Women at Le Mans: 1980 - present day

Rahel Frey, Cyndie Allemann, and Natacha Gachnang in 2010

1980 was the last year that female drivers entered the Le Mans 24 Hours in any number, until the 2010 race. That year, representation was increased by the presence of the all-female Matech Ford team. After another fallow period, the Iron Dames and Richard Mille all-female teams have come to the fore.

1980
Marianne Hoepfner/Jean-Marie Almeyras/Patrick Perrier (Porsche 934) - DNF
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Xavier Lapeyre/Jean-Louis Trintignant (Porsche 935 K3/80) - DNF
Lella Lombardi/Mark Thatcher/Don Whittington (Osella PA8 BMW) - DNF

1981
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Ralph Kent-Cooke/Bob Garretson (Porsche 935 K3) - 6th

1982
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Ray Ratcliff/Bob Garretson (Porsche 935 K3) - 11th
Desiré Wilson/Emilio de Villota/Alain de Cadenet (Grid Plaza S1 Ford) - DNF

1983
Desiré Wilson/Axel Plankenhorn/Jürgen Lassig (Porsche 956) - 7th
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Vic Elford/Joel Gouhier (Rondeau M379C Ford) - DNF

1984
Margie Smith-Haas/David Ovey/Paul Smith (Porsche 930) - DNF

1985
Margie Smith-Haas/David Mercer/Jens Winther (URD C83 BMW) - DNF

1989
Lyn St. James/Ray Bellm/Gordon Spice (Spice SE89C Ford) - DNF

1991
Lyn St. James/Cathy Muller/Desiré Wilson (Spice SE90C Ford) - DNF

1992
Tomiko Yoshikawa/Jun Harada/Kenta Shimamura (Spice SE89C Ford) - 15th (not classified)

1993
Tomiko Yoshikawa/Alessandro Gini/Yojiro Temada (Courage C30LM Porsche) - DNF
Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Luigino Pagotto (Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cup) - DNF

1994
Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Renato Mastropietro (Porsche 911 Carrera RSR) - 9th
Tomiko Yoshikawa/Jun Harada/Masahiko Kondou (Porsche 962C GTi) - 22nd (not classified)

1995
Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Andreas Fuchs (Porsche 911 GT2) - DNF

1997
Claudia Hürtgen/John Robinson/Hugh Price (Porsche 911 GT2) - 13th
Lilian Bryner/Enzo Calderari/Angelo Zadra (Porsche 911 GT2) - DNF

1998
Claudia Hürtgen/Robert Nearn/Michel Ligonnet (Porsche 911 GT2) - 17th

1999
Claudia Hürtgen/Vincent Vosse/André Ahrle (Porsche 993 GT2) - 20th

2001
Claudia Hurtgen/Chris Gleason/Rick Fairbanks (Lola B2K/40 Nissan) - DNF
Vanina Ickx/Vincent Vosse/Carl Rosenblad (Chrysler Viper GTS-R) - DNF
Milka Duno/John Graham/David Murry (Reynard 01Q Judd) - DNF

2002
Milka Duno/Didier de Radrigues/John Graham (Panoz LMP07 Mugen) - DNF

2003
Vanina Ickx/Patrick Bourdais/Roland Bervillé (Porsche 996 GT3-RS) - 27th

2005
Vanina Ickx/Joao Barbosa/ Martin Short (Dallara LMP Judd) - 16th
Liz Halliday/Gregor Fisken/Sam Hancock (Lola B05/40 AER) - DNF

2006
Liz Halliday/Clint Field/Duncan Dayton (Lola B05/40 AER) - 19th

2007
Liz Halliday/Vitaly Petrov/Romain Iannetta (Courage LC75 AER) - DNF

2008
Vanina Ickx/Joao Barbosa/Stephane Gregoire (Pescarolo 01 Judd) - 11th
Amanda Stretton/Bob Berridge/Gareth Evans (Lola B06/10 AER) - DNF

2009
Vanina Ickx/Jamie Campbell-Walter/Romain Iannetta (Creation CA07 Judd) - 20th

2010
Vanina Ickx/Pierre Ragues/Franck Mailleux (Lola Aston Martin DBR1-2) - DNF
Natacha Gachnang/Cyndie Allemann/Rahel Frey (Ford GT) - DNF

