Women in Motor-sport

Action Resources Ltd. is delighted to have BARBARA ARMSTRONG, twice former British Ladies Rally Champion, front-running UK Porsche Cup campaigner in 2001 (with Parr Motorsport) and longtime mentor of women in motor-sport, as our "patron" for this Section of the site. Barbara is an inspiration to many women who are hopeful of competing in the sport and has worked closely with SEAT in the UK for some years. Barbara has more recently been doing sterling work in co-ordinating the successful organisation, promotion and management of the UK Formula Ford Championships.

But why have a complete section of this site devoted to the notion of attracting women into motor-sport?

Barbara says: "I think we will open a very good window of opportunity to the younger female generation with their hearts set in motor-sport."

Quite simply, a large number of women are now working at senior levels within the motor-sport industry and are, increasingly, competitors. But, unless women are more visible within the sport, the family and female audiences that are so vital for motor-sport to flourish will remain largely absent. We want to campaign to do something about this and to encourage female participation.

The British Women Racing Drivers' Club website may be found at www.bwrdc.co.uk

The MIA took an important inititiative by setting up workshops on this subject at Autosport International in 2003 and 2004; Janet Phillips and Joanna Royle attended on behalf of Action Resources Ltd.

We are interested in women competing directly against blokes - and succeeding!

What is written above was placed on this website several years ago. Now - in 2010 - we have received the great news that the FIA, no less, has at last understood the plight of women wanting to be recognised in motor-sport and has announced the creation of a Women & Motor-Sport Commission (WMC), whose inaugural President will be the former rally ace Michelle Mouton (who is, incidentally, a regular visitor these days to the Race Retro Shows that take place at Stoneleigh Park each March). The purpose of the WMC is said to be (1) to facilitate the full participation by women in all aspects of motor-sport, (2) to set in place strategies and policies to promote the education and training of women in motor-sport, (3) to implement actions and events to allow the sharing of experiences and to encourage reflection as to how to strengthen the participation of women (as athletes/competitors, officials and managers) in motor-sport and (4) to collaborate with other international organisations on joint sports projects. Other Members of the Commission will be named in due course but will include 2 FIA nominees, a representative of the Manufacturers, 3 representatives of the National Sporting Authorities, a representative of the Team Managers, a representative of the drivers, one Project Manager and one representative of the FIM (for motor-cycling). We shall report further on this highly significant (and overdue) initiative as things develop.

And, indeed, in June 2010, we are able to report that the Members of the new FIA Commission, sitting under the Presidency of Michele Mouton, are:
Kady Angelbert, Banu Baseran, Ina Fabry, Natacha Gachnang, Hayley Gallagher, Henny Hemmes, Monisha Kaltenborn, Katherine Legge, Cathy Muller, Randa Nabulsi, Fabrizia Pons, Sarka Regnerova, Sue Sanders, Frederique Trouve, Mar de Villa and Brigitte Zufferey plus the one male member, Jaime Puig.


News Snippets - 2010:

Britain's Pippa Mann - in her second season of Indy Lights in North America - finished a very close second to James Hinchcliffe (by 0.0159 of a second) at the Chicagoland 100 oval race on 28 August.

19-year old Laura Tillett from Sittingbourne in Kent began her karting career back in 2003 and has now made her factory debut with the TonyKart Junior Team. She heads into the new WSK World Series in July 2010.

Persson Motorsport Mercedes driver Susie Stoddart became the first woman to score points in the current era DTM with a seventh-place finish at Lausitz. Ellen Lohr was the last lady to score points in the previous-generation DTM, at the Norisring back in 1996 [6 June 2010].

Danica Patrick salvaged a poor IndyCar season with a close second place overall at the Texas Motor Speedway in her Andretti Autosport Dallara-Honda [5 June 2010].

Gail Hill is back on the winners' rostrum having scored a third place and a race win in her Jaguar XJ40 in the 'XJS & Jaguar Saloon' events at Anglesey on 22/23 May 2010.

