20-Year-Old Launches Australia's Only All-Female Race Team

Imogen Radburn worried she might struggle to find enough women to staff her racing team. Instead, she discovered an entire generation of women hungry for their chance in motorsport.

The 20-year-old driver from Nowra, NSW, leads Australia's only all-female motorsport team competing in the Mustang Cup series. Apart from her father and partner, every role on her team belongs to a woman: engineer, mechanic, operations manager, and truck driver.

Her mechanic is Natasha Smith, the first woman in the world to win the Technician Champion award at Toyota's National Skills competition in 2019. At 28, Smith has become one of Australia's most respected mechanics and jumped at the chance to join Radburn's vision.

"The entire team has put together something pretty special," Smith said. She hopes their success will show the male-dominated industry what strong leadership can achieve.

Radburn is the only female driver in the Mustang Cup, where all competitors race Ford Mustang Dark Horses. After years of racing go-karts and pursuing Formula 4 in Europe, she's used to being the only woman on the grid.

"I grew up dancing and there were no boys, but now it's the opposite," Radburn said. "I love when I beat the boys."

The Ripple Effect

Motorsport Australia development manager Charlie Barlow said Radburn embodies a crucial principle: if you open a door, you ensure other women can follow. Through the Girls on Track program, which supports girls and young women aged eight to 22, the organization has watched Radburn create opportunities across the country.

"She's putting herself in places where she can show young women that no matter what background you come from, if you have a dream, you can achieve it," Barlow said.

Radburn started her own team partly because she was tired of massive bills just to compete. The team converted an old B-double truck into a mobile headquarters, with one trailer for the race car and another for accommodation.

Her first race at Phillip Island ended early due to mechanical problems after just four of 22 laps. But the team is already preparing for round two at The Bend in South Australia, competing against eight Supercar drivers in a field that will test their limits.

"There's a huge market for the team I'm building," Radburn said. She's focused on building something sustainable for the next decade, not just the next race.

The 70 applications for two positions proved what Radburn suspected all along: the talent has always been there, just waiting for someone to unlock the door.