2011
Vanina Ickx/Bas Leinders/Maxime Martin (Lola Aston Martin B09/60) - 7th
Andrea Robertson/David Robertson/David Murry (Ford GT-R Mk.VII) - 26th

2012
Keiko Ihara/Jean-Denis Deletraz/Marc Rostan - (Lola-Nissan B12/80 Coupe) - not classified

2013
Natacha Gachnang/Franck Mailleux/Olivier Lombard - (Morgan LMP2) - 11th
Keiko Ihara/Fabien Giroix/Philippe Haezebrouck - (Lola B12/80 Nissan) - DNF

2014
Keiko Ihara/Pierre Ragues/Ricky Taylor - (Morgan-Judd LMP2) - 14th

2016
Christina Nielsen/Johnny Laursen/Mikkel Mac (Ferrari 458 Italia) - 35th
Ines Taittinger/Remy Striebig/Leo Roussel (Morgan-Nissan) - DNF

2017
Christina Nielsen/Alessandro Balzan/Bret Curtis (Ferrari 488 GTE) - 45th

2018
Christina Nielsen/Fabio Babini/Erik Maris (Porsche 911 RSR) - 34th

2019
Rahel Frey/Manuela Gostner/Michelle Gatting (Ferrari 488) - 39th

2020

Tatiana Calderon/Sophia Florsch/Beitske Visser (Oreca-Gibson GK428) - 13th

Rahel Frey/Manuela Gostner/Michelle Gatting (Ferrari 488) - 34th

2021

Rahel Frey/Michelle Gatting/Sarah Bovy (Ferrari 488) - 36th

Tatiana Calderon/Sophia Florsch/Beitske Visser (Oreca-Gibson GK428) - DNF

2022

Lilou Wadoux/Sebastien Ogier/Charles Milesi (Oreca-07 Gibson GK428) - 13th

Sophia Florsch/Jack Aitken/John Falb (Oreca-07 Gibson GK428) - 25th

Rahel Frey/Michelle Gatting/Sarah Bovy (Ferrari 488 GTE) - 40th

2023

Rahel Frey/Michelle Gatting/Sarah Bovy (Porsche 911 RSR-19) - 30th

Lilou Wadoux/Alessio Rivera/Luis Perez Companc (Ferrari 488) - DNF

Doriane Pin/Daniil Kvyat/Mirko Bortolotti (Oreca-07-Gibson GK428) - DNF

2024

Rahel Frey/Michelle Gatting/Sarah Bovy (Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 32nd

2025

Lilou Wadoux/Riccardo Agostini/Custodio Toledo (Ferrari 296 GT3) - 43rd

Sarah Bovy/Rahel Frey/Celia Martin (Porsche 911 GT3 R) - 48th

Jamie Chadwick/Mathys Joubert/Andre Lotterer (Oreca-07-Gibson GK428) - DNF

2026

Lilou Wadoux/Riccardo Agostini/Custodio Toledo (Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo) - 40th

Doriane Pin/Richard Verschoor/Julien Andlauer (Duqueine Oreca-Gibson LMP2) - DNF

For earlier results, click here.

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

Women at Le Mans: 1950 - 1979

Yvette Fontaine, Christine Beckers and Marie Laurent in 1974

After the Second World War, it took a while for motor racing to get back to where it had been beforehand. The early 1950s was not the easiest time for female drivers, but a few managed to break through.
The biggest factor affecting women's participation at Le Mans during this period was the fallout from Annie Bousquet's fatal accident at the Reims 12 Hours in 1956. Due to the negative publicity this sad event triggered, French motorsport authorities were "reluctant" to accept entries from female drivers for a long time afterwards, meaning that none competed at all at Le Mans between 1955 and 1970.
During the 1970s, there was another boom in the number of female entrants, including Anny-Charlotte Verney and Lella Lombardi.