Four women are competing in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 - Dreyer & Reinbold Racing has put in an entry for Brazilian rookie Ana Beatriz (the winner of two Indy Lights races in recent years has actually qualified as the fastest woman on the grid) and IndyCar regulars Simona de Silvestro, Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick are also entered. Milka Duno alas failed to qualify [28 May 2010].

Both Katherine Legge and Susie Stoddart will resume their careers in the DTM, driving 'older' spec cars for Audi and Mercedes-Benz respectively [19 April 2010].

The Swiss ladies Natacha Gachnang and Cyndie Allemann are departing single-seater racing for the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship and are to share a Matech Competition Ford GT in the new 10-weekend Series. They have an entry for the Le Mans 24-Hours too (being joined by Rahel Frey). Alas, though, Natasha (who is the cousin of Toro Rosso F1 driver Sebastien Buemi) crashed the Ford GT badly in Qualifying for the first race at Abu Dhabi and is out of action for a bit with a broken leg [updated 19 April 2010].

The Polish former Euro F/Renault and Star Mazda driver Natalia Kowalska is to participate in the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship - this being the second season of the Series run by Britain's Jonathan Palmer [15 April 2010].

The Swiss female hot-shoe Simona de Silvestro has graduated to the IndyCar Series with HVM Racing, joining Danica Patrick (Andretti Autosport) and Milka Duno (Dale Coyne Racing) - and, on occasions, Sarah Fisher - in the Championship [12 April 2010].

Maria de Villota from Spain is competing in the Superleague Formula - these cars being ex-Panoz ChampCar machines with a V-12 750bhp motor - for Atletico Madrid, run by Durango [12 April 2010].

29-year old Burcu Cetinkaya from Turkey is contesting eight IRC rounds in a Peugeot 207 S2000 [10 April 2010].

2009 UK F/R competitor (with Manor), Alice Powell, is to contest both the BARC Formula Renault Championship with Fortec Motorsport and the Ginetta G50 Cup (part of the BTCC package) with Tockwith Motorsport [25 March 2010].

Boston's Fiona Leggate and Evesham's Cassey Watson are participating in the new Trofeo Abarth 500 GB Championship with Team CMS/Autoworld and Lunar Racing/Thames Abarth Slough respectively. These two ladies are to join the racing lawyer, Sarah Franklin, who has long had a love affair with the FIAT 500, and the tv Presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson in the Series. In the first races at Oulton Park over Easter, Watson scored an 8th and a 10th, whilst Leggate achieved a 7th place in Race Two and Franklin a 9th [updated 7 April 2010].

Pippa Mann is to remain in the Indy Lights Series in North America in 2010 but will switch teams to Sam Schmidt Motorsports from Panther [19 January 2010].

Roger Phillips spotted Gail Hill at Autosport International - not too surprisingly on the Jaguar Stand - and the former Jaguar XJS Champion reported that she had recently made her Ma5da MX-5 debut at Brands Hatch [15 January 2010].

Danica Patrick has announced that she is indeed to participate in a limited schedule of NASCAR races in 2010, in the "second tier" Nationwide series. She is thought to be concentrating on her IndyCar racing activites with Andretti Autosport but is clearly planning ultimately to move into the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In NASCAR this year, she will race for JR Motorsports, which is co-owned by Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr., in a green,black amd orange Chevvy sponsored by her long-term backer GoDaddy.com. The 27-year old was one of 10 women to participate in an ARCA Racing Series test at the very end of 2009; amongst the other women present were Milka Duno, Amber and Angela Cope and the established ARCA racer, Alli Owens. So successful was the test that Patrick is said to be considering going in at the NASCAR deep end and entering the NASCAR Nationwide Series opener at Daytona [7 January 2010].


"Women in Motor-Sport" News Snippets prior to 2010 :

21-year old Australian rally driver Molly Taylor clinched the British Ladies' Rally Championship title at the Ulster Rally, the BRC's penultimate 2009 round, driving a Suzuki Swift Cup car [1 November 2009].

