DW Racing-run Dolischka wins first Racing Women Nations Trophy in Radical Cup UK finale

DW Racing took Jorden Dolischka to a convincing victory in the inaugural Sports.com Racing Women Nations Trophy during the final round of the 2025 Fine Cut Radical Cup UK on the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit (20-21 September).

Austria’s Dolischka accrued maximum points scores as the fastest of the Racing Women in every competitive session of the weekend in the East Midlands, maximising Qualifying, two sprint races and the season-ending 50-minute enduro.

#20 DW RACING / RACING WOMEN: JORDEN DOLISCHKA AND NATHALIE NEUMANN

Thursday and Friday testing was severely disrupted by countless red flags, restricting drivers to just one or two flying laps during some sessions.

The stoppages, coupled with changeable weather conditions made the build-up to the Radical Cup UK finale sub-optimal for all four of DW Racing’s new recruits from the Racing Women movement.

However, there were nevertheless flashes of pace and this was reflected in the Qualifying result on Saturday (20 September) morning.

Austria’s Dolischka and Luxembourg’s Neumann were the best-placed of the Racing Women Nations Trophy contenders in 11th overall and second in the Team class with a time of 1m32.925s.

Neumann was perhaps one of the most improved drivers, as she exceeded her previous best lap time at Donington Park by a full four seconds with the input and guidance of DW Racing’s expert engineers and driver coaches.

As the fastest qualifier, Dolischka was selected for Sprint Race 1 and made significant gains from 11th to seventh overall and first in class by skilfully avoiding a collision at Redgate as others were forced wide onto the gravel.

The #16 RJ Motorsport of Matt Yard loomed large in Dolischka’s rear-view mirrors between Safety Cars, the second of which brought the recovering Jack Yang back into contention as rain began falling.

Drivers had to work overtime to keep heat in their Hankook tyres and stay on-track, and Yang’s experience in Radicals enabled him to attack Dolischka on the approach to the Fogarty Esses, where she span on the painted kerbs.

While disappointed to retire from the race, the young Austrian could take some solace from the fact she added a maximum ten points to her Nations Trophy tally for being the fastest of the Racing Women (1m33.533s).

Relatively low and typically autumnal ambient temperatures meant the Radical Cup UK contenders faced a slippery track in Sunday’s Sprint Race 2.

Several drivers were caught out by the low-grip surface and a first-lap spin at the exit of Redgate corner left Neumann somewhat detached from the main pack.

A second Safety Car brought her back into play on lap four of the 25-minute contest, but further positions were hard to come by in what became a short two-lap sprint and the Luxembourg driver reached the chequered flag in 14th overall and third in the Team classification with a best lap of 1m56.917s.

The 2025 Radical Cup UK season concluded with a 50-minute pit stop race, which was started by Austria’s Dolischka and finished by Neumann.

Dolischka progressed to seventh by sweeping around the outside of rookie racer Yard at Redgate, although her progress was negated by John Macleod, who was pushing hard to reach the fight for Fangio class honours.

The race settled into a rhythm following an early Safety Car and DW Racing’s Dolischka kept pace with Rachel Robertson’s #56 Radical Racing Rebels machine, both joining a lengthening queue behind fifth-placed Paul Denning.

The pit window opened with the Safety Car on-track and, while some teams summoned their cars in at the first available opportunity, Dolischka took the restart and passed the reins of the #20 SR3 XXR to Neumann the next time around on lap 15.

The #20 duo dropped out of the top ten after the compulsory stops, but Neumann ran her own race and picked up 13th overall and third in the Team division before the chequered flag fell on the 2025 season.

As in Qualifying and Sprint Races 1 and 2, DW Racing’s Dolischka had unleashed more pace than her fellow Racing Women.

A fastest lap of 1m32.066s cemented a convincing Nations Trophy win with another maximum points score, her prize a fully-sponsored drive in the Gulf Radical Cup curtain-raiser at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit on 1 November.