1950
Germaine Rouault/Regine Gordine (Simca Gordini TMM) - DNF
Yvonne Simon/Michel Casse (Ferrari 166MM) - DNF

1951
Yvonne Simon/Betty Haig (Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta) - 15th

1954
Gilberte Thirion/André Pilette (Gordini T17S) - DNF

1971
Marie-Claude Beaumont/Henri Greder (Chevrolet Corvette) - DNF

1972
Marie-Claude Beaumont/Henri Greder (Chevrolet Corvette) - DNF

1973
Marie-Claude Beaumont/Henri Greder (Chevrolet Corvette) - 12th (class win)
Christine Beckers/Roger Dubos/Pierre Pagani (Chevron B21/23 Ford) - DNF

1974
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Martine Renier/Pierre Mauroy (Porsche Carrera RSR) - 13th
Christine Beckers/Marie Laurent/Yvette Fontaine (Chevron B23 Ford) - 17th (class win)
Marie-Claude Beaumont/Henri Greder (Chevrolet Corvette) - 18th

1975
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Corinne Tarnaud/Yvette Fontaine (Porsche Carrera RS) - 11th
Marianne Hoepfner/Michèle Mouton/Christine Dacremont (Moynet LM75 JRD) - 21st (class win)
Marie-Claude Beaumont/Lella Lombardi (Alpine-Renault A441C) - DNF

1976
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Hubert Streibig/Hugues Kirschoffer (Porsche 934) - 11th
Martine Renier/Thierry Perrier/Guy de Saint-Pierre (Porsche Carrera RSR) - 18th
Marie-Claude Beaumont/Didier Pironi/Bob Wollek (Porsche 934) - 19th
Lella Lombardi/Christine Dacremont (Lancia Stratos Turbo) - 20th
Christine Beckers/Jean Rondeau/Jean-Pierre Jaussaud (Inaltera Ford) - 21st

1977
Lella Lombardi/Christine Beckers (Inaltera Ford) - 11th
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Rene Metge/Dany Snobeck/Hubert Streibig (Porsche Carrera RSR) - 18th
Anna Cambiaghi/Raymond Touroul/Alain Cudini (Osella PA5 BMW) - DNF
Christine Dacremont/Marianne Hoepfner (Lancia Stratos Turbo) - DNF

1978
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Xavier Lapeyre/Francois Servanin (Porsche Carrera RSR) - 12th (class win)
Marianne Hoepfner/Christine Dacremont (WM P76 Peugeot) - DNF
Juliette Slaughter/Ian Harrower/Brian Joscelyne (Lola T294S Ford) - DNF

1979
Anny-Charlotte Verney/Rene Metge/Patrick Bardinon (Posche 934) - 19th

Post 1979 results here

(Image copyright Corbis Images)

Women at Le Mans: pre 1950

The MG "Dancing Daughters" team of 1935, in their Midgets

The first Le Mans 24 Hours was held in 1923, and won by Andre Lagache and Rene Leonard, driving a Chenard & Walcker. No female drivers entered until 1930, but by the end of the decade, women drivers were commonplace, even making up some of the works entries.
Below is a list of all of the female participants up to 1949, with their results. In the case of a male/female driver pairing, the woman's name is always given first.

1930
Odette Siko/Marguerite Mareuse (Bugatti T40) - 7th

1931
Odette Siko/Marguerite Mareuse (Bugatti T40) - 9th, but disqualified for refuelling too early
Joan Chetwynd/H.H. Sisted (MG C-type Midget) - DNF

1932
Odette Siko/"Jean Sabipa" (Alfa Romeo 6C) - 4th

1933
Odette Siko/"Jean Sabipa" (Alfa Romeo 6C) - DNF
Marie Desprez/Pierre Brussienne (Bugatti T50S) - DNF
Elsie Wisdom/Mortimer Morris-Goodall (Aston Martin 1 1/2) - DNF

1934
Dorothy Champney/Kay Petre (Riley Ulster Imp 9) - 13th
Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier/Charles Duruy (MG Midget PA) - 17th
Gwenda Stewart/Louis Bonne (Derby L8) - DNF

1935
Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier/Robert Jacob (Fiat 508S Balilla) - 18th
Joan Richmond/Eveline Gordon-Simpson (MG Midget PA) - 24th
Doreen Evans/Barbara Skinner (MG Midget PA) - 25th
Margaret Allan/Colleen Eaton (MG Midget PA) - 26th
Gwenda Stewart/Charles Worth (Derby) - DNF
Elsie Wisdom/Kay Petre (Riley MPH) - DNF

