Sunday 23 January 2011

Pauline Mayman


Pauline (standing) at the 1964 Tour de France, with Val Domleo

Pauline is remembered by many as navigator to Pat Moss in 1962, as well as being a driver in her own right. Most notably, she and Pat won the Baden-Baden rally together, in a Mini. Also in a Mini, they were third in the Geneva Rally. In the Austin-Healey 3000, Pat’s signature car, they were second in the Polish Rally and third in the Alpine and RAC Rallies.

Pauline began her driving career in club rallies in the 1950s, and her first international event was the 1959 RAC Rally. Her car was a Morgan 4/4, which she had been using previously on British rallies. Daphne Freeman was co-driving. Pauline’s husband, Lionel, was also a Morgan driver. It was as his navigator that she got her start in rallying.

In 1960, her biggest achievement was probably a second place in the Express & Star Rally, driving the Morgan once more, with Valerie Domleo. This was described as a difficult event, and many crews missed the first control.

She made her first Monte Carlo appearance the following year, driving a Sunbeam Rapier, with Mary Handley-Page and Daphne Freeman. Her finishing position is unknown. A return to the Express & Star Rally led to a very swift retirement - after ten minutes of navigational test, the electrics failed on her car. She also drove in the London Rally in an MG 1100.

For 1962, she was contracted to BMC as a navigator, so driving was put to one side for a time. Although she was a successful co-driver, Pauline, however, wished to return to the driving seat, which she did in 1963. She was retained by BMC, and drove the Mini Cooper with Val Domleo. They were 28th in Monte Carlo, and 21st in the Tulip Rally, with a third in the Ladies’ Cup, behind Pat Moss and Sylvia Österberg. They won the Coupe des Dames in the Trifels Rally, as well as winning their class. The Alpine gave Pauline probably the best finish of her career: sixth, with a Coupe des Alpes. She was 30th in the season-ending RAC Rally.

In 1964, she was involved in a serious accident in Monte Carlo. Her Mini was hit by a farmer’s truck, and she suffered multiple injuries, including a broken leg. After five months out of action, Pauline returned in time for the Alpine Rally, and was thirteenth, sixth in the Touring class, and first lady, driving a Mini with Valerie Domleo. She later drove in the Spa-Sofia-Liège marathon rally, as well as the RAC Rally, in an MGB.

As well as rallying, Pauline raced on the circuits occasionally. Before her rally career began in earnest, she drove a Cooper T39, and her Morgan, in handicap races. Later, she and Elizabeth Jones drove a Mini together in the 1962 Brands Hatch 6-Hour race, and she also took part in some rallycross events. She participated in the Tour de France twice, both times in a Mini: in 1963, she and Elizabeth Jones failed to make the finish, but in 1964, she and Valerie Domleo were 28th, first in the one-litre Touring class.

1965 was Pauline’s last year of competition. She was still experiencing trouble from her 1964 Monte injuries and had had enough. The highlight of this year was a thirteenth place and class win on the Alpine Rally, which was always her best event.

After her retirement from the stages, Pauline helped to run her family autoparts business, and was involved in the management of the Kieft racing car company. She also devoted a lot of time to breeding and rescuing Irish Wolfhounds.

She died of cancer in 1989, aged 61.

(Image from http://www.pinterest.com/pin/129056345547260391/)

Saturday 22 January 2011

Ana Beatriz "Bia" Figueiredo


As “Ana Beatriz”, Brazilian driver Ana Beatriz Caselato Gomes de Figueiredo began racing in the Indy Racing League for the Dreyer & Reinbold team in 2010. Initially, she drove in the São Paulo and Indianapolis rounds. She was thirteenth in Brazil, and retired from the Indy 500, after becoming involved in a serious accident to her team-mate, Mike Conway. However, since the crash happened on the last lap, she was still classified 21st. Later, she entered the Chicagoland and Homestead races, but retired from both.

Prior to this, she had mostly raced in South America, using the name Bia Figueiredo. Her American adventure began when she competed in Indy Lights in 2008. She was third in the championship, with one win at Nashville and five more podium places. This won her the Tony Renna Award, and a strong following.

The next year, she stayed in Indy Lights, still with the Sam Schmidt Motorsport team. She managed another win, at Iowa, and a third at Kentucky, alongside a string of other top five places. She was eighth this time, after missing the last round due to a lack of finances, and sitting out one race earlier in the season after a car-destroying accident.