Dolischka said: “It’s really exciting to have won the very first Sports.com Racing Women Nations Trophy. I didn’t want to get too excited about being out front, instead staying quiet in the background during the weekend. Now realising I have won and I’m the first Racing Woman to do so has brought on even more excitement and nerves about the next stage in the Gulf Radical Cup.

“My family, friends and the wider community from my hometown helped a lot to keep me calm.. DW Racing ensured I got the best out of myself, as the team’s engineers and mechanics worked very hard to maximise the car for me and Nathalie (Neumann), and coaches helped me understand how I could improve my driving by looking at data and onboard videos. It was comforting to know I had so many people standing by my side.”

Neumann said: “I’m very happy with the way the Fine Cut Radical Cup UK weekend at Donington Park progressed. The races went very well and, while Sprint Race 2 was wet, I was pleased to experience dry conditions in the Enduro. We are the first crop of Racing Women and it’s exciting to have taken the third-place Team class trophy in the endurance race.

“The way I have improved is very satisfying, as I was four seconds faster than my last visit to Donington Park, thanks to DW Racing. The team was amazing because the mechanics and engineers prepared a great car for me and Jorden (Dolischka), who was also incredible. I’m very proud of her because she has been so fast and deserves to have won the first Sports.com Racing Women Nations Trophy.”
 
#30 DW RACING / TEAM NORDIC: JOHANNA THRANE AND MICHELLE SUNDNAS

Racing Women’s Team Nordic pairing Johanna Flatabø Thrane and Michelle Sundnäs took significant strides forward with the benefit of DW Racing’s expert engineering and professional driver coaching during their Fine Cut Radical Cup UK debut at Donington Park (20-21 September).

Radical rookies Thrane and Sundnäs were more affected by the stop/start nature of Thursday and Friday testing and the inconsistent weather than most due to their relatively lack of experience.

There were spins and contact with the barriers, but Thrane in particular found an extra gear in Qualifying on Saturday (20 September) morning, as the 21-year-old Norwegian found more than 20 seconds in lap time to breach the 1m39s barrier and qualify 16th overall and fifth in the Team division.

In Sprint Race 1, Sundnäs quickly became detached from the main pack following a stalled start and an early rotation at Coppice corner.

However, the Swede kept her head down and battled on as rain led to a notable reduction in grip, surviving ever-deteriorating conditions that caught out vastly more experienced drivers to come home in 13th overall and fifth in class.

DW Racing prepared the #30 Team Nordic Radical SR3 XXR for Sunday’s 50-minute Enduro as normal, but Racing Women, Radical Motorsport and Driving Standards collectively decided not to run the car in the season-ending race, and both Thrane and Sundnäs were supportive.

DW Racing Team Owner, Darren Winter, said: “There was nothing we couldn’t handle and we went into the final weekend of the 2025 Fine Cut Radical Cup UK with our eyes wide open, knowing it would be challenging. Weather and countless red flags made the setup and testing tough, but it was also challenging because of the unknown talents and abilities of our Racing Women. We knew getting them to a point where they could race safely and competitively would be something of an uphill battle, and some drivers were more prepared than others. Overall, with the great dedication, time and effort from our Chief Engineer Peter Berry and Driver Coach Will Hunt, we were able to elevate them.

“We’re pleased and proud to have run the winner of the inaugural Racing Women Nations Trophy, Jorden Dolischka. We would relish the chance of supporting her in the next stage of her motorsport career, especially as she will now take on the opening round of the Gulf Radical Cup in Abu Dhabi and DW Racing has already set up a team in the United Arab Emirates. Moving forward into 2026, we would love to work with Racing Women to further develop their programme that is strongly supported by Sports.com, and build on the great work they have already done. I would like to look at a collaboration that enhances the candidates’ development through schooling and seat-time, looking at a progressive stairway of talent. DW Racing is an advocate of the Radical SR1 as a starting point for rookie car racers and we have a record that proves it’s a great model for learning how to drive aero cars safely and grow in confidence on a keen budget.”