1937
Suzanne Largeot/Just-Emile Vernet (Simca-Fiat Balilla) - 12th (class win)
Joan Richmond/M.K.H. Bilney (Ford 10) - 14th
Dorothy Stanley-Turner/Enid Riddell (MG Midget PB) - 16th
Marjorie Eccles/Freddy Clifford (Singer Nine Le Mans Replica) - DNF
Kay Petre/G. Mangan (Austin Seven Grasshopper) - DNF
Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier/Huschke von Hanstein (Adler Trumpf Rennlimousine) - DNF

1938
Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier/Claude Bonneau (MG Midget PB Special) - 12th
Prudence Fawcett/Geoffrey White (Morgan 4/4 Coventry Climax) - 13th
Fernande Roux/Germaine Rouault (Amilcar Pegase G36) - DNF
Suzanne Largeot/Just-Emile Vernet (Simca Huit Fiat) - DNF
Elsie Wisdom/Arthur Dobson (MG Midget PB) - DNF

1949
Viviane Elder/René Camerano (Simca Huit) - DNF

(Image copyright prewarcar.com)

Female Single-Seater Drivers Around the World: Africa

Tasmin Pepper

The African continent has produced a few female drivers, the most famous being Desiré Wilson. Brittany Vorster now has her own profile. This page will hopefully expand in future. Drivers in other types of racing in Africa can be found here. 

Hannah Lee Daniel - South African driver from a Durban motorsport family. She started karting in 2022 and combined senior karting with a debut season in the MSA4 championship in 2025. Her final championship position was 16th, having not quite managed a top-eight position needed for points. She does not appear to have re-entered the series in 2026.

Tannith Gardner - races karts and cars in South Africa. In 2007, she substituted for Tasmin Pepper in the SA Formula Ford championship at Zwartkops, when Tasmin was on international karting duty. Her final championship position that year was thirteenth. In 2011, she raced in the SA Production Car championship, driving a Subaru WRX STi. She scored at least two eighth places that year at Port Elizabeth, before contact with another driver sent her car rolling off the track. She was unhurt. Early in her career, she won a gearbox karting title outright.

Anastasia Gerasis - races in the MSA4 F4 series in South Africa. Her first season was 2025, when she was 16. She was fourtheenth in the championship, scoring three eighth places. A second season in MSA4 followed in 2026. Before that, she had been active in karting for a couple of years.

Vicki Kemp - raced in South African Supercars in 2010, aged 18, with a view to moving into NASCAR. She was selected for 2010 NASCAR Driver Talent Search and Shootout, but did not get through. Her finishing record in Supercars was not good, but she did manage eighth and ninth places. After that, she switched to single-seaters, and competed in Formula VW in 2011. Her car was more reliable, and she  had a best finish of sixth, at Killarney. She was tenth in the championship. During her second Formula VW season, her performances were similar, and she was eleventh overall. After that, she does not seem to have raced. As a junior, she was the first girl to win a South African karting championship in 2007.

Donny (Donacius) Lamola - raced single-seaters in South Africa, beginning in 2013 with a Formula Ford drive at Zwartkops, assisted by Ian Schofield. The next year, she ws 14th in the South African Formula Ford championship. She competed in both Zetec and Kent-engined Formula Fords, on the circuits and in hillclimbs. A stroke limited her participation, but she continued to attend races. She died in 2020.

Glenda Mann - raced single-seaters in South Africa in the 1980s. She competed in the South African Formula Ford championship between 1983 and 1985. Among the cars she raced was a Donelly FF1600 and a Formula Vee car which she used in 1983. Her results are proving hard to find, but she won several races outright. She often competed alongside her brother, Basil Mann, who was a successful driver in both South Africa and Europe.

Simphiwe Mohlahlo - races in MSA4 and Formula Libre in South Africa. She began her career in 2023, racing karts and testing a Formula Ford. After some time spent in Formula Ford 1600 and Libre, she first entered the F4-based MSA4 championship in 2025, the first year it ran. She was not among the frontrunners, and returned in 2026, hoping to make an impression. At the same time, she competed in the Gauteng regional Formula Libre championship, finishing fifth overall. Before concentrating on motorsport, she was a makeup artist.

