MSA SUMMER 2016 THE
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DARE TO BE DIFFERENT SCHOOLGIRLS GET THEIR FIRST TASTE OF LIFE IN MOTOR SPORT
LADIES WHO LAUNCH... ON THE STRIP IN THE HIGHOCTANE WORLD OF DRAG RACING
GOING FOR GOULD HEATHER CALDER AND HER SINGLESEAT V8 SPRINT CONTENDER
MAGAZINE FOR BRITISH MOTOR SPORT
Ladies First Celebrating the women blazing a trail through motor sport, on and off the track
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Contents
05 Forum
Letter from guest editor Susie Wolff
06 Action replay
Dare to be Different community members
09 News
Latest round-up from the MSA
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17 View from the Volunteer Tiegen Lillicrap, junior scrutineer
19 View from the Competitor Gillian Carr, racer and BRDC club secretary
21 View from the MSA
Cheryl Lynch, race, speed & kart executive
22 D2BD at Sandown Park Driving female talent in Surrey
26 Women in motor sport We meet six of the best at Williams
36 Spring Classic
View from the navigator’s seat
38 Drag Racing
Why women thrive at Santa Pod
46 Speed Sisters
Daring to be different in Palestine
48 Weekend Warrior Heather Calder’s Gould GR55
51 Place Notes
Larkhall kart circuit in Scotland
53 Toolkit
Selection of the latest racing gear
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57 National Court
Reports from judicial hearings
66 Club Focus
British Women Racing Drivers' Club
contributors REBECCA CHAPLIN
LOUISE WOODHAMS
KATIE GRIMMETT
She's usually making videos on "anything engine related". We sent her to Williams to meet six inspiring women.
Her journalistic career kicked off at 15 and a lap with Kelvin Burt in a BTCC Volvo. Our mission took her to Santa Pod.
Her usual beat is the singleseater scene, so D2BD at Sandown Park offered a welcome change for Katie.
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Forum facebook.com/D2BDofficial twitter.com/D2BDofficial instagram.com/D2BDofficial
Editor's letter Why are there not more women in motor sport? It’s a question I often get asked but the honest answer is that there are already many women in the sport. In my career in Formula 1 I came across women doing jobs across all areas – brilliantly. They were there on merit not because of any quotas and they are all passionate – as was I. And yet the industry is still regarded as a male dominated one. Dare to be Different is aimed at changing that perception just as much as it is about inspiring more young women to get involved. One of the great things about editing this edition of MSA magazine is that I have been able to feature women doing jobs that are not usually covered by the media. In these pages you can read about women marshals, women technicians and women race organisers as well as women drivers. We want to see more of them. In the end motor sport is a numbers game: the more young people you have getting involved in all aspects of the sport the more you will see coming up through the ranks – whether that is is behind the scenes or behind the wheel of an F1 racing car. We are not on a feminist crusade: we are simply there to drive more women to get involved. I was recently sent a video of some of the girls who attended one of our events standing up at their school assembly talking about Dare to be Different and encouraging their peers to get involved. It was eye-opening and heart-warming and hopefully we will see the results in the coming years. In the meantime, I would like to thank the MSA for supporting the campaign and you – for taking the time to read the inspiring stories of these women in motor sport. Susie Wolff, guest editor
The official magazine of the Motor Sports Association (MSA). Published on behalf of MSA by Motor Sport Magazine Ltd., 18-20 Rosemont Road, London NW3 6NE. Tel: 020 7349 8497 www.motorsportmagazine.com. Guest Editor Susie Wolff, Editor Damien Smith, Art editor Damon Cogman, Designer Zamir Walimohamed, News Editor Tim Swietochowski, Sub Editors Gordon Cruickshank, Joe Dunn. Advertising Kit Brough & Marc Butler, Commercial Director Sean Costa, Publisher Sophia Dempsey. Printed by Precision Colour Printing. The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of the MSA. Equally, the inclusion of advertisements in this magazine does not constitute endorsement of the products and services concerned by the MSA.