15-year old Sarah Moore emulated her brother, Nigel, and took the BTCC support 2009 Ginetta Junior Championship in fine style for Tockwith Motorsport from Jake Cook and Aaron Williamson - as "Autosport" commented: "Sarah showed a remarkable capacity to keep cool and race through the pack". Very well done [5 October 2009].

Kartist Tiffany Chittenden finished 11th and 15th on her Porsche Carrera Cup GB debut at Rockingham [20 September 2009].

Simona de Silvestro from Switzerland - in her third season of Formula Atlantic in North America - has scored three race wins in the Championship as at 5 August 2009 and leads the points standings.

Bia Figueiredo scored her first Indy Lights win of the year at Iowa Speedway [25 June 2009].

22-year old Anna Walewska is to participate in this year's VW Cup, the first woman so to do since Claire Tippet in 2005 [2 March 2009].

DTM racer Katherine Legge is to move up to a one-year old Audi in the Series this year, the car being run by AbtSportsline [27 February 2009].

The BBC is to get its first ever female Director of Sport after it announced the appointment of Barbara Slater to replace Roger Mosey as the head of the Corporation's sports output [26 February 2009].

Historic racer Amanda Whittaker will dovetail her campaign in the Historic FF1600 Championship with a return to modern Club FF1600 racing after a 17-year absence [17 February 2009].

16-year old Gloucestershire schoolgirl, Alice Powell, competed in Ginetta Juniors in 2008 and is driving in the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2009 with Manor Competition. Alice sits her GCSEs this summer at The Cotswold School in Bourton-on-the-Water and has been karting since she was eight [15 January 2009].

21-year old Swiss driver Natacha Gachnang -who finished third overall in the points standings in Spanish F3 in 2008 - has become the first woman to sign up for the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship [18 December 2008].

Jennifer Mullan, a 21-year old from County Down who now lives in Dublin, has become the first woman to drive a Supercar in an Irish Rallycross Championship round when she competed in a Toyota Celica at Mondello Park [16 November 2008].

British Formula Renault 3.5 racer Pippa Mann is joining Panther Racing in the USA to compete in the 2009 Indy Lights Series. This opportunity was initially brought to the attention of Pippa's management (Goman) by Roger Phillips of Action Resources Limited [2 October 2008].

California-born, British-domiciled dual sportswoman, Liz Halliday, is to drive the LMP1 Creation CA07 chassis in the ALMS season-ending events at Petit Le Mans (Road Atlanta) and Laguna Seca, having first raced the car in the (European) Le Mans Series event at the Nurburgring on 17 August 2008.

Fresh from a successful LMP1 drive in the Rollcentre Pescarolo at Le Mans, Vanina Ickx has won the Spa 12-Hours in a Renault Megane with Frederic Bouvy and David Loix [26 June 2008].

17-year old Heather Calder from Thurso in Scotland has moved on from karting to become the youngest ever driver to qualify for the "Top 12" Run-Off in a British Sprint Championship event, something which she achieved at Mallory Park this month. Heather campaigns a Gould GR37 with a 4-litre Judd engine developing a mere 680bhp [15 May 2008].

Danica Patrick made history in Japan on Sunday 20 April when she emerged victorious in the Indy Racing League event at Motegi. Danica's win (for Andretti Green Racing), in her fourth season of Indycar racing, was the first for a woman in a major single-seater international championship. Danica Patrick hails from Wisconsin and raced karts in the USA from 1994 to 1997. She is said to have been "discovered" by former Team Chief, John Mecom, and was taken under the wing of MRS 2000 when she raced in the UK in 1998 to 2001. During that time, she raced in Formula Vauxhall during her first year and British Formula Ford thereafter, finishing a fighting second in the 2000 Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and driving a "works" Mygale the following year. For 2002, Danica returned to North America under a new long-term deal with Bobby Rahal. She was third in the 2004 Toyota Atlantic Championship and moved on up to the IRL the following year, causing a sensation by achieving 4th in the 2005 Indy 500. 2006 saw the final year of her association with Rahal Letterman Racing, with eight top-10 finishes in the IRL and ninth in the championship points standings at the end of that season. In '07, Danica moved to AGR and equalled the best ever result by a female in IRL with a second place at Belle Isle. Danica Patrick has just turned 26 and was born on 25 March, 1982 [22 April 2008].