Jennifer Murray - South African driver who was part of their A1 GP team, driving in one test session in 2006. She was taken on following her performances in Formula Ford, in South Africa and at the 2004 Formula Ford Festival in the UK. In 2006, she was a consistent top-ten performer in the South African series, and was fourth overall. Between 2007 and 2009, she mostly competed in the Shelby Can-Am sportscar series in South Africa, in a 3300cc Dodge. Her best season was 2008, during which she won two races, visited the podium ten times and was the overall runner-up. She has also competed in Formula Volkswagen, and in the all-female Formula Woman Nations Cup. 

Gianna Pascoal - South African driver who began racing cars in 2026, when she was fifteen. She entered the F4-based MSA4 championship and finished twelfth overall, with a best finish of sixth at Killarney, her local circuit. From the age of eleven, she competed in karts with some success, in South Africa and abroad. This was in parallel with a competitive diving career. She is part of the More Than Equal driver development programme.

Helene Visser - raced single-seaters in South Africa in the 1980s. She did at least one season in Formula Ford in 1984, driving a Hawke DL19. During her career, she won at least one race outright, possibly in 1984 at Killarney International Raceway. That year, she entered the “Mini Monaco” event held around a golf course in Cape Town. Her husband Chris Visser also raced at the time.

Sofia Zanfari - Moroccan driver who competes in Europe. She started racing cars in 2025, aged 18, and signed up for the French F4 Championship. Her best finishes have been two 18th places, at Spa, although she is often on the podium for the Women's award, contested by six drivers in 2025. Her final championship position was 29th. Before F4, she competed in karting around Europe and also in the USA, including a run in the FIA World Championships in 2023.

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

Female Rally Drivers After 1950: Norway

Miriam Aasli, during the 2014 Rally Bohemia

Norway has produced a number of female rally drivers. They tend not to be as well-travelled or well-known as their Swedish and Finnish counterparts, but they do get around.
Between 1960 and 1990, there were many more women competing in Norwegian rallies than there seem to be now.

Miriam Aasli - young driver active since 2011. Her first rally car was a Nissan Almera GTI, a rather unusual choice. She continued to rally the car in Norwegian events in 2012, entering seven, and had a best finish of 28th, in the Stavanger Rally. In 2013, she drove the Almera for most of the year, and was moderately successful, with class wins in the Hedemarken and Sørland rallies. Her only real low point was her only retirement, which came on the Telemark Rally, after the driveshaft on the Almera broke. Mid-season, she did one rally, the Stavanger Rally, in a Ford Fiesta, and was rewarded with her first top twenty finish - a twelfth place. In 2014, she changed over to the newer Fiesta full-time, and achieved two top-twenty finishes from eight rallies: 20th in the Sørland Rally and 16th in the Rally Telemark. She also did her first overseas rally, finishing 22nd in the Rally Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. In 2015, she stuck to the Norwegian championship again, in the Fiesta. Her best result was a 26th place in the Rally Hedemarken, and she was sixth in class. In 2016, she rallied the Fiesta again in the Norwegian championship, and was third in her class. The best events for her were the Rally Hedemarken and the Rally Sørland, in both of which she was second in class and 25th overall.

Kristiane Hvaal Engh - competes extensively in Norway, co-driven by her mother, Gunhild. Her best finish so far has been an eighth place in the Beljfell Lodge Stage in 2023, driving a Peugeot 208. She used this car in 2022 and 2023, before switching to an R5-spec Ford Fiesta part-way through 2023. Her best result in the Fiesta has been a 14th place in the Taleasprinten Elverum, although she was also 27th in it in her first European Trophy round, the Lausitz Rally in Germany. In 2024, she continued with the Fiesta, but only did three rallies. The best of these was the Norsk Gran Lygnasprinten, in which she was eleventh. Her 2025 schedule expanded, taking in both Norwegian and Swedish events, first with the Fiesta, then with a Skoda Fabia R5. This car gave her her best result, fifth in the Swedish Arjangs Sprinten. Her best Norwegian result was a seventh place in the Blefjellsprinten, in the Fiesta. She has competed around Scandinavia, as well as Germany, where she returned in 2025 for the Lausitz Rally, finishing 25th in the Skoda. Her debut was in 2021, driving a Renault Clio, aged 17. As well as her mother, her father and several cousins are active in rallying. 