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Megan Stephanson
Layla Dorsi
Kathryn Richards
Louise Johnson
Katie Milner
Alyx Coby
Amy Brunton
Lara Small
Charlotte Tulley
Jemima Hepworth
Laura Webber
Lesley Antrobus
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Action Replay
D2BD: it’s a community! From the beginning, Dare to be Different co-founder Susie Wolff set a clear target for the initiative to create a community of like-minded girls, all of whom have ambitions to build careers in motor sport. Here, we present a selection of some of the young women who are already members of the growing D2BD family.
Megan Stephanson
Layla Dorsi
Kathryn Richards
Kart racer
Motor sport blogger
Wind tunnel test technician
Megan, from Bedale, North Yorkshire, has been racing for three years. The 12-year-old started in Honda Cadets and last year moved up to Rotax Mini Max. This is her first full season in the class, competing with ST Racing in the NFK and PFI club championships. “I’ve won my first rookie trophy at PFI,” she says. “I’m aiming for Juniors next year and when I am older to race cars.”
Layla works as a full-time blogger and recently launched The Formula 1 Girl – a blog dedicated exclusively to Formula 1. “People might think it’s strange,” she says, “but hey – let’s dare to be different!” You can follow Layla through social media channels, including www.facebook.com/ sprinklesofstyle, www.instagram.com/laylad beauty and www.twitter.com/layladbeauty.
Kathryn has been part of the Mercedes Formula 1 team for 10 years. She has a PhD in vehicle aerodynamics and is responsible for the smooth running of the wind tunnel which is used by the team to improve the performance of the race car. “I feel immensely proud and fortunate to work as part of such an amazing team of people, all of whom want to be world champions again.”
Louise Johnson
Katie Milner
Alyx Coby
Photographer
Saloon car racer
Junior karter
Louise has a burning ambition to become a professional motor sport photographer. She has already caught the eye as a finalist in an official World Endurance Championship fan photography competition. “I’m obsessed with motor sport, and since graduating three years ago I have travelled to some of the most amazing places to watch races,” she says.
Katie is a budding racer from Yorkshire. She started autograss at 12, gaining many junior titles. At 15 she entered the Junior Saloon Car Championship and recently made history by becoming the first girl to score a victory. Her aspiration is to reach the British Touring Car Championship. She’d like you to follow her on Twitter at @Katiemilner
Alyx, aged 11, from Co. Kildare in Ireland, is already in her fourth year of racing having moved up to the junior class for this season. She is the only girl on the grid as well as being the youngest. “I got into karting because my dad used to race and I practically grew up in the paddock. Last year was my best year. I won three finals and finished fifth in the championship.”
Amy Brunton
Lara Small
Charlotte Tulley
Cadet kart racer
Motorcycle racer
Engineering student
Amy, 10, started racing at Buckmore Park just after her eighth birthday. Since then she has raced all around the country, and even at the Dubai Autodrome last year while on holiday. “It’s great fun racing,” she says. “There are not enough girls doing it so I always aim to get good results. I have lots of friends in karting but when the lights go green I try to beat them all.”
Lara is a manufacturing engineering team leader at Rolls-Royce in Derby and a troop commander in Chesterfield. She holds the rank of captain and is part of 33 Engineer Regiment. She races with the British Army Motorcycle Road Racing team and has support from Via Moto Honda in Chesterfield, FUCHS Silkolene and Knox clothing.
Charlotte is currently in her second year studying motor sport engineering at university and she hopes to forge a career in the industry when she graduates. “Engineering was my best and favourite subject at school and motor sport has always been a passion of mine,” she says. “Now all I have to do is graduate so I can combine them both.”
Jemima Hepworth
Laura Webber
Lesley Antrobus
Junior kart racer
Engineering student
Motorcycle mechanic
Fifteen-year-old Jemima has been racing since she was 12. The Dunkeswell Kart Club member has one simple ambition: “to race!” She competes in a Kosmic chassis and, with help from mechanic (and Dad) Jon, is proud of her accolades so far: rookie of the year, most exciting driver of 2015 at Dunkeswell and a best privateer award in Super One.
Laura’s parents love classic cars and she has a passion for engineering and motor sport. She is studying for a masters degree in aeronautical engineering and spent a summer working in the aviation industry before taking up a placement in the aerodynamics department at Mercedes. She says, “I’m looking forward to getting stuck back in with the team when I graduate.”
