BWRDC GOLDSTARS AWARD

​

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 recognise their progress and to help them take their motorsport career to a higher level. The nominees are put forward by the BWRDC committee to an independent panel of judges who decide the final winners.

Our 2019 Winners were announced on the Motorsport UK stand at the Autosport International Show on 12th January 2019 and presented by BWRDC President, Lorina McLaughlin.

​

The 2019 Winners:

We are delighted to announce that this year's winners of the BWRDC GoldStars Awards are

Senior Award:

Jo Polley

​

Jo Polley has been around motorsport all of her life and has been racing since she was 15 years of age. She has over 35 career podiums from oval and circuit racing. 2018 has been Jo's best season to date as she took part in the Super Mighty Mini Championship. She achieved 1 win, 4 podiums and a fastest lap and led the championship for a large part of the season, never finishing outside the top 6. She was still in contention for the title in the last round but a mechanical DNF meant she had to settle for 4th in the Championship.

​

Junior Award:

Abbi Pulling

​

Abbi Pulling started racing in 2012, at age of 8. Since then, she has not looked back. In 2018, Abbi dominated the Super One British Championship taking the title with 22 top 3 finishes and podiums in all 7 of the Grand Finals. She became the first junior karter to win back to back Super One British Championships and also retained the Junior TKM Festival Trophy.  Abbi also made her car racing debut in 2018, taking part in 3 rounds of the Ginetta Junior Championship.

​

​

The 2019 Nominees:

​

The Senior Nominees :

• Ashleigh Morris has always had a passion for cars and, after a passenger ride at Knockhill, she got the rallying bug! She started co-driving in various cars before moving to the drivers seat in 2016. In 2018, she achieved her first class win as well as 2nd in class in the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship, Class B Champion in the ANWCC North Wales Stage Rally Challenge and runner up in Class B of the ANWCC Stage Rally Championship.

• Cathy Sewart a busy mum of 2 boys, is passionate about her motorsport. She first got involved in rallying in 2006 as a co-driver. She moved over to the drivers seat in 2011. After that, there was no stopping her (other than having to take some time off to have her second son!). In 2018, she achieved 2nd in Class C and 9th overall in the Motorsport News Circuit Rally Championship.

• Jo Polley has been around motorsport all of her life and has been racing since she was 15 years of age. She has over 35 career podiums from oval and circuit racing. 2018 has been Jo's best season to date as she took part in the Super Mighty Mini Championship. She achieved 1 win, 4 podiums and a fastest lap and led the championship for a large part of the season, never finishing outside the top 6. She was still in contention for the title in the last round but a mechanical DNF meant she had to settle for 4th in the Championship.

​​

The Junior Nominees :

• Sarah Moore started karting in 2002 in Honda Cadets. Since then, she has moved onwards and upwards, picking up numerous awards on the way. In 2009, she won the Ginetta Junior Championship, becoming the first female to win a championship on the BTCC support package.
  In 2018, she (along with Matt Greenwood - a driver she had coached since he started karting in 2013) became BritCar Endurance Champions.

• Abbi Pulling started racing in 2012, at age of 8. Since then, she has not looked back. In 2018, Abbi dominated the Super One British Championship taking the title with 22 top 3 finishes and podiums in all 7 of the Grand Finals. She became the first junior karter to win back to back Super One British Championships and also retained the Junior TKM Festival Trophy.  Abbi also made her car racing debut in 2018, taking part in 3 rounds of the Ginetta Junior Championship.

• Ella Stephens started karting in 2013, initially in the Bambino class. She went on to win the BirelART Championship in 2017 and in 2018, was the LGM Privateer Champion, finishing 16th overall and 22nd in Super One.

​

​

Each winner will be awarded the BWRDC GoldStar Trophy, a limited edition BWRDC GoldStar Car decal, and a GoldStar Certificate, as well as prizes from our amazing sponsors.

​

The Club wishes to thank the following sponsors for their generosity: 

• Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport - - a factory tour

• Prodrive - - a factory tour

• First Avenue Supplies - - bespoke GoldStars jackets

• The Motorsport Collective -  - a year's membership

• Walero -  - fireproof clothing

• Racing Chocs -  - chocolate

• By Kathryn - - perfume

• Alyssa Smith Jewellery - - jewellery

• The Silverstone Experience -  - tour

• iZone Driver Performance - - simulator experience

​

​

We also thank Motorsport UK and, in particular, Hugh Chambers, for allowing us to host the awards on their stand at Autosport International, as well as the press and photographers who came to support these ladies.

​

Lorraine Gathercole, Chair of the BWRDC commended all the nominees, saying that each and every one of them had proven themselves winners, had risen to the challenges they faced and most importantly came out smiling and enthused by what is still to come for them. “They all have bright futures ahead of them and we are delighted to be able to share their journey and help them in any way we can to realise their ambitions.” 

​

Lorraine also praised the hard work of Sarah Franklin and Charlotte Phelps for the initial selection of the nominees, the accumulating of the wonderful array of prizes, handling all the logistics and ensuring the presentation was in keeping with such a prestigious award.

​

​

The 2018 GoldStars Award Winners were:

Club GoldStar - Elen Worthington

Elite GoldStar - Sara Williams

​

​

Elen Worthington, Sprint Competitor

Elen started sprinting in 2010 in her Lotus Elise and was the Club GoldStar Award winner in 2016. She was BWRDC Sprint Champion in 2015 and 2016, winning the Duckham's Trophy. She had a great season in 2017, coming 2nd overall in the SBD BARC Speed Championship and 2nd overall in the ASWMC Sprint Championship, enjoying many class wins throughout the year.  In addition to competing, Elen contributes to the sport as the Championship Coordinator for the WAMC Welsh Sprint & Hill Climb Championship.

​

Sara Williams, Rally Driver

In 2017, Sara competed in the French Renault Clio R3T Trophy. This was her first time in a left hand drive front wheel drive Clio and was also the first time she had to start making her own pace notes. She finished 9th overall and 3rd Junior in this competitive championship. Sara also contributes to motorsport, representing the UK in the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission and is also the Welsh Association of Motorclubs Womens representative.

GOLDSTARS WINNERS

GoldStars Award Winners:

​

2018 Sara Williams (Elite), Elen Worthington (Club)

2017 Katie Milner (Elite)

2016 Sara Williams (Elite), Elen Worthington (Club)

2015 Anna Waleswka (Elite), Roz Shaw (Club)

2014 Amanda Black (Elite), Amy Barker (Club)

2013 Zoe Wenham (Elite), Sian Stafford-Atkinson (Club)

2012 Sarah Reader (Elite), Gail Hill (Club)

2011 Alice Powell (Elite), Cat Lund (Club)

2010 Alice Powell (Elite), Ilsa Cox (Club)

​

​

​

​