Her South American racing experience began in 2003, when she entered her first Formula Renault championship in Brazil. It was here that she began working with the Césario team. She was a decent eleventh in her first season, with three podium places. In addition to this, she was voted Rookie of the Year.

In 2004, she combined Formula Renault with a few outings in Sudam Formula 3. A more experienced Bia visited the top three on nine occasions, and finished the Formula Renault season in fifth. On the F3 side, she did not disgrace herself, and was runner-up in the Light class.

Her first win came in 2005, in Formula Renault. It was one of three she achieved that year, alongside twelve podium places. This gave her third overall in a competitive championship. It was now time to move on to higher things.

In 2006, still driving for Césario, she was fifth overall in Sudam Formula Three, with four second places and one third. It was a good full debut season.

Between then and her move to the States, she was linked with an A1 GP drive for her native Brazil, although she never actually drove the car in anger. Her quiet 2007 season included some A1 GP testing, and this was continued in 2009.

In 2011, she was retained by Dreyer & Reinbold for almost the whole Indy season. She was not one of the fastest on the grid, and had a best finish of eleventh, at Toronto, but she generally avoided the spectacular accidents with which she had become associated. Sadly, she did not finish her home race at São Paulo, but she got to the end of the Indy 500, in 21st position. She was 21st in the championship.


In 2012, she raced again in Indycars. Andretti Racing offered her a part-season, which consisted of São Paulo and Indianapolis. She was 20th in São Paulo and 23rd in the Indy 500.

Driving for Dale Coyne's team in 2013, she had a bigger racing schedule, seven races this time, in the first half of the season. The first two ended in DNFs. These were followed by fourteenth at Long Beach, her best result. Unfortuantely, she did not finish at São Paulo either, although she came back at the Indianapolis 500 and was 15th, from 29th on the grid. Her other races, later on, at Milwaukee and Iowa, gave her a 19th and another DNF. She was 29th overall.  


There was no Indy racing for her in 2014. She moved back to Brazil, and got herself a deal to race in Stock Car, with the Pro GP team. Her car was a Chevrolet Sonic. This was a tough year for Ana Beatriz, who had not driven a saloon or stock car before. The rest of the grid was very impressive, including former Formula One drivers, Rubens Barrichello, Ricardo Zonta and Luciano Burti. Ana's finishing record was quite good, but she did not break into the top ten, having a best finish of eleventh, at Gioânia. Mostly, she managed to get into the lower reaches of the top twenty. She was 32nd overall, five places below her Pro GP team-mate, Rafael Suzuki. 


A second season in Stock Car in 2015 gave her a first top ten finish, a tenth place at Curitiba. Her season was affected by a high rate of non-finishes, and she was 32nd overall. Her car was a Peugeot 408. She also drove a Toyota Corolla in one round of the Copa de Marcas, at Interlagos, and was thirteenth. 

She raced the Peugeot again in the 2016 Stock Car series, and overcame some of her difficulties from 2015. Her finishing result was much improved, and she achieved her first top ten finish, a sixth place at Tarumã. This was one of two; she was tenth later in the season, at Curvelo, and was 25th in the championship.

She endured a terrible start to her 2017 Stock Car season, failing to finish her first five races. Her Chevrolet Cruze was off the pace and her best finish was another sixth, at Santa Cruz. She was 29th in the championship.

She also did three races in the Porsche GT3 Cup in Brazil.

Unfortunately, 2018 also began with a series of DNFs at Sao Paulo and Curitiba. Her best result was sixth at Campo Grande, but she had too many non-finishes to challenge for honours.

At the start of 2019, she joined up with Christina Nielsen, Katherine Legge and Simona de Silvestro to race an Acura NSX for MSR/Jackie Heinricher Racing at the Daytona 24 Hours. They were 12th in the GTD class after the car was damaged. Bia joined the team again at Sebring, Road Atlanta, Road America, Watkins Glen and Mosport, earning a best finish of fourth in class at the Glen. She was due to join her 2019 colleagues for the 2020 Daytona 24 Hours, but had to drop out due to pregnancy.

Mid-2020, her husband and father-in-law were arrested for embezzling money from a Brazilian government department. Bia was not directly implicated herself but she kept a low profile, aided by her impending motherhood.

Despite this, she made a couple of appearances in 2021. She joined Christina Nielsen and Katherine Legge for the Sebring 12 Hours, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 for Earl Bamber's team. They were fifth in the GTD class. Later in the year, she had a guest spot in the Porsche Endurance Series at Interlagos. She finished twelfth.

