In front of a large crowd of British Women Racing Driver Club (BWRDC) members, their families, judge and host Ian Titchmarsh and the press, Stirling presented the club’s Gold Star Awards to the winners on the BWRDC stand at the Autosport International Show.

The winners from those nominated were as follows:

BWRDC Goldstar “Elite” Award winner: Alice Powell
BWRDC Goldstar “Club” Award winner: Ilsa Cox

Alice Powell (in Blue on the left of the first image), the 16 year old recipient of the Goldstar "Elite" Award said “It’s a real honour to get recognition. Few women have made it in motorsport and no one has made a real impact in F1 – that is my ambition. I think the time is right, if a girl is out there doing well then more women would watch Formula 1 – it would definitely make it more exciting.” 

Powell will go onto a full season of F2 in 2010 and continues “I’d like to be a role model for girls entering motor sport. A successful woman in motor sport would be a true ambassador for the sport and women wanting to enter it and do well. I am breaking new ground and would like to do for motor sport what Ellen MacArthur has done for sailing.”

In response Stirling commented on the BWRDC and the Goldstar Award winners, “I really am pleased that ladies are showing up so well now and so competent in racing, that we can look forward to some really important things and I think anything that can help towards that is a good thing. My sister (the late Pat Moss-Carlsson) was a really terrific driver and there have been other ones too, but I don’t believe they ever received the opportunities that maybe we get as men.”

“It doesn’t take great strength to drive a car it just takes balance and if you discover a woman who is good, you will often find they are exceptionally good. There’s no reason why a lady shouldn’t be as good as a man!" He will watch Alice Powell’s progression with interest.