148 replies to this topic

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

Just found a reference that in 88/89 they were boyfriend/girlfriend .

[350finney]

Simon and Sue Evans . 4 times Australian rally champions.
Possibly the most sucessful husband and wife combination in Australian motorsport .
Rallying seems to attract a lot of husband and wife combinations , maybe something about telling their husbands where to go !!!!

[EdButt]

Alfie and Stephanie Ruys de Perez raced Mini Coopers and Camaros at Mosport and other tracks in Canada during the late 60's and early 70's.

[lanciaman]

My wife, Mary Anne Butters, and I began racing SCCA regional events in 1969 in our MGA. I went to school first, and then she. A couple years along and we (actually she) aquired Pepsi Cola as a sponsnor. That deal enabled a new MGB, an upgraded MGA and a national schedule. We bought a two-car hauler so we could take "his and hers cars" to the track.

We also tested the bonds of matrimony by rallying together, and pushed the envelope even further by automcrossing in our Sunbeam Tiger.

[fbarrett]

Bill and Patsy Randle raced Porsches in SCCA events throughout the Rocky Mountain area in the 1960s and early 1970s. It seems to me that several other couples raced in SCCA in this era and area, but I can't recall names just now.

Frank

[E1pix]

My wife, Mary Anne Butters, and I began racing SCCA regional events in 1969 in our MGA. I went to school first, and then she. A couple years along and we (actually she) aquired Pepsi Cola as a sponsnor. That deal enabled a new MGB, an upgraded MGA and a national schedule. We bought a two-car hauler so we could take "his and hers cars" to the track.

We also tested the bonds of matrimony by rallying together, and pushed the envelope even further by automcrossing in our Sunbeam Tiger.

Now that's my kind of woman! Good on you both, my wife turned wrenches on my kart, I've kept her for 33 years.

Did you run your MGA at Road America or in Nationals? I went to all events there from 1963 through 1981.

By the way, "Monza Piloto" is fabulous!

[Allan Lupton]

Sally and Dudley Mason-Styrron raced various things in the 1993-5 period of British club racing

[racer69]

In Australian speedway, there is Max & Melinda Dumsney

Christine and Grant Jarret got to drive those horrid Pulsars at Bathurst and Fred drove the civilised [comparitivly] Bluebird.

Grant never got the pleasure (nightmare?) of driving the Exa, he drove the Gazelle with Mark Skaife at Bathurst in 1987

Christine drove the Exa with Bob Muir in 1983, and Glenn Seton in 1984

[lanciaman]

Now that's my kind of woman! Good on you both, my wife turned wrenches on my kart, I've kept her for 33 years.

Did you run your MGA at Road America or in Nationals? I went to all events there from 1963 through 1981.

By the way, "Monza Piloto" is fabulous!

E, I got my wife involved in racing by design. We'd been rallying together and playing with cars, but racing would involve the family budget and my time to a much greater degree...so after I went to drivers school, I persuaded her to do the same. In Lyndon Johnson's immortal words, "It is better to have the camel inside your tent pissing out, than outside pissing in."

We drove the MGA for several years, quickly earning our national licenses. Then my wife- a newspaper reporter-- interviewed film icon Joan Crawford, who was on the road touting Pepsi Cola on behalf of her late husband the former CEO. Crawford took a shine to my wife and asked "if there's ever anything I can do," and being a poor club racer, sponsorship immediately sprang to mind.

We had the MGA and MGB at RA in 1973. Cars were blue with red stripes and Pepsi lettering. In 1974 my wife got a Big Job in New York and I was part of the losing side of a US Senate race, so we uprooted in 1975 and moved East. That spelled the end of our racing but opened doors for rallying. And I can tell you there is much more familial tension in rallying than racing!

Thanks for the comment about Monza Piloto. It is a personal favorite, not least because of its size (32x48).

[D-Type]

Now that's my kind of woman! Good on you both, my wife turned wrenches on my kart, I've kept her for 33 years.

Did you run your MGA at Road America or in Nationals? I went to all events there from 1963 through 1981.

By the way, "Monza Piloto" is fabulous!

Is "her" the kart or the wife?