Most of 2022 was spent in South American TCR championship, driving for two different teams in an Audi RS3 and a Honda Civic. She was 17th in the championship after being a regular top ten finisher. Her best finish was a seventh place at Goiania. 

In December, she made a guest apperance in the Porsche Carrera Cup Endurance series, finishing 19th at Interlagos. This was good preparation for the Mil Milhas do Brazil in January 2023, where she drove a Sigma protoype with Sergio Jimenez and Beto Monteiro. They were 31st overall. 

She then announced that she would be racing trucks for the rest of the year in the Copa Truck. This proved a good move and she was third in the Super class, tied on points with Evandro Camargo who took second place only after dropped scores. Both won twice during the year.

Bia was also voted president of Brazil's women's motorsport association.

(Image from http://lucyvanderblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010_08_01_archive.html)

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Rahel Frey


Rahel in the DTM, in 2012


Rahel is a single-seater driver from Switzerland, who has recently branched out into top-line sportscar racing. Born in 1986, she began karting in 1998, aged twelve. Between then and 2004, she competed in both national and international events. In 2004, she moved on to cars.

Her first experience of full-size racing came in the Swiss Formula Renault 2000 championship. She was on the pace straight away, finishing fourth overall at the end of the season, defeating her future team-mate Cyndie Allemann, and future Formula One driver Romain Grosjean.

She was third in Swiss Formula Renault 2.0 in 2005, with two wins. In addition to this, she scored a further six podium positions, meaning that she was only out of the top three for one race. Four starts in the German Formula Renault series with Equipe Bernoise gave her an additional pole position, but no more wins.

2006 saw her make a double - pronged attack on the Italian Formula Renault championship, and the more competitive Formula Renault Eurocup. Success did not come as easily as it had in the Swiss series, and she was only joint 21st in the Eurocup, with eight points. She did slightly better in Italy, finishing eighteenth, with 24 points. Her Jenzer team-mate Dani Clos won the championship. 

She made a sideways move into International Formula Master in 2007. Her best Formula Master finish was fifth, at Brno, and she entered the top ten six times. However, a series of retirements, and less impressive results, meant that she was seventeenth overall. In 2007, she was also part of the Swiss A1 GP team, but acted as a reserve driver, and only drove the car in test sessions in Malaysia.

In 2008, she joined the German F3 Cup and was fourteenth overall. She finished in the top ten six times, with a best finish of sixth, at Oschersleben. Driving the same car, but for Jo Zeller Racing, in 2009, she fared much better. She won one race, at the Nürburgring, and achieved further podium finishes at Hockenheim, Oschersleben and the second Nürburgring race. For the whole season, she was only out of the top ten once, and she was seventh overall.

In 2010, she raced at Le Mans for the Matech team, driving a Ford GT with Cyndie Allemann and Natacha Gachnang. They did not finish after their car caught fire, losing them too much time. Prior to this, she had also raced for Matech in one Le Mans Series race, and two rounds of the FIA GT1 World Championship, as a replacement for the injured Natacha Gachnang, who broke her leg early in the season. In the GT1 series, she was a disappointing 18th and 22nd at Brno, previously a track at which she had performed well. In the Le Mans Series, Rahel, Cyndie and teenage Swiss male racer Yann Zimmer were a more competitive third, at Spa.

As well as this, she took guest spots in the German VW Scirocco R Cup. These gave her a twentieth and sixth place at the Nürburgring, plus one fastest lap. Later in the year, she also drove in the ADAC Chevrolet Cruze Cup enduro at the Sachsenring, finishing eighth as the guest of the Maurer team. Her co-driver was Dietmar Stanka.

In 2011, she changed direction again, and began competing in the DTM, despite little experience in touring cars. She was driving a 2008-spec Audi A4 for Team Phoenix. Although she did not score any points, her finishing record was good, and her best finish was twelfth. 

Her promise must have shown, as she was offered a deal by Abt Sportsline in 2012, racing a current-spec Audi A5. Her season started slowly, with a 16th place at Hockenheim, and she remained out of the top ten for much of the season. A pair of DNFs at Zandvoort and Oschersleben should have deterred her further, but an altered training regime started to pay off after that: a seventh place at Valencia, giving her her first DTM points. The season's finale at Hockenheim, never her favourite track, led to another 16th place. She was 19th overall in the championship. 