The Swiss driver Cyndie Allemann, who drove for Manor Motorsport in the F3 Euroseries in 2007, is switching to the North American Indy Pro Series for this season, with American Spirit Racing [25 February 2008].

Former Caterham racer Sarah Reader has taken delivery of a new Juno for participation in the 2008 VdeV UK Series with Ryan Hooker [22 February 2008].

Irish driver Jenny Ryan (24) secured the Mini Challenge championship crown in 2007 and is looking to the new Cooper Works Challenge in 2008 [25 January 2008].

Toni Kelly (19) from Letterkenny, County Donegal, has been named by "Motorsport News" as one of 50 young drivers to keep an eye on for future greatness. In 2008, Toni wants to contest the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the British Rally Championship and four WRC events, the latter in a Honda Civic [23 January 2008].

Sandra Bagley (35), from Kingston, has taken the UK Ladies' National Autograss Championship for the second time in 3 years [10 September 2007].

Haymarket's Autosport Magazine produced a comprehensive piece about women in motor-sport in their 23 August 2007 edition. A somewhat subjective (necessarily) feature on the "Top 10 Women Racers" appeared as follows : No 10, Helle Nice (aka Helene Delange) who was the subject of Miranda Seymour's book, "The Bugatti Queen"; No 9, Sir Stirling's sister Pat Moss-Carlsson, winner of the mighty Liege-Rome-Liege; No 8, Sabine Schmitz/Reck, mistress of the Nordschleife and known to fans of the BBC's Top Gear; No 7, Jutta Kleinschmidt, winner of the 2001 Dakar Rally; No 6, Ellen Lohr, the only woman thus far to win outright in the DTM (for Mercedes in 1992 at Hockenheim); No 5, Danica Patrick, still to win in the IRL but not far away; No 4, Janet Guthrie, the first woman to compete in both the Indianapolis and Daytona 500s as well as achieving a class win at Sebring in the 12-Hours; No3, the highly accomplished South African Desire Wilson - so far the only woman to win a Formula One race (an Aurora AFX Championship race at Brands Hatch in 1980) and winner of two World Sportscar Championship races at Monza and Silverstone in the De Cadenet Lola. Wilson failed to qualify a Williams FW07 for the British GP in '80 but contested 11 ChampCar events between '83 and '86; No 2, the late Lella Lombardi, who died of cancer in 1992, the only woman to win F1 World Championship points (half a point actually in the ill-starred 1975 Spanish GP, driving a March 751). Lombardi also dabbled in NASCAR and won two World Sportscar Championship races in Osellas at Enna and Vallelunga in 1979; and No 1, Michele Mouton who graced this year's Historic Motor-Sport Show ("Race Retro") at Stoneleigh Park and was re-united with a Group B Audi Quattro on that occasion - the car that propelled her to all four of her World Rally Championship wins - and, as "Autosport" says, the "only driver in this list who can legitimately claim to be a bona fide all-time great of the sport on performance alone."

The above feature in "Autosport" (23 August 2007) also named 14 female "FUTURE STARS" (in alphabetical order), many of whom have featured within this area of www.motor-sport.uk.com, The Motor-Sport Network at Action Resources Ltd : Cyndie Allemann (21), F3 Euroseries with Manor Motorsport; Erin Crocker (26), ARCA (in the USA) with Ray Evernham and looking to NASCAR; Milka Duno (35), Grand-Am and IRL; Sarah Fisher (26), IRL with Dreyer & Reinbold and a former IRL pole sitter; Rahel Frey (21), International Formula Master; Liz Halliday (28), ALMS and Le Mans 24-Hours in GT1 and LMP2 with Team Modena and Noel del Bello, a Motors tv Commentator and an international equestrian (competing for the USA but domiciled in the UK); Vanina Ickx (32), DTM with Colin Kolles Audi; our very own Fiona Leggate (27), BTCC, MINI and BritCar; Katherine Legge (27), ChampCar with Dale Coyne Racing; Pippa Mann (23), World Series by Renault with Cram Competition; Leilani Munter (31), Indy Pro Series; Simona de Silvestro (at 18 the youngest in this list), ChampCar Atlantic with Walker Racing; Susie Stoddart (24), DTM with Mercedes-Benz; and Leanne Tander (27), Australian F3 race winner. A useful and interesting contribution this - well done, "Autosport".