[E1pix]

We had the MGA and MGB at RA in 1973. Cars were blue with red stripes and Pepsi lettering. In 1974 my wife got a Big Job in New York and I was part of the losing side of a US Senate race, so we uprooted in 1975 and moved East. That spelled the end of our racing but opened doors for rallying. And I can tell you there is much more familial tension in rallying than racing!

Thanks for the comment about Monza Piloto. It is a personal favorite, not least because of its size (32x48).

It seems that I do recall your cars. I was 12 at the '73 Sprints and if I recall the guy in EP to beat was Bill Koch in a #32 Marathon Oil MGB, possibly with Logan Blackburn as a teammate. Was your wife's MGA in EP or already demoted to FP? (my Dad's had two over the years, one in the late-60s, another in the '90s). I think it's great you were able to do such a great thing with your girl.

[I just checked the June Sprints program and don't see you two, were you possibly at the Fall National? Or a late entrant and/or different year at the Sprints?]

Is "her" the kart or the wife?

A fair question, Sir. Almost both, really, I still have a vintage 1982 Emmick-Yamaha kart....

Edited by E1pix, 24 September 2011 - 19:08.

[LotusElise]

Sally and Dudley Mason-Styrron raced various things in the 1993-5 period of British club racing

They were still active in historics until very recently.

Bummer Scott and Jill Scott-Thomas were married for a while. Both competed, but not together, I don't think.

[lanciaman]

It seems that I do recall your cars. I was 12 at the '73 Sprints and if I recall the guy in EP to beat was Bill Koch in a #32 Marathon Oil MGB, possibly with Logan Blackburn as a teammate. Was your wife's MGA in EP or already demoted to FP? (my Dad's had two over the years, one in the late-60s, another in the '90s). I think it's great you were able to do such a great thing with your girl.

[I just checked the June Sprints program and don't see you two, were you possibly at the Fall National? Or a late entrant and/or different year at the Sprints?]

Bill and Logan were always the guys to beat. My wife drove the MGB in "important" races like June Sprints or where there was media to be gotten on behalf of our Pepsi, BLM, Ramada Inns, Valvoline and Goodyear sponsors. We may have been late entries in '73 and didn't make the program (?). I remember the program cover as a Porsche 906 or BSR of some sort. The MGB was EP and the MGA was FP. British Leyland never really acknowledged that we also ran the MGA as it was long out of production....

[E1pix]

Bill and Logan were always the guys to beat. My wife drove the MGB in "important" races like June Sprints or where there was media to be gotten on behalf of our Pepsi, BLM, Ramada Inns, Valvoline and Goodyear sponsors. We may have been late entries in '73 and didn't make the program (?). I remember the program cover as a Porsche 906 or BSR of some sort. The MGB was EP and the MGA was FP. British Leyland never really acknowledged that we also ran the MGA as it was long out of production....

Well I'll be, there you are in the '72 Sprints program (Group 44 Datsun 2000/SRL311 on the cover), your wife in the EP MGB and you in the FP MGA. The '71 program does have a BSR on the cover, likely what you're recalling, but you're not listed so late entry possible.

I sure know most of the names in these programs. One local you may recall is Will (and Sue) Zobbe, a great couple and parents of an old friend, and the prep team for another old bud John Hogdal (their son-in-law. I lettered part of their Mazda RX7 in '84 when it won GT3 at the Runoffs).

Great Stuff of which I'm never bored with. Thanks for the reply.

[CarlRabbidge]

Mike & Helen Cameron have been part of the NZ rally scene for numerous years while world rated #1 female driver Emma Gilmour has long time partner Glenn MacNeal as her co-driver. The most successful of all kiwi partnerships would be world rated and current NZ Gold Star Rally Champions Richard and Sara Mason

[ggnagy]

2011 SCCA E Production National Champion Justin Pritchard, and his wife Meredith Pritchard, who also races in E Production and was entered in the Runoffs. Both race Rx7s

[lanciaman]

Well I'll be, there you are in the '72 Sprints program (Group 44 Datsun 2000/SRL311 on the cover), your wife in the EP MGB and you in the FP MGA. The '71 program does have a BSR on the cover, likely what you're recalling, but you're not listed so late entry possible.

