Rebecca Jackson: From Used Cars to Racing at Le Mans
From selling used cars to racing a prototype at Le Mans, Rebecca Jackson built an unusual career across motorsport, motoring journalism and television.
Introduction
Rebecca Jackson is a British racing driver, motoring journalist and television presenter. Cars have shaped most of her working life.
Her career has several sides. She ran a used-car business. She reviewed new cars. She worked on television. Then she pushed seriously into competitive racing.
One result stands out. In 2013, she won the BRSCC Porsche Production Boxster Championship. Three years later, she raced a Ligier LMP3 prototype in the Road to Le Mans support race.
As of October 2026, Rivista Group lists Jackson as a UK contributor working across column and video content.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rebecca Jackson |
| Nationality | British |
| Profession | Racing driver, motoring journalist, TV presenter |
| Industry | Automotive media and motorsport |
| Used-Car Business | Started in 2007 |
| Circuit Racing Start | 2011 |
| Early Race Car | Porsche 924 |
| Major Racing Title | 2013 BRSCC Porsche Production Boxster Championship |
| Road to Le Mans | Competed in 2016 |
| Road to Le Mans Car | Ligier JS P3 Nissan |
| Team | By Speed Factory |
| Co-driver | Jesús Fuster |
| Major Driving Record | 14 countries on one tank of fuel in 2015 |
| Current Public Listing | Rivista Group — Columnist and Video, UK |
| Known Media Work | Fifth Gear, CarGurus, Carbuyer, Telegraph Cars, What Car? |
Who Is Rebecca Jackson?
Rebecca Jackson works across cars.
Basically, she does not fit neatly into one job title. Her public career includes journalism, television, car sales and competitive racing.
She has tested road cars for major motoring outlets. She has also raced Porsches, GT machinery and an LMP3 prototype.
That racing story was not built through childhood karting.
Jackson told the Institute of the Motor Industry that she rode horses as a teenager. She later became serious about motorsport after getting experience on track.
Her route was different. Very different.
She built a business first. Then she used the money she earned to help fund her racing plans.
Growing Up Around Cars
Cars appeared early in Jackson’s life.
She has said her father loved cars and motorsport. She was taken to a motor-racing circuit when she was just six weeks old.
As she grew older, she helped him in the garage.
That meant cars were familiar. Actually, working on them was normal too.
Jackson later attended the University of Bath. Official Le Mans coverage describes her as a University of Bath graduate.
Her first track experience came later.
At 18, she tried a single-seater track-day experience at Castle Combe. At around 20, another track event helped push her interest in racing much further.
Still, professional racing costs money.
Jackson needed another path.
Building a Used-Car Business
In 2007, Jackson started a used-car sales business.
This became more than everyday work. It gave her direct experience buying and selling vehicles, while also helping her save money for racing.
CarGurus says she ran the business for 11 years.
That experience later made sense in media.
She knew cars as products. She understood buyers too. And she knew what life around vehicles looked like away from a television studio.
Then racing became serious.
Starting Her Racing Career
Jackson bought an old Porsche 924.
The price was about £5,000, according to her interview with the Institute of the Motor Industry. SEAT sponsored her racing licence.
She then started competing in the BRSCC Porsche Championship.
Progress came quickly.
In her second season, Jackson recorded five podium finishes, including a race victory.
That changed the plan.
She wanted to go further.
Project Le Mans
In 2013, Jackson started Project Le Mans.
The aim was simple to explain but tough to achieve: work her way toward racing at Le Mans.
She needed backing first.
Jackson presented her plan at Autosport International and worked on finding sponsors. She then converted a road-going Porsche Boxster into a race car for the BRSCC Porsche Production Boxster Championship.
The season went well.
Really well.
Jackson won the 2013 Production Boxster Championship.
That result gave her another step forward.
She moved into a Porsche 911 Cup car and competed in GT racing.
The cars got quicker. The racing got tougher.
Moving Into GT Racing
Jackson later competed in higher-level GT machinery.
In 2016, Reiter Engineering selected her to drive a KTM X-Bow GT4 in European GT competition.
She told the Institute of the Motor Industry that the programme taught her a lot about working as a professional GT driver.
She finished third in the women’s championship linked with that programme.
But her main target stayed alive.
Le Mans.
Racing at Road to Le Mans
June 2016 brought one of Jackson’s biggest racing moments.
She entered Road to Le Mans, a support race held on the Circuit de la Sarthe during the 24 Hours of Le Mans event.
Jackson drove the No. 11 Ligier JS P3 Nissan for By Speed Factory.
Her co-driver was Spain’s Jesús Fuster.
There were 38 entries.
Jackson was the sole female driver on the grid, according to official FIA World Endurance Championship coverage.
It was a major step.
But there is an accuracy point here.
Jackson did not compete in the main 24 Hours of Le Mans race. She competed in Road to Le Mans, which ran as a support event on the same famous circuit.
Official Le Mans reporting made the distinction clear. After Road to Le Mans, her ambition was still to reach the main 24-hour race.