Top British racer Fiona Leggate from Lincolnshire is to resume her career in the British Touring Car Championship in 2007 by campaigning a bio-ethanol powered Kartworld/Boston Bowl Racing MG ZS in the Independents' Championship - go to the bottom of this page and click on Fiona's Driver Profile. More on www.fionaleggate.co.uk [12 March 2007].

Gail Hill is to be heartily congratulated on winning overall the 2006 "Jaguar World Monthly"/Classic Spares XJS Championship, as foreshadowed in her Driver Profile on this website (go to the foot of this page). Gail is available to recount her character-building experiences on the after-dinner speaking circuit this Autumn and Winter. If you want to get in touch with her, contact Roger Phillips at Action Resources Ltd. [18 September 2006].

A musician and PA with no motor-sport experience has won the chance to become a rally driver. Becky Kirvan is from Witham in Essex and has won the Silverstone Rally School Lady Quest Scholarship, a talent search for the next female rally star, at her third attempt. The 26-year old has won the use of a 1.4-litre MG ZR rally car and her first event will be the Lombard Rally in October - Kirvan will be co-driven by former WRC competitor Gemma Price [18 September 2006].

One of Barbara Armstrong's own protegees is the remarkable Kelly-Jayne Wells who has once again beaten the boys "at the Rock" - Rockingham, England. Kelly-Jayne took her second Pickup-Truck career win with a superb drive in the first of the races held on the UK Oval on 16 July, taking the lead on the very last lap. Dubbed the "UK's fastest lady racer", the 30-year old Fitness Instructor races her pink and mauve Number 21 machine. At the end of 2007, however, Kelly-Jayne has decided to retire from the sport, a lack of funding being to blame [updated January 2008].

Britain's Katherine Legge made history on 4th June 2006 when she re-wrote the ChampCar World Series record books in Milwaukee as she took the highest finish for a female driver in the Series' history. Legge, 25, from Surrey finished sixth in the race and also became the first woman to lead a race in the Series.

Tanya Partridge is not your average mother. Aside from being a former model, she now teaches special needs teenagers and runs her family. And she wants to drive a 7,000 bhp Top Fuel dragster! Building on her best ever year in 2005, where she was second in the Sportsman ET class of drag racing with a Chevrolet Camaro, she has lined up a drive in the premier class of FIA European drag racing. As Tanya comments herself, "everyone says there is nothing to prepare you for driving a car that does 0-100mph in 0.8 seconds, so I decided to jump straight in!" Contact Tanya Partridge on inzaneracing@yahoo.co.uk or Derek Todd at derek@nitrofreaks.co.uk or by mobile on 07968 757262 [9 March 2006].

Britain's Sarah Franklin became the first woman to sign with Action Resources Ltd for the provision of driver management services and made a terrific debut in the final races of the 2004 AVO Ginetta Championship at Brands Hatch with Reflex Racing in early October. For more on Sarah Franklin visit her website at www.sarahfranklinracing.co.uk [October 2004].

Switzerland's Lilian Bryner became the second woman to win a major international 24-Hour sports car endurance race in 2004 when she triumphed in the Spa 24 Hours. Driving a Ferrari 550 Maranello with Enzo Calderari, Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin, it was Lilian who brought the car across the finishing-line to a place in the motor-sport history books.

Milka Duno became the first woman to win a major international sportscar race outright in 24 years when she triumphed in the second round of the 2004 GrandAm Series at Homestead on 28 February 2004.



Go to the page-finder at the top of this page to read what PETER STEVENS said - some years ago - about women as car designers.


Pages in this section:

Women in Motor-sport: Meet the Drivers
Women Car Designers