I sure know most of the names in these programs. One local you may recall is Will (and Sue) Zobbe, a great couple and parents of an old friend, and the prep team for another old bud John Hogdal (their son-in-law. I lettered part of their Mazda RX7 in '84 when it won GT3 at the Runoffs).

Great Stuff of which I'm never bored with. Thanks for the reply.

Do you have actual programs or are they accessible online? Yes, Will and Sue Zobbe were SCCA pals back in The Day and did much for the Indy Region. I counted it as signal success if I was able to get around Will's Porsche in a race.

[E1pix]

Do you have actual programs or are they accessible online? Yes, Will and Sue Zobbe were SCCA pals back in The Day and did much for the Indy Region. I counted it as signal success if I was able to get around Will's Porsche in a race.

Hi, Lanciaman:

Yes, I have the actual programs, not sure if they're online anywhere. I rather doubt it.

I'm guessing in your era Will still had the 356/Super 90? I recall he went to a 914 by the mid-70s, in fact I have a shot of that car upside-down at the '75 Runoffs outside of Turn 4. I could get you their number likely, I still speak with their son-in-law from time to time. All Great People.

[gfastr]

From the US

Wally Dallenbach Jr and Robin McCall (Dallenbach). Robin was a Texas short track racer who later moved into IMSA Kelly American Challenge. If they didn't race against one another they were often competing in different IMSA categores on the same weekend.

[Graham Clayton]

Valentin and Patricia Bertapelle co-drove a BMW 635csi in the 1988 Spa 24 Hours, as well as the 1988 French Group A championship:

 

 

 

http://www.racingspo...rtapelle-F.html

[john winfield]

Sid and Mary Taylor.

I can't remember whether we've already mentioned Wendy and John Markey.

[Alan Cox]

I've scanned through the threads and haven't found mention of the following historic racing couples:

Tom and Di Threlfall (plus offspring)

Richard and Trisha Pilkington (plus all three daughters)

Stephen and Joey Beale

Simon and Jo Blakeney-Edwards

Mark and Sophie walker (although I think Sophie may have competed only in sprints/hillclimbs)

Edited by Alan Cox, 08 January 2014 - 18:45.

[Geoff E]

Brian and Ilsa Cox, saloon cars at Castle Combe.

[427MkIV]

Patty Moise raced in IMSA and later NASCAR and was and is married to former NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer.

[BRG]

Sebastian Loeb, the ultimate rally driver, has done a number of non-WRC rallies with his wife Séverine.  And won, of course

[buzby]

Nick and Amanda Torregiani used to race a pair of Mustangs sponsored by the Maltese Tourist Board in the ICS Historic Saloons BTCC support races in the 90s.

[Kaha]

Rene and Claudine Trautmann both drove rallies together and against each other. Among other things they were both works drivers at Lancia.

[LotusElise]

Lucette Pointet and Claude Ogier, rally drivers from the 60s, often drove Citroens, I think.

I've always assumed that Randy and Linda Pobst were married to each other.

Huschke von Hanstein and Ursula von Hanstein, a handy rally driver in her day, definitely were. I think she played some direct part in funding his motorsport activities.

[Paul Newby]

What about Max and Diane Dickson in the McLeod Ford Cortina 240 (prepared by John Goss) that they shared at Bathurst 1969. I presume that they were a married couple?

[D-Type]

Lucette Pointet and Claude Ogier, rally drivers from the 60s, often drove Citroens, I think.

~

I never realised these two were married - with the different surnames it didn't register.  Is it a French 'thing' for a married woman to retain her maiden name or was this simply individual choice?

 

(In Pat Moss-Carlsson mode should she be Lucette Pointet-Ogier?)  

[AAGR]

In 1960s European rallying :

 

David Seigle-Morris and Susan (his wife - rallied as Susan Reeves before they married)

 

Donald Morley and wife Valerie Morley (who was Valerie Domleo before they were married).

[962C]

Valentin and Patricia Bertapelle co-drove a BMW 635csi in the 1988 Spa 24 Hours, as well as the 1988 French Group A championship:

 

 

 

http://www.racingspo...rtapelle-F.html

Father and daughter

[LotusElise]

I never realised these two were married - with the different surnames it didn't register.  Is it a French 'thing' for a married woman to retain her maiden name or was this simply individual choice?