She was retained by Abt Sportsline Audi for the 2013 season, but decided herself that she did not want to run in that year's DTM. She remained with Audi, concentrating on sportscars, and split her season between the ADAC GT Masters, the Blancpain Endurance Series and the R8 LMS Cup, based in China. It was the Chinese races that gave her her best result: a win at Shanghai. She was fourth in that championship. 


The ADAC GT Masters, in which she also drove an R8, was more of a mixed bag. Rahel's best finish was sixth, at Spa and the Slovakiaring, but she was not as consistent as she might have liked, and was only 19th in the final standings. Her season was also marred by a serious accident at Hockenheim, from which she thankfully escaped unharmed. In the Blancpain Endurance Series, she drove with Marcel Fässler in the GT3 Pro class, and managed to finish two of her races, in fourteenth and fifteenth, at Paul Ricard and Monza respectively.


Another highlight of her season was finishing the rain-ravaged Nürburgring 24 Hours, in the R8. With Dom Bastien, Alex Yoong and Marco Werner, she was fourteenth in class. 


2014 was more of the same, hopping between championships in an Audi R8. Most of her European action was in the ADAC GT Masters, although she was not quite on the pace, only breaching the top ten twice, with two ninth places at Oschersleben. In a competitive season with large grids, she was only 39th in the championship. 


Mid-season, she made several visits to the Nürburgring. The 24-hour race came first, and she was twelfth in the SP9 class, 22nd overall. Her team-mates for Audi Race Experience were Dominique Bastien, Christiaan Frankenhout and Christian Bollrath. Later, in August, she made another appearance for the team in the VLN, and was fourth in class. In September, she joined fellow Swiss driver, Didier Cuche, and German Nico Muller for the Blancpain Endurance round at the 'Ring, but did not finish.


Much of her season, especially the latter part, was spent in the Asia-Pacific region. Her first race of the year was the Bathurst 12 Hours, driving a Phoenix Racing R8. Rahel, with René Rast and Laurens Vanthoor, was fifth in class A, in a race of high attrition. She then returned to the LMS Cup in Asia, and had another good season, with the Castrol team. She was third overall, with three second places and two thirds, although she did not repeat her 2013 win.


She raced the Audi again in 2015, again splitting her time between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Rahel and her team-mate, Philip Geipel, contested the ADAC GT Masters, and she was much more on the pace this year. Near the end of the season, she scored her first win, at Hockenheim, and she and Philip managed two thirds, at the Nürburgring and Zandvoort. She was tenth in the championship. Driving solo for the Castrol team, she raced in the Chinese LMS Cup in Asia, and was fifth in the championship, after a win in Korea, and five further podiums, from ten races. She also found time for a guest spot in the Audi TT Cup, and was fourth and fifth at the Red Bull Ring.

2016 saw her continuing her double-pronged assault on the Chinese LMS Cup and the ADAC GT Masters. Her GT Masters season was rather inconsistent, but she took another win, at Zandvoort, after a second place early in the season, at the Sachsenring. She was ninth in the championship. In China, in the same car, but for the Castrol team, she won two races, at Shanghai and Penbay, and finished on the podium on another five occasions. She was fourth overall.

She raced the R8 again in 2017, this time staying mostly in Europe. The GT Masters series was her main focus, but it was rather disappointing for her. She and team-mate Philip Geipel had a best finish of sixth, at Zandvoort. Rahel did much better at the Nürburgring, where she and her team-mates won the SPX class during a guest appearance in the VLN. They were third in the same class in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, finishing 31st overall.

At the end of the season, Rahel was invited to take part in the Audi TT Cup Race of Legends, the last-ever TT Cup race. She secured a fastest lap but did not finish.

The R8 was her main car again in 2018. She raced in GT Masters with Philip Geipel, but was not really on the pace this year. Her mid-season sojourn in the Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup was better and gave her three seconds and a third. Her Asian activities were limited to a guest appearance at Chang, where she did not finish.

The bigger endurance events were kinder to her. For the Nürburgring 24 Hours, she joined an all-female KTM team with Naomi Schiff, Lena Strycek and Laura Kraihamer. The quartet was second in the Cup X class and 39th overall. As part of another all-woman team, Rahel was second in class in the Gulf 12 Hours, sixth overall. The car was a Ferrari 488 run by Kessel Racing and her team-mates were Michelle Gatting and Manuela Gostner.

The three-woman Ferrari team continued in 2019, racing as the "Iron Dames" and managed by Deborah Mayer. They contested the European Le Mans Series and were accepted as an entry for Le Mans itself. The Iron Dames started the season well with second in the GTE class at Paul Ricard, which they repeated later in the year at Silverstone. They were fourth in the GTE championship.

