Jem Hepworth is a British racing driver who won her first-ever car championship—a Britcar Endurance title in a Praga prototype—in her debut car season at age 19, then spent years fighting to prove that victory wasn’t a fluke.

EARLY YEARS

Born December 10, 2000, in Devon in the south of the United Kingdom, Jem Hepworth caught the racing bug at seven years old when she started competing in 90-minute endurance races on quad bikes. “I was tiny when I was seven and was handling these quads for hour-and-a-half endurance races,” she recalled. “Myself and my dad did it and he was my mechanic.”[3] It was the kind of baptism by fire that would define her approach to racing: jump in, figure it out, and don’t back down.

After four years of quad bikes, she progressed to go-karts at age 11, competing in the Super 1 Series in Mini Max (finishing 26th with 323 points in 2015), then moving up through Rotax Junior and the Super Nationals.[2][3][4] She represented the UK in the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission’s first “Girls on Track” finals at Le Mans as a karter, though she wasn’t selected to advance.[5] Looking back, she admitted she wished she’d moved into cars sooner than 19, but she kept karting until then, honing her craft in a discipline that doesn’t forgive mistakes.[2]

OTHER INTERESTS

No information available.

EARLY SUCCESS

Hepworth’s transition to cars was anything but cautious. At 19, she jumped straight into a Praga R1T prototype for the 2020 Britcar Endurance Championship with Team Motorsport Woman—a move that earned her a chorus of “No, no, no… that’s crazy!” from nearly everyone she told.[3] But she won the championship in her first car season, a feat that should have launched her career into orbit. Instead, it led to what she described as “a bit of a struggle trying to find drives.”[2]

Before tackling the Praga, she’d cut her teeth in a Citroën C1 at the 24 Hours of Silverstone in 2019, where she finished fifth overall, ran as high as second, and set the fastest laps despite having the least experience of anyone in the car.[3][5] She picked up license signatures racing in a Citroën C1 and Ford Fiesta before moving to prototypes, proving she could handle whatever was thrown at her.[3] Her 2020 Britcar campaign included a pair of wins at Brands Hatch, even when the car gave her trouble.[5] Still, one championship wasn’t enough to keep the phone ringing, so she spent another year in a Praga prototype in 2023, racking up 171 points over eight races with no wins or podiums.[4]

The breakthrough came when her manager connected her with RAFA Racing and team owner Rafael Martínez. “My manager put my name forward to him and before I knew it we were invited to the US Grand Prix in Austin,” she said. “Without the team at RAFA I wouldn’t be the driver I am today.”[3] That partnership gave her the stability she’d been searching for, and she’s been with the team for several years across multiple series.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015: Competed in Super 1 Series Mini Max karting, finishing 26th with 323 points[4].
• 2019: Finished 5th overall in the Citroën C1 24 Hours at Silverstone, running as high as 2nd and setting fastest laps despite having the least experience in the car[3][5].
• 2020: Won the Britcar Endurance Championship in a Praga R1T prototype with Team Motorsport Woman in her first-ever car season, including race wins at Brands Hatch[1][2][3][5].
• 2022 (approx.): Achieved a 100% podium rate in her first three rounds of the McLaren Trophy Europe 570S class at Paul Ricard, Spa, and Nürburgring, including a class win; nearly won the title but suffered a last-lap failure at Catalunya, finishing 2nd in class after leading the points[5][6].
• 2023: Competed in the Praga R1 series, scoring 171 points over 8 races[4].
• 2024: Raced in the GT4 European Series Silver Cup with RAFA Racing Team in a McLaren Artura GT4, finishing 19th with 14 points over 8 races; achieved top finishes of 4th at Spa (race 2) and 10th at Monza (race 1)[4][5].
• 2025: Finished 3rd in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Am class with RAFA Racing, scoring 82 points over 8 races with 1 win, 6 podiums, and 4 fastest laps; debuted in North America with a 3rd-place Am class finish at Sebring; won a class race at the Misano World Final[1][2][4].

Over her car racing career through 2025, Hepworth has entered 47 races, started 46, won 6, finished on the podium 14 times, taken 5 pole positions, and set 12 fastest laps—a 13% win rate and 30.4% podium rate with a DriverDB score of 1,479.[4]

INSPIRATIONS

Her father, who served as her mechanic during her early quad bike days, gave her the foundation to compete in endurance racing as a tiny seven-year-old.[3] Beyond that early partnership, RAFA Racing and team owner Rafael Martínez have been central to her development as a driver. She’s credited the team with shaping the driver she is today, providing the support and opportunity that had been elusive after her 2020 championship.[3]

REPUTATION

Hepworth has built a reputation for consistency, racecraft, and a refusal to be intimidated by machinery or competition. Her 100% podium rate in her first three McLaren Trophy rounds showcased her ability to deliver results immediately, while her battles in GT4 and Super Trofeo demonstrated her fighting spirit and development pace.[6] The bond she’s built with Rafael Martínez and the RAFA Racing team over several years speaks to her professionalism and loyalty—she’s not hopping from seat to seat; she’s building something.

Media coverage has been positive, focusing on her rapid progression from karts to prototypes and her first-year successes, though there’s been plenty of heartbreak mixed in—like that last-lap failure at Catalunya when a McLaren Trophy title was within reach.[5][6] She’s earned respect for her speed and consistency, and her willingness to take on new challenges, from a Praga prototype as a teenager to her first taste of North American racing at Sebring in 2025.[1][2] Racing alongside drivers like Cameron Lawrence in 2024 GT4 and Lindsay Brewer in 2025 Super Trofeo has kept her in competitive company.[1][5]

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

No information available beyond her 2025 season.

References:

[1] Lamborghini Austin RAFA Racing Team
[2] Lamborghini Super Trofeo Stories: Jem Hepworth and Lindsay Brewer
[3] GT4 European Series: Introducing Jem Hepworth
[4] DriverDB: Jem Hepworth Profile
[5] Speed Queens: Jem Hepworth
[6] Racers Behind the Helmet: Last Lap Heartbreak – McLaren Trophy