 

(In Pat Moss-Carlsson mode should she be Lucette Pointet-Ogier?)  

 

She is sometimes down in entry lists as Lucette Pointet-Ogier, or the other way round, can't remember which.

Belgian women did quite often keep their own family names, and I believe they still do. The laws in Belgium around name-changing are different to UK ones, anyway. You can legally and officially be called whatever you want, quite easily. Or you could last time I talked about it with Belgian people.

 

On the subject of Lucette and Claude, are they related to 2013 WRC champ, Sebastian Ogier? I'm sure I read somewhere that he was a great-nephew, or something like that.

[Lemnpiper]

  Over on the AMA flat track Grand National series   Nichole Cheza & Jared Mees compete   still after they were married over the summer.

[DanTra2858]

How could you Australians forget the great drive in WA by Molly & Ron Thorp in their Cobra, now Les & Wendy Ball who Hillclimb their Torana GTR also in the past driving Minnies were the Steve & Sue Broadhead & Barb & Allan Atkins, all from the Illawarra area of NSW.

[Michael Ferner]

Elfrieda Mais and Ray La Plante in the US between WWs.

[brucemoxon]

One of the (Fireworks) Howards - Les or Sid - married Marie-Louise Geoghegan, who had also raced in her own right.

 

 

 

 

Bruce Moxon

[Lee Nicolle]

Simon and Sue Evans . 4 times Australian rally champions.
Possibly the most sucessful husband and wife combination in Australian motorsport .
Rallying seems to attract a lot of husband and wife combinations , maybe something about telling their husbands where to go !!!!

Though Sue is not a driver, just a very good navigator.
Though they have been a very good operation together.

[timbo]

Can I add Pat Crea, sports sedan racer in Australia, and I understand his wife was Darrylyn Huitt (apologies for the spelling, and also the fact that she may or may not have been his wife!!!), who raced a V8 VW beetle in sports sedans.

 

It would be interesting to see how many of the females played the lead role in motor racing, and how many husbands tagged along because they had to.  My kind of wife.

[LittleChris]

Did Alan Wilson, husband of Desiree, race ?

[ReWind]

He says so.

[PeteV]

David Sutton & Jill Robinson rallied against each other before they married. Jill was a bit quicker than David, so he turned to team management!

[PCC]

Peter Ferguson and Linda Wilson raced in Canadian Formula Atlantic in the early (mid?) '70s - I think we may still have called it Formula B at that time. My recollection is that they raced Chevrons, his sponsored by Esso and hers by... I don't recall. I don't think they were actually married, but they were a couple.

Samsonite. Linda Wilson's car was sponsored by Samsonite. I have no idea why that popped into my head nearly four years later...

[Vitesse2]

Samsonite. Linda Wilson's car was sponsored by Samsonite. I have no idea why that popped into my head nearly four years later...

It's amazing the baggage some people carry about ...

[D28]

Alfie and Stephanie Ruys de Perez raced Mini Coopers and Camaros at Mosport and other tracks in Canada during the late 60's and early 70's.

From the same era and place came the sedan racing couple, Werner and Siggy Gudzus. I seem to recall matched livery but different makes, can't remember what.

[PCC]

It's amazing the baggage some people carry about ...

Ouch!!

[Mike Riedner]

Roy Eccles and his wife Marjorie who both, and together, raced at Brooklands – around 20 races! –  in the thirties.

Roy finished fourth overall at Le Mans 1934 with Charles E. C. Martin in a MG K3.

Roy's brother Lindsay was well known as competitive driver of an Invicta low chassis and, even more, Bugatti 37, 51 and 59.

[FrankCornell]

Karen & Hank Snow (SCCA & PHA), bugeye Sprite.

What about the Creightons (Jim & Toni) out of Atlanta (SCCA), were they husband & wife?

[JacnGille]

 

What about the Creightons (Jim & Toni) out of Atlanta (SCCA), were they husband & wife?

They were at the time. Not sure if they still are as I haven't been involved with any SCCA events in many years.