Le Mans itself resulted in a finish, the first for an all-female team since 1977. They were 39th overall, ahead of their male Kessel team-mates in the sister "Iron Lynx" car.

At the end of the year, the Iron Dames reconvened for another attempt at the Gulf 12 Hours. Michelle Gatting was challenging for third in the second half of the race when she was involved in a collision with a backmarker and had to retire.

Away from the Iron Dames, Rahel continued to race for the Audi sportscar team. She competed in most of the Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup in Europe and would have been in with a strong chance of winning had she completed the whole season: she won six of her eight races and was second in the other two.

In the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Rahel and her three Audi team-mates were 19th overall and won the SP8 class for Giti Tyre Motorsport.

In Asia, she did some rounds of the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia for Audi, picking up class third places at Fuji and Shanghai.

At the end of the year, Rahel was one of the five female pro drivers invited to join teams for India's X1 Racing League, a city team-based single-seater series. Each team had to consist of one male and one female international pro driver, plus pro and am Indian drivers. Rahel picked up second and third places in the two-driver relay events for DG Races Ahmedabad.  

Staying in the East, she started 2020 with the rain-shortened Dubai 24 Hours. She drove an Audi R9 LMS for Heide Motorsport and was eighth in the GT4 class, 41st overall. Two weeks later, she was due to join the all-female GEAR Racing team for the Daytona 24 Hours in their Lamborighini Huracan, but GEAR lost its main sponsor and the team was disbanded. The three drivers took over a Grasser Motorsport Huracan for the race but did not finsh.

She returned as an Iron Dame in 2020, in the same Ferrari 488. Alongside Michelle and Manuela, she contested the European Le Mans Series in the GTE class. They were fifth in their class with three third places, two at Paul Ricard and one at Monza, plus a fastest lap from the series finale at Algarve. The Dames' second Le Mans outing was relatively successful and they were ninth in the GTE Am class. 

This made up for some disappointment in the Audi R8, previously a car that worked well for her. She had an indifferent ADAC GT Masters season with Aust Motorsport, failing to get into the top twenty all year. A Racing Engineers R8 failed to get to the finish of the Nurburgring 24 Hours, although it ran better in the two rounds of the VLN that Rahel entered, giving her a best finish of second in class.

The Iron Dames contested the World Endurance Championship in 2021, with Rahel as the team leader again. She was part of the squads for the WEC and ELMS campaigns, usually accompanied by Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy. The Dames were 18th in the WEC LMGTE category with a 100% finishing record and Rahel was tenth in the Am standings. They finished thirteenth in class at Le Mans, despite an off in qualifying. The three-woman team was 36th overall.

Their best result was a class eleventh in the second round at Portimao.

Driving as a duo, Rahel and Michelle contested the ELMS together in the Ferrari. Despite two non-finishes at the Red Bull Ring and Paul Ricard, they were ninth in the LMGTE championship, with two third places at Spa and Portimao. Mid-season, the team also guested in the Italian GT championship in the Iron Dames car, finishing thirteenth in class.

As Iron Dames team leader, she was busy again in 2022. She did the full WEC season, driving again in the LMGTE class. At Le Mans itself, she was twelfth in class, seventh in the Am class, after a troubled race, but the Dames performed better in the second half of the season. They were second in the Am class at Monza and Fuji and third at Bahrain, seventh, seventh and eighth in LMGTE respectively.

She only did the first half of the Dames' ELMS programme, handing over to Doriane Pin after the Monza race, where they finished fourth. This was their second fourth of the year, after achieveing the same result at Paul Ricard.

Rahel was part of the team for its Fanatec GT World Challenge run, finishing with a championship second. They won one round at Spa after coming second at Paul Ricard.

The Iron Dames announced a switch to a Lamborghini Huracan for the IMSA season in 2023, plus a Porsche 911 for Europe. Rahel continued to be part of the driver line-up. The GTD Lamborghini came out for the Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta IMSA rounds, with a best class finish of eleventh at Sebring. The core team of Rahel and Michelle was assisted by either Sarah Bovy or Doriane Pin. They were 35th in GTD as a team.

The WEC was a better arena for Rahel and the Dames. After a shaky start in the Porsche at Sebring, they were third at Portimao and won the last-ever LMGTE Pro race at Bahrain. This was enough for second in the class championship. 

The Lamborghini was also called into service for the GT World Challenge Europe. A retirement from the Spa 24 Hours dented their confidence and championship hopes and their best finish was 28th at Monza. They were unplaced in the main championship and 24th in the Bronze Cup. 