Trine Jensen - Norwegian who rallied in the 1960s and 1970s. In the early part of her career, from 1964 to 1969, she drove a Saab 96 and VW 1500 in Norwegian rallies, finishing well in class with some wins. Later, she took part in some international events, including the RAC Rally in 1975 and 1976, and the Swedish Rally in 1975, 1976 and 1977. This time, she was driving a Ford Escort. Her best result was probably fourth in the 1973 Rally Denmark, in an Escort.

Wenche Knudtzen - competed mostly in the 1960s and 1970s and through to the 1980s. In the early days, she drove a Saab with Carl Erik Knudtzen, sometimes as co-driver. They scored some class wins in Norwegian events. Later, she teamed up with a series of different co-drivers, and apparently favoured Soviet-built cars, such as the Moskvich she used in the 1972 Daily Express Rally, and the Lada she drove in the RAC Rally in 1982, finishing on both occasions. She drove the Lada in rallies in Norway and Sweden late in her career. 

Thea Turvoll Lien - rallies a Ford Fiesta in Norway. She has been active in the Norwegian championship since 2016. Between then and 2018, she was a leading driver in Group N, driving the R1 version of the car. She did best in sprint rallies. The car was upgraded to an R2 model at the end of 2017, which Thea has found somewhat harder; she has had several non-finishes. Her best result in it was 36th in the Sigdal Rally, with a class second. The car was upgraded again to R2T spec at the end of 2018 and Thea branched out into Swedish gravel rallies in 2019. Her best finish was 28th in the Aurskog-Holand Rally and she also won her class in the Rally Hedemarken. The limited 2020 season meant that she stayed in Norway, entering two rallies. Her best one was the Sigdalsrally: she was 41st overall and fifth in class. She entered the Rally Finnskog and Lygnasprinten in 2021, in the same car. Her 2025 season was spent competing extensively across Norway and Sweden, in a Rally4-spec Peugeot 208. After her second place in the Rally Hedemarken in 2024, she added three more top-tens to her tally, ninth places in the Rally Larvik and Rally Norsk Gran Lygnasprinten, plus tenth in the Rally Trogstad. She is from a rallying family with brothers who also compete.

Wenche Nafstad - rallied in Norway between 1978 and 1982. She also drove in the (now) Czech Republic, Sweden and Denmark. Some of these rallies were international events, but their full results are hard to find. Wenche was among the front-runners in a "Ladies in Action" class for Scandinavian rallies during her years of activity. Her normal co-driver was Thor Nafstad. She is still active in motorsport administration, as a co-ordinator for the Volvo Original rally series.

Laila Schou-Nilsen – Norwegian driver who rallied in Europe in the 1960s. Between 1961 and 1963, she used Skoda cars in Scandinavian events. The best of these was an Octavia, which took her to ninth place in the 1962 Vinterrally, in Norway. In 1963, she drove a Skoda TS in the 1000 Lakes Rally, finishing 29^th. Her last big rally seems to have been Monte Carlo in 1965, in which she drove a Saab 96. In the 1930s and 1940s, she made a name for herself as an Olympic downhill skier, and was an early exponent of women’s speed skating. She died in 1998.

Helene Skau Andersen - active in Norwegian rallies since 2018, driving a Volvo. Her first car was a 242 but she has since switched to a 940. She is a consistent finisher and her best result so far has been a 37th place in the 2019 Rally Aurskog-Holand. She was initially co-driven by her 15-year-old brother, Marius. Prior to her motorsport career, she competed in equestrian events.

Randi Sofie Tangeland - rallied in the 1970s, in her native Norway and Europe. She began as a junior in 1970. Soon, she was finishing well in class, driving a Fiat 850 Special, 127 and 128. She competed internationally between 1975 and 1977, entering the RAC and Swedish rallies in 1976, and the RAC in 1975 and 1977. She also co-drove for Birger Tangeland on occasion, including in international events. Her career continued into 1980, when she drove an Opel Kadett in Europe, including the Tulip Rally.

Heidi Wessel - driver and co-driver, mainly active behind the wheel in the 1960s. Among her earliest rally starts was the 1962 KNA Junior Rally in Norway, driving a Wartburg. She reappears in 1965, driving a Renault R8 Gordini with Trine Wessel, scoring some good positions in Class 5. Later, she drove a BMW 1600, Audi 90 and Alfa Romeo in Norwegian events, assisted by Trine Wessel, Kiss Sorvig and others. She disappears from the entry lists at the end of the 1960s, although Trine Wessel, presumably a sister, continues to navigate for other drivers.

