1956 was a turbulent year. Early on, Pierre Bousquet died in a traffic accident after skidding on ice. Annie, naturally, was badly affected and withdrew from competition for a while. During the spring, she resumed her career and accepted an offer to have another crack at the Mille Miglia in a Triumph TR2, driving for the works team this time. She came 95th. She also took advantage of an invitation to drive Alejandro de Tomaso's Maserati 150S in the Paris 1000km race. De Tomaso was her team-mate. They did not finish.

The 550 that brought Annie her greatest success would also be her downfall. The Reims 12 Hours was her first major competition of the year in the car and she was sharing it with Isabelle Haskell, the American driver who was the partner of Alejandro de Tomaso. She crashed heavily on lap 27 and was thrown out of the vehicle. Although she was rushed to hospital, she was pronounced dead on arrival. Fellow competitors blamed fatigue on Annie's part, as she had competed in two very long races in succession as well as driven to the Porsche to and from a workshop before qualifying at Reims. This meant that she had probably not slept for two nights. During her life, Annie was considered a very competitive driver, sometimes excessively so, who was keen to prove herself against men and often took risks to do so. Certain observers claim that this competitive streak turned to recklessness following her husband's death, but this is conjecture.

The turn at the Reims circuit where the accident happened is now named after Annie, and the Annie Bousquet award, for high-performing women in French motorsport, was created in her honour.

(Image copyright PA)