Rahel continued with the Iron Dames for 2024, but will only race in the European Le Mans Series.

(Image copyright Audi)

Sunday 16 January 2011

The Paris—St. Raphaël Rally



Madame Lietard

This rally was the premier female-only motorsport event for most of the twentieth century. In its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, it attracted works entries from the major manufacturers, and was contested and won by notable drivers like Claudine Trautmann, Marianne Hoepfner and Christine Beckers.

It was started in 1929 by the Count Edmé de Rohan-Chabot, and functioned much the same as contemporary rallies, with speed trials, navigational sections and driving tests. Its route ran between Paris and St. Raphaël in southern France, although there were changes over the forty or so years that it existed, on and off. The last rally was run in 1974, following a decline after the Count’s death in 1972.

Its early phase, prior to WWII, saw entries from drivers of the calibre of Lucy O’Reilly Schell, Amy Johnson, Betty Haig and Yvonne Simon. In 1932, a young Bugatti driver named Renée Friederich was killed on a hillclimb section. For most of the rest of its lifetime, the Rally thankfully avoided such tragedies. In 1969, Cathy Pitt was killed in a head-on crash on a road section, and Marguerite Accarie died in similar circumstances during the final special stage of the 1970 Rallye. Otherwise, the event remained free of such controversy.

Later, after the war, the next evolution of the event attracted the likes of Gilberte Thirion, Annie Soisbault and Lucette Pointet. Anny-Charlotte Verney, Pat Moss, Marie-Claude Beaumont and Michèle Mouton all competed, between then and its demise in 1974. In its last two years of existence, it counted towards the European Rally Championship.

The rally was briefly revived, once, in 1983. It ran in the area around St. Raphaël, and consisted of 16 special stages, over 2060km. The event was supported by Citroen, who were preparing to launch the Citroen Total Trophy for female drivers in 1984. It was dominated by Citroen Visas. The winner, Colette Perrier, drove one, as did the two drivers below her. The rally was not run again for the Trophy proper.

In 2000, the rally was revived as the Rallye des Princesses, a navigational test for female drivers in classic cars. It still attracts the attention of drivers such as Patricia Bertapelle and Vanina Ickx, but it is not the competitive international rally it once was.

Below is a list of outright winners of the original Rally, with class winners and top-three finishers where possible. Tracking down results for this event is very tricky, and the list is probably not complete. Gaps in results lists seem to suggest that the event did not run every year, although this is not necessarily the case. Frustratingly, navigators’ names and car models are often omitted from reports.


1929
1.       Germaine Lietard (Salmson)
2.       Lucy O’Reilly Schell (Talbot)
3.       “Madame Vivier” (Citroen)
50cc class: Estelle Lang (Rosengart)
1100cc class: Germaine Lietard, Marcelle Leblanc (Rally), Albertine Derancourt (Salmson)
1500cc class: Madame Heu (Citroen)
2000cc class: Lucy O'Reilly Schell
3000cc class: Madame Kiss (Whippet)
3000cc+ class: Maria la Caze Noronha (Oakland)


1930
1. Germaine Lietard (Salmson)
4-5hp class: Estelle Lang (Rosengart)
6-8hp class: Germaine Lietard
10hp class: Simone Gonnot (Citroen)
11-12hp class: "Madame Maillard" (Talbot)
13-17hp class: Renée Friederich (Bugatti)
18+hp class: "Mlle Rouanne" (Guyot)


1931
1.       Estelle Lang (Rosengart)
6-8hp class: Marcelle Leblanc (Peugeot)
9-10 hp class: Jeanne Conche (Mathis)
11-12hp class: Lucienne Radisse (Renault)
13-17hp class: "Mlle Ravel" (Amilcar)
17+hp class: Louise Lamberjack (Fiat)
Coupe de Vitesse: Renée Friederich (Bugatti)


1932
1.       Lucy O'Reilly Schell (Bugatti)
2.       Marcelle Michaud (Voisin)
3.       Germaine Lietard (Salmson)
5hp class: Simone des Forest (Rosengart)
6-8hp class: Claire Descollas (Amilcar)
9-10hp class: "Madame Obre"/"Madame Gaillard" (Salmson)
11-12hp class: Hellé-Nice (Bugatti T35)/Simone Duhamel (Ballot)
13-16hp class: Odette France (Renault)
17+hp class: Lucy O'Reilly Schell (Bugatti)


