Gaby Uljee

Gaby Uljee is a racing driver from the Netherlands, born in 1976, who started her racing career in 1994 and participated in many different racing competitions more than twenty years, until 2016. She raced mostly at circuits but also gained some experience in rallying and participated two times at Dakar Rally as a navigator.

Gaby Uljee

Five seasons with Citroens, two seasons with Alfa Romeo

The 18-year-old Gaby started to race in 1994 in the Dutch Citroen AX GTI Cup. Next year, she switched to Citroen Saxo and raced with that car until 1998. For two years in a row, in 1997 and 1998, she was the best female driver in the Citroën Saxo Cup. In 1998, she also finished second in the overall classification, behind Joost Koenders.

It was time to move to a bigger car in 1999, so Gaby raised some funds and entered the Dutch Alfa Romeo 156 Challenge. She was immediately successful, finishing second in his debut season. Next year, she was fourth in the points in the same competition.

Two seasons in the Dutch Touring Car Championship

After five seasons in one-make competitions, Gaby entered the Dutch Touring Car Championship in 2001, driving a Renault Clio RS for Verschuur Racing. Gaby finished 12th in the final classification of his first DTTC season.

Next year, she stayed in a Renault Clio RS and significantly improved his result. She was on a podium twice and finished fifth in the championship, one place behind her boyfriend Tim Coronel, who was her teammate in the Verschuur Racing.

Vice-champion two times in the BRL Light series

In the following two seasons, Gaby competed in occasionally in some one-make championships such were Renault Clio Cup, Alfa Romeo 147 Challenge or Mini Challenge. She also made a debut in the BRL (Benelux Racing League) with Ford Mondeo, entering that competition in 2005 as a full-time driver in the Light division with Ford Sierra.

After scoring three wins over the season, she finished second in the points, losing a title to Francesco Pastorelli. She spent two more seasons in the BRL Light races, driving a Ford Focus. She was second in the points again in 2007, behind Henry Zumbrink.

Part of the all-female crew at Zolder 24 Hours

Outside BRL, Gaby recorded some notable attempts in Belcar series. She made Zolder 24 Hours debut in 2015, as a member of the all-female crew together with Vanina Ickx, Alexandra van de Velde and Caroline Grifnee. They finished 22nd overall and third in TB class. Later that year, Gaby and Alexandra finished third in class at Belcar Masters.

In 2006, she returned to Zolder 24 Hours with Daikin team, sharing a BMW 120d with Alexandra van de Velde, Caroline Grifnee and Stephanie Halm. They didn't finish the race.

Gaby Uljee and Tim Coronel debuted together at Dakar Rally in 2007

Two successful participations at Dakar Rally

At the beginning of 2007, Gaby and her boyfriend Tim Coronel made a debut at Dakar Rally. Their car was a Bowler Wildcat. Tim was a driver, Gaby served as a navigator. The rally started in Lisbon, Portugal, on January 6 and reached Dakar on January 21. Finishing the race was already a big success, but the result was also good, they were 46th overall and second among rookies.

Since then, Tim is a regular competitor at Dakar Rally, recording twelve participating between 2007 and 2019. Gaby returned to Dakar Rally just one more time, in the first event at South American continent in 2009, as a co-driver to Michel de Groot. They finished 39th overall and the first in T3 class.

Gaby Uljee and Michel de Groot

Three seasons in the Toerwagen Diesel Cup

In circuit racing, Gaby's new challenge was the Toerwagen Diesel Cup in 2008. She was driving a BMW 120d alongside Paulien Zwart in the Coronel Girlz Racing team, run by their partners’ family. The pair were third in the final standings after reaching four podiums over the season.

Gaby stayed in the Toerwagen Diesel Cup in 2009, moving to Orbit Motorsport and sharing a BMW 120d with Liesette Braams. Scoring one podium, they finished 17th in the points. In 2010, Gaby scored his first and only win in the Toerwagen Diesel Cup. That year, she was driving an updated BMW 123d for Verschuur Racing, sharing a car with Liesette and Luc Braams and finishing fourth in the points.

One-off attempt in rallying

Outside circuit racing, Gaby made an attempt in rallying in July 2010. She was driving a bioethanol-fuelled Nissan 350Z in one rallysprint event, sharing a car with co-driver Dennis Goossens. After six stages and 62 competitive kilometers, she finished 17th overall and first in class C8.

The season 2010 was the last for Gaby with a full-time racing arrangement. She was out of racing in 2011 and then returned in 2012 with Racingdivas at Dubai 24 Hours, sharing a Renault Clio Cup with Liesette Braams, Sheila Verschuur, Paulien Zwart and Sandra van der Sloot.  Later that year, Gaby participated in few rounds of the Burando Production Open in a BMW 123d.

Two class victories at Dubai 24 Hours

The Racingdivas returned to Dubai in 2013, running a BMW 320d and finishing 26th overall. The Divas also appeared at the Rotterdam City Races, a sprint event on a street circuit. In 2014, the Divas raced again in Dubai with Schubert Motorsport's BMW 320d, finishing 31st overall and first in Class A3T. Gaby's co-drivers were Paulien Zwart, Sandra van der Sloot, Shirley van der Lof and Natasja Smit Sø.

One more class victory at Dubai 24 Hours followed in 2015 when Gaby was driving a BMW M235i Racing Cup prepared by Bonk Motorsport. She was sharing a car with Liesette Braams, Sandra van der Sloot and Max Partl.

In 2016, the Racingdivas didn't return to Dubai because their key Liesette Braams was battling against cancer. That year, Gaby raced in few rounds of the GT4 European Series with Allied Racing's BMW M4 GT4.

Gaby Uljee and Tim Coronel - life partners and racing partners

Photos: Gaby Uljee FB, Bas Kaligis,