(Image from bilsport.no)

Women in the Mille Miglia, Part II

Ada Pace (not during the Mille Miglia)

Female participants in the 1956 and 1957 runnings of the Mille Miglia, omitted from the last post due to space constraints.

1956
Sheila van Damm/Peter Harper (Sunbeam Rapier) - 72nd
Nancy Mitchell/Patricia Faichney (MGA) - 74th
Gilberte Thirion (Renault Dauphine) - 82nd
Annie Bousquet (Triumph TR2) - 95th
Giovanna Moscatelli/Pietro Manodori (Fiat-Abarth 750) - 148th
Nadège Ferrier/Bernard Cahier (Renault Dauphine) - 154th
Marguerite Pagot/Marc Frilloux (Triumph TR2) - 158th
Mirella Agosti/Aldo Piva (Lancia Appia) - 174th
Ines Fendoni/Bruno Moroni (Renault 4CV) - DNF
Gilberte Stempert (Panhard Dyna) - DNF
Maria Teresa Barozzi/Carlo Pelli (Siata 1250 GT Zagato) - DNF

1957
Anna Raselli/Francois Smadsa (Ford Thunderbird) - 137th
Annie Spiers/Jacques Spiers (MGA) - 153rd
Annie Soisbault/Monique Bouvier (Panhard Dyna) - DNF
Ada Pace (Alfa Romeo Giulietta SV) - DNF
Sheila van Damm/David R. Humphrey (Sunbeam Rapier) - DNF
Lise Renaud/Regine Gordine (Citroen DS19) - DNF
Nancy Mitchell/Patricia Faichney (Triumph TR3) - DNF
Regine Langlois/Gerald Langlois (Salmson 2300) - DNF

(Image from http://www.forum-auto.com/sport-auto/histoire-du-sport-auto/sujet379179-3080.htm)

Women in the Mille Miglia

Lia Comirato Dumas, eight-time entrant

The original Mille Miglia was a road race across Italy, which ran between 1927 and 1957, with a break for the Second World War. There were 24 editions in total. It was run as a round of the World Sportscar Championship between 1953 and 1957.

It was stopped, in this format at least, after the 1957 running, when Alfonso de Portago, his co-driver and thirteen spectators died in an accident. After that, it ran as a regularity test, and later still, both a historic rally and a round of the modern Italian Rally Championship. Only the original event is charted here.

All the known female participants in the original road race are recorded here. For the sake of clarity, the woman's name is always given first in the case of a male/female driver pairing.

1928
Maria Antonietta d'Avanzo/Manuel de Teffé (Chrysler Tipo 72) - DNF

1929
Mimi Aylmer/E. Strignasacchi (Lancia Lambda Berlina) - 29th
Maria Antonietta d'Avanzo/Carlo Bruno (Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS) - DNF

1931
Maria Antonietta d'Avanzo/Carlo Castelbarco (Bugatti T43) - DNF

1932
Maria Antonietta d'Avanzo/Francesco Severi (Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Spider Touring) - DNF

1934
Anna Maria Peduzzi/Gianfranco Comotti (Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SSft Spider Brianza) - 13th, class win
Joan Hall/Eddie Hall (MG Magnette K3) - DNF

1936
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Fiat 508CS Balilla Sport) - 14th
Mimi Aylmer/Gambellini (Fiat 508 Balilla Gas) - DNF

Mimi Aylmer, actress and racer

1937
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Fiat 508CS Balilla Sport) - DNF
Elsie Wisdom/Tommy Wisdom (MG Tipo SA Berlina) - DNF

1938
Adele Macchia/Alberto Macchia (Fiat 1100MM Berlinetta Salvio) - 45th
Paola della Chiesa/Luigi della Chiesa (Fiat 1100 Sport) - DNF
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Fiat-Comirato 1100) - DNF

1940
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Fiat-Comirato 1100) - DNF

