BWRDC GOLD STAR WINNERS RACHEL GREEN & LOUISE RICHARDSON
Announced at the world’s leading racing car show - Autosport International, Saturday 10th January 2009.

Caterham and GT ace and 2-time winner of the Lord Wakefield trophy Rachel Green and kart sensation Louise Richardson were presented with the first-ever British Women Racing Drivers’ Club (BWRDC) Gold Stars in front of a large crowd gathered at the BWRDC Stand at Autosport International on Saturday 10th January.

The BWRDC Gold Stars is a new initiative conceived by Chairman Helen Bashford-Malkie who explained: “Only two of these prestigious awards will be presented annually; one to a ‘Club’ member who aspires to become a professional driver and one to an ‘Elite’ member wishing to progress her motorsport career to the next level en route to becoming a professional driver.

“The Gold Stars are the Club’s way of flagging up talent within our sport and to help the nominees and winners promote and progress their careers. Both winners will have the added kudos and benefit from two highly successful and professional drivers as their mentors, BWRDC Star Drivers Liz Halliday and Susie Stoddart. I am continually inspired by the successes our members achieve and in all categories, across the UK, in parts of Europe and the US and I wanted to offer them another platform to help further their burgeoning careers.”

After announcing the winners, renowned race commentator and BRDC Board Director Ian Tichmarsh who was also appointed to ‘judge’ the five finalists from each category admitted: “It was very, very difficult because each of them had strong credentials and finding the right winner was not at all easy. I would say choosing a winner from the ‘Club’ category was slightly more difficult because I could see strong cases for several of the ‘Club’ nominees. I think Louise stood out a little bit more (Elite) from the others because a) The fact that she had already won a ‘shoot-out’ to get the drive in the Ginetta and b) Because her record was very good; it was her relevant achievement and I felt she was at the age where she would most benefit from Susie’s (Stoddart) mentoring process, which is meant for them to progress as drivers and I think Susie’s relevant experience will be more appropriate for Louise.

“There is only one winner (in each category) of course, but the others were not losers, they were runners-up and I think the idea of these awards raises the profile of young drivers and as I said to Susie ‘Where’s the next Susie Stoddart coming from?’ And so it’s a great initiative and I hope it encourages more young drivers to become members of the BWRDC.”

Gold Star ‘Club’ winner Rachel Green said:
“I am so thrilled, it’s really brilliant. I’m certainly on cloud nine and what a great way to start the New Year. It’s wonderful to win the Gold Star and to be the first winner is very special. It has given me a huge lift and I want to thank the BWRDC for presenting this initiative which is going to help so many of us to further our careers and I would also like to thank all the sponsors for providing such valuable prizes. It’s great and I’m really excited about having Liz as my mentor, I think she is great driver and I am sure I will learn a huge amount from her. |We’ve already planned to go to Brands Hatch sometime soon. So watch this space……
“ I congratulate the BWRDC on this brilliant stand. It looks great and is so professional. It certainly raises our profile, for all ‘women in motorsport’.”

Multiple American Le Mans Series race winner Liz Halliday presented Rachel with the BWRDC Gold Star Certificate and said of her role as mentor: “I’m really excited about being a mentor for Rachel Green, I think it’s a big honour for me to help someone out like that. It’s the first year that it’s happened and it’s nice to be part of that and I think that Rachel has worked really hard to earn this award and I hope that I can be the kind of mentor she hoped for, I hope that I can point her in the right direction and to help her to continue on her path to greatness in motorsport. I met Rachel earlier at the charity kart race that we did (BBC Children in Need) at Nigel Mansell’s (Dunkswell kart circuit), so we have met before and I have watched her drive a kart. I think we’ll be a good partnership and I hope I can point her in the right direction and to help her achieve the goals that she has.”