1933
1.       Marcelle Leblanc (Peugeot)
2.       Marcelle Girard (Delage)
3.       Marie-Jeanne Marinovitch (Voisin)
Coupe de Vitesse: Louise Lamberjack (Peugeot 301)
Braking and Acceleration tests: Louise Lamberjack (Peugeot 301)
Manufacturer’s Prize: Peugeot
6-8hp: Louise Lamberjack (Peugeot 301)
9-10hp: Odette Siko (Alfa Romeo)
11-12hp: “Mme Dubuc Taine” (Hotchkiss)
13-16hp: “Mme Panera” (Amilcar)
17+hp: Marie Stalter (Lorraine)


1934
"Madame Dubuc-Taine" (Hotchkiss) was named as the winner for a penalty-free finish and leading the efficiency and speed test standings.
Penalty points standings:
1.       “Madame Nenot” (Delahaye 138)
2.       Simone Gonnot (Delahaye 138)
6hp: Pamela Moy (MG)
8hp: Fernande Hustinx (Peugeot 301)
10hp: Enid Riddell (MG)
12hp: "Madame Dubuc-Taine" (Hotchkiss)
16hp: Gedon (Lorraine)
16hp+: “Madame Nenot” (Delahaye 138)


1935
1.       Olga Thibault (Peugeot 201)
2.       Germaine Rouault (Delahaye Sport)
3.       Lucy O’Reilly Schell (Delahaye Sport)


1936
1.       Germaine Rouault (Delahaye 135S)
2. Claire Descollas (Lancia)
3. "Madame Dubuc-Taine" (La Licorne)
<1100cc class: Pamela Moy (MG)
1100-1500cc class: Jackie Astbury (Singer)
1500-1800cc class: Madame Lievin (La Licorne)
1800-2200cc class: Madame Godfroy (Renault)
2200-3000cc class: Fernande Roux (Amilcar)
>3000cc class: Louise Lamberjack (Hotchkiss)
Coupe du President: Lucy O'Reilly Schell (Delahaye), winner of 500m speed trial at Montlhery and Pougues hillclimb.


1937
1.       Germaine Rouault (car not recorded, probably a Delahaye as she drove one elsewhere that year)
2.       Yvonne Simon (Hotchkiss Grand Sport)
3.       Simone des Forest (car not recorded)


1938
1. Betty Haig (MG PB) – Category A winner
3. Claire Descollas (Lancia)
Suzanne Largeot (Simca) – Category B winner (4th overall)


1939
1.       Yvonne Simon (Hotchkiss Grand Sport)
2.       Germaine Rouault (Delahaye 135) – win in the Saint-Eutrope hillclimb section
3.       Betty Haig (MG)
Jarmila Kronbauerova (Jawa) - Class B and 750cc class win
Countess Pamela Moy (BMW) - 2200cc class win
Germaine Rouault (Delahaye 135) - over 3000cc class win
Betty Stresa (Simca-Fiat) - Concours d'Elegance win


1940
Hiatus for WWII. The event may have started again in 1947, although no results are known at present, or for any other dates prior to 1951.


1951
1.       Lucienne Alziary de Roquefort (Panhard Dyna)
2.       Yvonne Simon (Ferrari)
3.       Betty Haig (MG)


1952
1.       Yvonne Simon (Renault 1063)
2.       Lucienne Alziary de Roquefort (Panhard Dyna)
3.       Madeleine Pochon (Renault)


1953
Yvonne Simon (Renault 1063) – overall winner
Paola della Chiesa (Lancia Aurelia) – class win
Sports and Touring cars had their own classes.
Overall standings:
1. Yvonne Simon (Renault 1063)
2. Alexandra Hammersley (Lancia Aurelia)
3. Jane Bagarry/”Mlle de Warren” (Renault 1063).


1954
1.       Yvonne Simon (Panhard Monopole) – also won the 500-750cc class
2.       Lucienne Alziary de Roquefort (Dyna Panhard)
3.       Gilberte Thirion (Porsche 356)
“Madame Cazon”/Gilberte Stempert  (Dyna-Panhard DB850) -  750-1000cc class win
“Madame Achard”/”Madame Desoche” (Peugeot 203) – 1000-1300cc class win
Gilberte Thirion (Porsche 356) – 1300-2000cc class win
Betty Haig (Austin Healey) – 2000-3000cc class win
Jane Brandford (Triumph) - car control test win


1955
1.       Marie-Antoinette Chauvin/Maguy Richelme (Renault 1063)
2.       Jane Bagarry (Renault 1063)
3.       Sabine Hertslet/Rosemarie Schleheck (Porsche)


1956
No rally held?

1957
1. Yvonne Simon (Panhard Monopole)


1958

No rally held?