1947
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Fiat-Comirato 1100) - 8th
Mirella Quadri/L. Quadri (Fiat) - DNF
Irma Martelli/Geri (Fiat) - DNF
Leonida Crespi Perellino/Cesare Crespi Perellino (Fiat 1100S Berlinetta) - DNF
Carla Vincentini/Emilio Vincentini (BMW 308) - DNF

1948
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Fiat-Comirato 1100) - 2nd
Mirella Quadri/L. Quadri (Lancia Aprilia) - 20th

1949
Corinna Braccialini/P. Braccialini (Cisitalia 202 SMM) - 127th
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Fiat-Comirato 1100) - DNF
Mirella Quadri/L. Quadri (Lancia) - 20th

1950
Maria Teresa de Filippis/A. Motta (Urania) - DNF
Margherita Grosso/F. Grosso (Fiat 1100S Berlinetta) - DNF
Corinna Braccialini/P. Braccialini (Cisitalia 202 SMM) - DNF

1951
Yvonne Simon/Alberto Cacciari (Ferrari 166 MM Spider Vignale) - 90th
Betty Stapleton/Ernest Stapleton (Aston Martin Spa Special) - 111th

1952
Lia Comirato Dumas/Alberto Comirato (Siata Daina Gran Sport Fiat) - 62nd
Bianca Maria Piazza/Mario Piazza (Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta Vignale) - 83rd
Graziella Fontana/W. Giacometti (Fiat 500C) - 200th
Betty Stapleton/Ernest Stapleton (Aston Martin Spa Special) - DNF

1953
Olga della Beffa/Alberto della Beffa (Alfa Romeo 1900 TI) - 31st
Susanna Millo Heaurtaux/Jean Heaurtaux (Jaguar C Type) - 35th
Gilberte Thirion/Helmut Polensky (Porsche 356) - 64th
Dafne Bernardi/Ottavio Marazzi (Lancia Aurelia) - 75th
Anna Maria Peduzzi/Franco Goldoni (Stanguellini 750 Sport) - 117th
Graziella Fontana/W. Giacometti (Fiat 1100) - 120th
Maria T. Zambrini/Paul Guiraud (Peugeot 203) - 126th
Annie Bousquet/Simone des Forest (Renault 4CV) - 282nd
Bianca Maria Piazza/Mario Piazza (Ferrari 250 MM Pininfarina) - DNF

1954
Bianca Maria Piazza/Mario Piazza (Ferrari 250 MM Pininfarina) - 42nd
Gilberte Thirion/Annie Bousquet (Gordini T15S) - 55th
Franca Pittoni/Carlo Pittoni (Fiat 1100 Zagato) - 75th
Dafne Bernardi/Franco Torresi (Fiat 1100/103) - 85th
Madeleine Bochon/Lise Renaud (Renault 4CV) - 127th
Renata Angiolini/Giacomo Pizzagalli (Peugeot 203) - 136th
Giovanna Moscatelli/Pietro Manadori (Fiat 500C) - DNF
Anna Maria Peduzzi/Franco Goldoni (Stanguellini 750 Sport) - DNF

1955
Irene Terray/Pierre David (Peugeot 203 Special) - 52nd
Gilberte Thirion/Nadège Washer (Gordini T15S) - 57th
Anna Maria Peduzzi/Augusto Zocca (Stanguellini 750 Sport) - 99th
Maria Teresa Barozzi/Carlo Pelli (Fiat 1100 Zagato) - 158th
Gilberte Stempert (Panhard Dyna) - 161st
Nicole Angelvin/Marc Angelvin (Simca Aronde) - 186th
Mirella Agosti/Daniele Agosti (Fiat 1100/103) -198th
Luisa Pozzoli/Emilio Prudenzano (Fiat 1100/103 TV) - 209th
Renata Anselmo/Adolfo Peluso (Iso Isetta) - 277th
Lise Renaud/Regine Gordine (Moretti 750 Gran Sport) - DNF
Giovanna Moscatelli/Pietro Manadori (Fiat 500C) - DNF
Maria Teresa de Filippis (Maserati A6GCM) - DNF

(1956 and 1957 follow here)

Lia Comirato-Dumas image: http://www.fiat508cs.stellaleone.ch/mille-miglia.html
Mimi Aylmer image: http://www.balillaregistroitaliano.it/coppad'orodellittorio02.html