BWRDC Gold Star ‘Elite’ winner Louise Richardson said:
“It’s really great and I’m really excited to receive it and to be given the opportunity of being mentored by Susie. It’s such a good idea and it will give Rachel and me a lot of guidance and help to get further in motorsport. I feel really lucky to have Susie as a mentor as she’s done karting and been through the same levels that I’m wanting to do, so it’s a really good choice for me to have Susie as a mentor. It’s given me such a boost to know that I will have the guidance and help behind me of the BWRDC. I’ve been pretty lucky in the last year, the opportunities have been there and I’ve been able to take them, so I’m really looking forward to this year. And I think the BWRDC’s stand is fantastic, its great to see cars and a kart here. It’s really good and I think the way the photographs are displayed on the tower is a really good and original, I haven’t seen anyone do that before and it really gets your attention.”

Gold Star ‘Elite’ mentor Susie Stoddart commented: “It’s really wonderful. The BWRDC helped me a lot when I was coming through the ranks of Formula Renault and Formula 3 and I think it’s really nice to be able to give something back to people who helped me get to where I am now. And I have a lot of experience coming through the ranks of what to do and what not to do and I feel sure that I can help guide Louise. Overall with my experience of twice being a finalist of the Autosport McLaren BRDC Young Driver Awards I know what it’s like and I also feel for those that didn’t win it, but it’s something for them to go for in the future. I’ll give Louise my email and she can drop me a line whenever she needs to and I’ll also invite her to Brands Hatch when I’m racing my Mercedes in the UK round of the DTM.

“I remember when I was a very young girl seeing Barbara Armstrong race as a Porsche-works driver and thinking ‘God! I’d love to do that one day! And here I am, my dream has come true! If I can help another young girl come through the ranks, then that will be good.”

In the ‘Club’ category Rachel Green beat off stiff competition from Ginetta series racer Sarah Franklin, Hot Hatch star Ilsa Cox,VdeV UK series runner-up Sarah Reader and ex-Monoposto champion Amanda Whittaker.

In the ‘Elite’ category Ginetta Junior racers Louise Richardson beat Cassey Watson, Sax Max driver Zoe Wenham and British karters Abigail Gerry and Jessica Hawkins.

BWRDC ‘Club’ Gold Star nominees
Ilsa Cox
Sarah Franklin
Rachel Green
Sarah Reader
Amanda Whitaker
Mentor: Liz Halliday

BWRDC ‘Elite’ Gold Star nominees
Abigail Gerry
Jessica Hawkins
Louise Richardson
Cassey Watson
Zoe Wenham
Mentor: Susie Stoddart

Tension rises as the ten Gold Star nominees await Ian Tichmarsh to announce the first-ever winner of the BWRDC 'Elite' and 'Club' Gold Stars.


'Elite' Gold Star nominees (left to right) Jessica Hawkins, Abigail Gerry, Louise Richardson, Zoe Wenham, Cassey Watson (back row in pink)
'Club' Gold Star nominees (left to right) Ilsa Cox (back row in white top), Rachel Green, Sarah Franklin, Amanda Whitaker, Sarah Reader

Haymarket Exhibitions Show Director Ian France said: “The importance of ensuring young females at club level continue to enter the sport cannot be underestimated; Autosport International is proud to do whatever it can to promote women in motorsport.”

BWRDC Gold Star Nominees benefit from a dedicated web page for one year, created by Blueleaf, a creative and digital agency; a personal Virtual Presenter video as featured on Stand 6950 created by Runvisual. The winners package includes: one full-day of free and general testing during at Donington Park, a year’s supply of engine and gearbox oil from Millers Oils, an OMP race suit, an Arai GP-5K helmet from importers Phoenix complete with a Hans Device supplied & fitted by Demon Tweeks.

The BWRDC is grateful to the product sponsors and for the support of BG Developments, Specialists in High Performance and Competition Brake & Clutch equipment; SPEED, the UK Endurance Race Series for Sports Prototypes; Reflex Racing GB for loaning the flooring; Runvisual for stand design, picture tower and Virtual Presenter with BWRDC members filling the roles as displayed on the LED screen on Stand 6950 or visit www.virtualpresenter.co.uk

For further information please contact:
Georgie Shaw
BWRDC PR
BWRDC Stand 6950 Coordinator
Email: georgiemshaw@btinternet.com

Photos: Jeff Bloxham