1959
1.       Annie Soisbault/Renée Wagner (Triumph TR3)
2.       Nicole Pizot/Lucette Pointet (DB Panhard)
3.       Regine Langlois”/”Madame Gesmier” (car not recorded)


1961
1.       Gabrielle Renault/J. Pivoit (Renault Dauphine Gordini)
2.       A Nioncelle/Ginette Desrolland (Renault Dauphine Gordini)
3.       Alexandra Kissel/Nadine Kissel (Panhard)


1963
1.       Lucette Pointet/”Madame Dutel” (Citroen DS 19)
2.       Gabrielle Renault/”Madame Bivois” (Renault)
3.       Simone Petit/”Mlle Mondolini” (Renault)


1964
1.       Claudine Trautmann (Lancia Flavia Coupe)


1966
1.       Claudine Trautmann/Colette (Lancia Flavia Zagato)


1967
1.       Claudine Trautmann/Catherine Piot (Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye HF)


1968
1.       Claudine Trautmann/Catherine Piot (Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye HF)


1969
1.       Claudine Trautmann/Hanrioud (Lancia Fulvia Coupe Rallye HF)
2.       Marie-Pierre Palayer/E Perrier (BMW 2002)
3.       Marie-Claude Beaumont/"Jonchere" (Chevrolet Camaro)
4.       Gabrielle Renault/"Cora" (Alpine-Renault)
5.       Paulette Delcros/Francoise Prud'hommes (Alpine Renault)
National Rallye: Marianne Hoepfner (Alpine-Renault)


1970
1.   Marie-Pierre Palayer/E Perrier (Porsche)
2.   Lucette Pointet/Lucette Veron (Ford Capri)
3.   Pat Moss-Carlson/Liz Nystrom (Lancia Fulvia HF)


1971
  1. Marie-Claude Beaumont/Marie-Madeleine Fouquet (Chevrolet Camaro)
  2. Marianne Hoepfner/J Roussely (Alpine Renault)
  3. Claudine Trautmann/Marie-Odile Desvignes (Alpine Renault)
  4. Marie-Pierre Palayer/E Perrier (Porsche 911 S)
  5. Michele Vallet/M Rodt (Alfa Romeo
National Rallye: Annick Girard/Francoise Conconi (Alpine Renault)
Production Touring: Marie-Claude Beaumont (Chevrolet Camaro)
Special Touring: Michele Vallet (Alfa Romeo)
GT: Marie-Pierre Palayer (Porsche)
Special GT: Marianne Hoepfner (Alpine Renault)


1972
1. Marianne Hoepfner/Christine Fourton (Alpine Renault A110)
2. Christine Beckers/Cica Lurani (Alpine 1800)
3. Christine Dacremont/Bossert (Alpine 1600S)
Class win: Michele Vallet/Mme Penot (Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV) 6th overall
National class:
1. "Charlotte"/Henriot (Alpine 1600S)
2. "Durand"/"Belbello" (Alpine 1600S)
3. Marie-Odile Desvignes/Francoise Conconi (Alpine 1600S)


1973
1.       Marianne Hoepfner/Yveline Vannoni (Alpine Renault A110)
2.       “Charlotte”/Marie-José Hommel (Alpine Renault A110)
3.       Marie-Pierre Palayer/M-F Helly (Alpine Renault A110)


1974
1.       Christine Beckers/”Biche” (Michele Espinosi-Petit) (Lancia Stratos)
2.       Anny-Charlotte Verney/”Legou” (Porsche 911 Carrera RS)
3.       Donatella Tominz/Gabriella Mamolo (Fiat Abarth 124 Rally)
Group 1: Corinne Tarnaud (Alfa Romeo 2000)
Group 2: Monique Bourdon (Opel Kadett)
Group 3: Michele Mouton (Alpine-Renault)
Group 4: Anny-Charlotte Verney (Porsche)


1983
  1. Dominique Perrier/"Drouilleau" (Citroen Visa)
  2. Florence L'Huillier/"Camandona" (Citroen Visa)
  3. Sylvie Seignobeaux/Brigitte Ayme (Citroen Visa)


This list has been compiled using data posted by members of the TNF and Forum Auto forums. Also thanks to Colin Butchers.




(Image source Auto)