That detail matters.
It keeps her racing record accurate.
Motoring Journalism Career
Racing is only half the story.
Jackson also built years of work as a motoring journalist and car reviewer.
CarGurus says she has reviewed about 40 new cars per year since 2011.
Her motoring work has included:
- Carbuyer
- The Telegraph
- What Car?
- CarGurus
She has also appeared on BBC and Sky News discussing motoring topics.
This gave her another type of car experience.
On track, speed matters.
In journalism, readers need clarity.
She has worked in both settings.
Television Work
Television became another part of Jackson’s career.
The Institute of the Motor Industry describes her as a former presenter of Fifth Gear.
She also presented the car programme Modern Wheels or Classic Steals alongside Elo.
The show’s idea was pretty simple.
A buyer needed a car. Jackson suggested newer options. Elo brought classic-car choices into the discussion.
Apple TV lists Jackson as one of the programme’s stars and describes her as a car dealer and racing driver.
Her TV work fits naturally with the rest of her career.
She could talk about cars. She could test them. And she could race them.
The 14-Country Driving Record
Not every driving challenge involved racing.
In June 2015, Jackson joined motoring journalist Andrew Frankel for an unusual fuel-efficiency attempt.
They drove an Audi A6 ultra across Europe.
The target was ambitious.
Visit as many countries as possible using only one tank of fuel.
They made it through 14 countries.
The journey covered 1,158.9 miles and took nearly 28 hours.
The trip began in Maastricht, Netherlands. It ended in Hungary.
The RAC reported that the drive earned a Guinness World Records title for the most countries driven through on a single tank of fuel.
The car was not modified.
That makes the result even more interesting.
Jackson and Frankel averaged about 75.9 mpg during the run.
Current Work
Jackson remains connected with automotive media.
As of October 2026, Rivista Group lists her among its UK contributors.
Her listed role is:
Columnist and Video
Rivista describes its wider contributor group as writers, photographers, designers and video specialists working in automotive and luxury publishing.
CarGurus also continues to maintain Jackson’s contributor profile, which records her work across car reviewing and motoring journalism.
Her work has changed across the years.
Cars remain the common thread.
What Makes Her Career Different?
Jackson did not follow the standard racing route.
There was no long childhood karting career.
She built a used-car company.
She saved money.
Then she bought a Porsche 924.
That small start eventually led to a championship title, GT racing and a prototype drive at Le Mans.
At the same time, she kept working in automotive media.
So her career connects several jobs that usually sit apart: dealer, journalist, presenter and racing driver.
It is an unusual path.
And a very practical one.
Verified Interesting Facts
She started with a Porsche 924.
Jackson used an older Porsche 924 to begin her circuit-racing career.
She funded racing through business.
Her used-car operation helped her save money before she moved seriously into motorsport.
She became a Porsche champion.
Jackson won the BRSCC Porsche Production Boxster Championship in 2013.
She raced on the Le Mans circuit.
Her 2016 Road to Le Mans entry put her in an LMP3 prototype on the full Circuit de la Sarthe.
She was alone among women.
Official FIA WEC reporting identified her as the only female driver in the 38-car Road to Le Mans field.
She also holds a driving record.
Jackson and Andrew Frankel travelled through 14 countries using one tank of diesel.
Final Thought
Rebecca Jackson built her career the long way.
Business came first. Racing followed.
Then came championships, GT cars, television work and automotive journalism.
Her 2016 Road to Le Mans appearance is one of the clearest markers of that journey. She reached the famous circuit after starting club racing in an old Porsche just a few years earlier.
Right now, her public work still connects back to cars, with Rivista Group listing her across column and video content.
That has been the constant.
Cars, racing and motoring media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rebecca Jackson?
Rebecca Jackson is a British racing driver, motoring journalist and television presenter. She has worked across automotive journalism, television, car sales and competitive motorsport.
What is Rebecca Jackson known for?
She is known for automotive media work and racing. She won the 2013 BRSCC Porsche Production Boxster Championship and competed in Road to Le Mans in 2016.
Did Rebecca Jackson race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
No. She raced in the 2016 Road to Le Mans support race, held on the Circuit de la Sarthe. She did not compete in the main 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
What championship did Rebecca Jackson win?
She won the BRSCC Porsche Production Boxster Championship in 2013.
What car did she drive at Le Mans?
Jackson drove the No. 11 Ligier JS P3 Nissan for By Speed Factory in the 2016 Road to Le Mans event. Jesús Fuster shared the car with her.
Was Rebecca Jackson on Fifth Gear?
Yes. The Institute of the Motor Industry identifies Jackson as a former presenter of Fifth Gear.
Is Rebecca Jackson a motoring journalist?
Yes. CarGurus says she has reviewed cars for outlets including Carbuyer, The Telegraph, What Car? and CarGurus.
What world record did Rebecca Jackson set?
In 2015, Jackson and Andrew Frankel drove through 14 countries on one tank of fuel in an Audi A6 ultra. The RAC reported it as a Guinness World Records title.
