For Jem Hepworth, motorsport wasn’t a family tradition—it was a personal obsession.
Growing up in the English countryside in Exeter, Devon, Hepworth was the youngest of four siblings and the only one with a racing itch. Her father, a mechanic, never raced himself but played a pivotal role in her early development—wrenching for her at local quad bike races across the UK from the time she was just seven years old.
“It didn’t come from anyone else,” she recalls. “I just jumped on anything with wheels. No other sport compared to racing.”
That early passion took her from quads to karts by age 11, racing at Dunkeswell Raceway in Devon. Armed with a red kart, yellow helmet, and unwavering drive, she immediately found success—winning her rookie championship in Honda Cadets and eventually competing at the national level in the British Karting Championship.
Always racing as a privateer with her father as mechanic, she was often dubbed part of the “Dads and Lads” brigade—though in this case, it was father and daughter.
By her late teens, Hepworth had climbed through the ranks—from Junior Minimax to Junior and Senior X30—earning accolades like Best Privateer and the Wessex Championship title in 2019. But as she eyed the move into cars, the financial reality of motorsport hit hard.
“My parents could afford karting, but cars were a whole different story,” she explains.
That changed late in 2019, when she was invited to join an all-female team for a 24-hour Citroën C1 endurance race at Silverstone. Hepworth delivered under pressure, finishing fifth out of 100 cars and emerging as one of the fastest drivers in her squad. The performance caught the attention of a sponsor who backed her for a full season in the Britcar Championship the following year.
Partnering with Danny Harrison in a Praga R1—a lightweight prototype-style car—Hepworth seized the opportunity and won the 2020 title. “It was my first full season in cars, and we won the championship,” she says. “It was incredible.”
From there, she joined the newly formed Praga Cup series in 2021 alongside YouTuber and sim racing star Jimmy Broadbent. Though results were mixed, Hepworth used the platform to grow her social media presence and continue racing against the odds.
In 2022, limited opportunities made for a difficult season—just a handful of races with little momentum. But a life-changing encounter came that fall at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Rafael Martinez, founder of RAFA Racing Club and co-owner of RAFA Racing Team, had seen her YouTube videos and invited her to meet.
“That was the moment everything changed,” Hepworth says. “I flew out, we talked, and the opportunity to join the RAFA Racing Team came together from there.”
In 2023, she raced alongside Martinez in McLaren Trophy Europe. The pair fought for the championship and looked poised to clinch it until a fuel issue in the final race knocked them down to third. Still, the experience marked a new chapter.
Now in her third season with the RAFA Racing Team, Hepworth is piloting a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 in the North American championship. Alongside co-driver Lindsay Brewer, she’s part of one of thethe only all-female lineups in the series—and they’re not just participating, they’re contending.
“We’ve already had two podiums this year,” she says proudly. “It proves we belong.”
Transitioning to American racing has meant adapting to unfamiliar circuits, time zones, and even driving on the opposite side of the road. But Hepworth has embraced the change. Tracks like Sebring, though brutally bumpy, remind her of the old-school British circuits she grew up on. And the Lamborghini itself? A challenge she’s grown to love.
“It’s a beast,” she says, laughing. “So much power, so much grip. It took a few sessions to feel at home, but now I get in and know what to expect.”
Brewer, who comes from a single-seater background, is adapting to the endurance format and GT racing, while Hepworth provides insight from her years in sports cars. Together, they’re forming a formidable duo—and an inspiring one.
“When little girls come up to us at the track, asking how they can get started, it’s the best feeling in the world,” she says. “I didn’t have that growing up. I didn’t see women on the timing screens. Now, they see us.”
None of this would be possible, she insists, without the support of the RAFA Racing Team and Martinez.
“Rafa is changing motorsport,” Hepworth says. “He gave me a platform when no one else would. He’s doing it not just for women, but for drivers with real talent who just need a chance.”
The team’s vision extends beyond the track, with RAFA Racing Club locations set to open around the world—part simulator hub, part training facility, part motorsport community. It’s a new model for how racing can operate, focused on inclusion, development, and passion.
“I have to pinch myself all the time,” Hepworth admits. “Coming from karts in Devon to racing Lamborghinis in North America… It’s surreal. But I’ve worked hard for this. And I know I belong here.”
