Rebecca Jackson has had a passion for cars and motorsports since she was a child. She was immersed in the world of car racing as a little girl: at the age of six weeks, she was already in a paddock at her father's side. What could have amounted to a hobby become both a leitmotif and a life choice for the Bath University graduate, who is never as happy as she is at the wheel of a race car.

So she decided to parlay her passion into a career and began testing numerous series cars to help consumers acquire their new autos online, first with CarBuyer, then with Telegraph Cars. Some would be satisfied with that, but not Rebecca: her desire to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans never waned and she decided to take on the challenge in 2013 with her "Project Le Mans."

In 2011 Rebecca had started club racing with the purchase of a modest Porsche 924 before progressing to a Boxster in 2013 and the start of Project Le Mans: "I presented my project at Autosport International in Birmingham (U.K.) to find sponsors. The 924 was a good grounding; I claimed a podium finish five times and got my first win in hellish conditions. Then I had to amp things up and compete in longer races. The Porsche Boxter in the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) seemed like the right choice. I won the Production Championship in 2013 before taking on the Porsche 911 Cup Car."

The car is known as rather stubborn, which failed in any way to deter Rebecca Jackson who, in 2016, was chosen by Reiter Engineering to take the wheel of a KTM X-Bow GT4 in the SRO European GT Series championship. The programme is designed for young drivers to gain advanced training in tyres and engineering, but the young 34-year-old Brit was still yearning to accumulate race kilometres: the 24 Hours of Dubai, a VLN race with a BMW at the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, four Mini Challenge races and the cherry on top: the Road to Le Mans round as opening act for the 24 Hours of Le Mans this past June, at the wheel of a prototype.

Put in place by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the goal of the LM P3 class is to provide experience to young talents and gentlemen-drivers looking to move into the superior LM P2 class. An undeniable success, the LM P3s now figure in several championships including the V de V Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup. One of the common denominators of the two series is the By Speed Factory team who ran Rebecca Jackson for the round at the Paul Ricard circuit race. "I first saw the Ligier JS P3 at the free practice for that race in May of 2016. Driving it is very different from what I'm used to because you truly have to really focus mentally. When I saw the car, I said to myself: 'oh my God, little me is really going to drive that?' In the end, driving a GT gave me a good foundation and I had done several simulator sessions, but that still doesn't prepare you for driving with the sun in your eyes at Le Mans!"

So it was one little four-hour race at Le Castellet, and then bam! On to the great 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit in June. "When I got to pit lane, I was like wow! I had already been to Le Mans several times, once as a pit reporter for NISMOTV, but then I was on the other side of the fence. Now I was really about to drive the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit! My parents and my boyfriend and a former co-driver were there to support me, and my father went and got croissants every morning. That's the real reason that I wanted to race at Le Mans! No, I'm kidding, because typically I eat healthily and I train just like the professional drivers."

And it was as a true professional that Rebecca Jackson competed in the race without having spent much time at the wheel during the free practice sessions, and with poor weather and mechanical troubles. Despite the unfailing support of her family, the Brit didn't get much sleep the night before, taking the challenge very seriously: "I wasn't the fastest in the race, but I got better lap after lap. I sensed a vibration on the Mulsanne Straight and I wondered if that was normal. I was also very careful because I absolutely wanted to return the car in one piece and cross the finish line. And that's what we did. It was magical because some people recognized me in the paddock and offered their encouragement. After that experience, I want to go even further and compete in the real 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LM P2 class."

Rebecca Jackson, who has been named Michelin Inspirational Woman three years in a row, does not race solely for herself, she supports several great causes, such as the battle against breast cancer. She is also an ambassador for the Shell Charity Fuel Card which offers fuel to associations, and she also visits schools to share her story and inspire children to pursue their dreams. The top priority now is for Rebecca Jackson to fulfill her own!