BRITISH WOMEN RACING DRIVERS CLUB
PROUDLY SUPPORTING WOMEN IN MOTORSPORT SINCE 1962
THE GOLDSTARS AWARDS
The BWRDC GoldStars Award is an initiative conceived by our unique motorsport club to promote talented women in motorsport. Only two of the prestigious GoldStars Awards may be presented annually at the discretion of the Club, and the GoldStars are not always awarded.
The GoldStars Junior Award is recognition for Club Members under 25 and the Senior Award is for Club Members over 25. GoldStars Awards are given to Club Members to recognises their progress and to help them take their motorsport career to a higher level. The Volunteers Award recognises the many members who generously donate their time to our sport, whether as marshals, officials or in another capacity, The nominees are put forward by the BWRDC committee to an independent panel of judges who decide the final winners.
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GOLDSTARS WINNERS
2023 Annabella (Bella) Fairclough, Sasha Heriot, Nadine Lewis
2022 Jess Edgar, Alice Powell,
Carol Glenn
2021 Jem Hepworth, Cathy Sewart, Nadine Lewis
2020 Chloe Grant, Sasha Heriot
2019 Abbi Pulling, Jo Polley
2018 Sara Williams, Elen Worthington
2017 Katie Milner
2016 Sara Williams, Elen Worthington
2015 Anna Waleswka, Roz Shaw
2014 Amanda Black, Amy Barker
2013 Zoe Wenham, Sian Stafford-Atkinson
2012 Sarah Reader, Gail Hill
2011 Alice Powell, Cat Lund
2010 Alice Powell, Ilsa Cox
THE 2023
JUNIOR
GOLDSTAR
BELLA FAIRCLOUGH
Bella began her “rookie” racing year in the Honda cadet class, competing in MSUK club rounds against large grids. In April, Bella achieved a clean sweep of wins over the race weekend. In May she won the prestigious Wessex Championship plate, allowing her to race with the WC plate. Several months later, in the Rotax festival, Bella set the fastest laps of the weekend in the cadet class. Bella finished off the season driving in several guest rounds at the British Karting Championships in preparation for a full season in 2023. Bella also became the first female cadet winner, aged 11, of a Super Final weekend in the Ultimate Karting Championships, which along with another podium finished her 5th in the country. An incredible debut season.
THE 2023
SENIOR
GOLDSTAR
SASHA HERIOT
Sasha's focus for 2022 was the Welsh Rally Championship co-driving for Matthew Jackson in his Fiesta R2. The goal was to finish each event, gain experience of the car and build the pace. Finishing class winners on 4 out of 5 rounds confirmed her as W4 Welsh Rally Co-driver Champion and 1st Front Wheel Drive Co-driver Champion. In addition, she was crowned 1st Front Wheel Drive Co-driver Champion in the ANWCC Forest Rally Championship. A final notable result was 2nd overall and 1st in class on the Rally of Derbyshire navigating for Richard Hunter in his road rally Mk2 Escort.
THE 2023
VOLUNTEER GOLDSTAR
NADINE LEWIS
As Chair of the British Motorsports Marshals Club Nadine has ensured our members are kept up to date with all volunteer relevant information. She has also created a link with the BRDC Charity to ensure volunteers understand they are eligible for their support with positive results.
Following COVID she was able to attend training days for the first time at Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Oulton Park to meet the members and participate in activities.
As Chair of the Marshals Advisory Group she has implemented an updated grading scheme - The Marshals Pathway - ensured consultation took place and listened to and produced a clearer route for volunteering. The highlight of her year was to be the British Grand Prix in July. Representing the volunteer community on a worldwide stage by presenting the second place trophy to Sergio Perez.
THE JUNIOR
NOMINEES
This year’s Junior GoldStars
Nominees were Annabella Fairclough, Alisha Palmowski, Sukhmani Khera and Elizabeth Dudley.
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Alisha became the second female to win the Ginetta Junior Scholarship after Jamie Chadwick and she became the first female to be on a Ginetta Junior podium since Sophia Floersch back in 2015! She also competed in the Ginetta Junior Winter Series where she achieved two out of two pole positions gaining her first two outright podiums! This meant that finished the year as the Winter Series Vice Champion out of 18 entrants!
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Sukhmani was only 10 years old, and already with 2 race wins competing in Honda Cadet.
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Elizabeth won the Autocar and Shelsley Walsh Young Drivers Championship 2022
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THE SENIOR
NOMINEES
Our Senior GoldStars Nominees
were Sasha Heriot, Ashleigh Morris, Jo Polley and Claire Norman.
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Ashleigh Competed as a driver in the Scottish Rally Championship, finishing 3rd in class at the Snowman Rally; 5th in Class M2 in the championship and 2nd overall in the Ladies Championship. Competed in the invite-only McRae Rally Challenge, finishing 4th in class and top female driver.
Competed as a co-driver in 9 events with various drivers in a Hyundai R5, Fiesta R5, MX5 and MG3. Finished 2nd in class in MX5, and took 4th overall and 5th overall in the Hyundai R5. Represented Carbon Positive Motorsport as a brand ambassador throughout the year, including a piece on carbon offsetting for Sky News at Mull Rally, promoting the importance of a sustainable future for motorsport.
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Jo had consistently strong results against a field of very stiff competition, including multiple former BTCC competitors and finished the championship 4th overall.
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Claire returned to racing in 2022 after a 9-year break to race in the CSCC Swinging Sixties Group 1 series with her father in their 1969 BMW 2002ti. Finishing 1st or 2nd in Class E at each of the 40 minute two driver rounds, they also finished 1st overall for Group 1 at Spa in both races, wet and dry. The season ended on a high qualifying 4th and finishing 2nd overall at Silverstone in a hotly contested race. At the end of the season Claire and her father were awarded overall winners of the Group 1 series.
THE VOLUNTEER
NOMINEES
Our Nominees for our Volunteer GoldStars category were Nadine Lewis. Pheebe Fletcher, Ellie Lockey and Fay Crook.
Pheebe is 15, and marshalled on 11 rallies, 10 sprints, 2 non MUK events and assisted at 2 Rescue/Recovery training days. Plus she was assistant Chief Marshal at a Rally and organised the marshals for the event. Replying to emails and creating spreadsheets. On the Saturday she spent all day assisting in setting up the stages, then went home 2hrs away, working in the evening to 10pm.
Ellie has had 7 years marshalling and 4 years as licensed Rescue. She has been lucky enough to be part of some great rallying on Mull, Clacton and Border Counties; plus circuit and rallycross at Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Lydden Hill. Lots of technical, medical and radio learning from the many crews she works and trains with. She has marshalled her first vintage driving test, upgraded to Flag and had another amazing Le Mans and is supporting a lot of newer marshals on post, especially women, to enjoy motorsport! She is looking forward to Motorsport UKs FREC3 course in 2023
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Fay was Chief Marshal in 2022 for various clubs at Silverstone and Donington, plus Formula E in London. She was Chief Observer for a number of meetings plus Startline at others. She organised 40 marshals to do the Jersey Rally, 22 marshals for the Jersey International Motor Festival and 16 marshals for the Greve de Lecq Hillclimb, running control radio for the hillclimbs. She did Startline at Goodwood Festival of Speed, Kop Hill Climb (which made £107,000 for charity), Heveningham Hall and organised marshals to park cars at Simon Diffey’s wake.