Lesley decided to get involved in motor sport two years ago. As well as working as a motorbike mechanic she is building a BMW Compact Car to race spec for the Scottish BMW Compact Cup and travels the country photographing teams and races. “Motor sport has become my life in every aspect, from the photography to race mechanics to actual racing,” she says.
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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Worldwide
News The latest briefing from your governing body
Sir Jackie Stewart, centre, hopes new investment will see more Scottish world champions
A NEW DAWN FOR SCOTTISH MOTOR SPORT
Extra funds to kick-start participation north of the border Formula 1 legend and proud Scot Sir Jackie Stewart joined sportscotland, the MSA and the Scottish Auto Cycle Union at Ingliston to announce a new partnership aimed at boosting participation in motor sport north of the border. A sportscotland grant worth £360,000 has enabled Scottish Motor Sports – an umbrella group representing the sport in Scotland – to create two new roles: national development manager and national development officer. Together they will deliver a new strategy to increase membership in Scotland by 10 per cent. This will be achieved by working with clubs
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to increase the number of qualified coaches, building stronger relationships between clubs and local authorities, and developing greater opportunities for student participation. “Scotland needs more champions in the world of motor sport,” said Stewart. “To be global champions is a very big challenge. We have to excite more people in Scotland about motor sport in general. We have also got to encourage more people to come to racing and rally events.” For more information visit scottishmotorsports.co.uk
A sportscotland cash injection to boost participation in Scotland
STAGE RALLY SAFETY REQUIREMENTS UPDATED Updates to the 2016 Stage Rally Safety Requirements (SRSRs) are now available on the MSA website at msauk.org/rallyfuture. The SRSRs represent a common template for the organisation of all UK stage rallies. Following feedback from events and organisers, the requirements have been updated with reference to topics such as the stage commander, radio requirements, safety car procedures and much more. The update is available in two formats: a new version of the main document incorporating the changes, and a supplementary sheet to the existing main document. “The Stage Rally Safety Requirements are key to RallyFuture but they’re also relatively new to the sport, so we’ve listened to organisers’ feedback and made adjustments,” said Rob Jones, MSA chief executive. “We appreciate that this has been a challenging time for rallying and that the requirements have increased workloads for hard-pressed volunteers, but it has been very encouraging to see the sheer effort and enthusiasm they have put in to help ensure the future of the sport we all love.”
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News
Me first Miss! One hundred schoolgirls joined Susie Wolff to learn what it takes to be a racing driver
D2BD INSPIRES NORTHERN IRELAND
Schoolgirls take to the track and learn how to be racing drivers Susie Wolff put 100 schoolgirls through their paces as they got behind the wheel for the first time and learnt what it takes to be a racing driver at the second Dare to be Different event. The event took place in May at Nutts Corner karting circuit in Northern Ireland, and as well as giving the local girls track time, also set them engineering and fitness challenges. Alongside Wolff, Porsche Carrera Cup GB driver and former Karting World Champion Charlie
MERC ENGINEER GIVES F1 IN SCHOOLS AWARD Dr Kathryn Richards, a Mercedes AMG Formula 1 wind tunnel test technician, presented the F1 in Schools’ inaugural Dare to Be Different award during the UK Finals at Silverstone (April 21).
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Eastwood was also on hand to offer advice. “Although many of the girls here were apprehensive having never done anything like this before, once they began feeling more comfortable out on the circuit you could see their confidence build,” he said. The girls then learned about other aspects of the sport such as the media, with help from Sky Sports Formula 1 presenter and D2BD ambassador Rachel Brookes and had the opportunity to see Lewis
The D2BD accolade recognises the competition’s best all-female team. On this occasion it was Storm Racing, comprising five girls from Sandbach School in Cheshire. “I was absolutely delighted to present this award on behalf of Dare To Be Different,” said Richards. “One of my great passions in life is to encourage more girls to enter
Hamilton’s championship-winning Mercedes Formula 1 car. “Nutts Corner really pulled out all the stops,” said Wolff. “The girls had a fantastic day and it truly opened their eyes to the possibilities offered by our sport. We had a raft of activities that were educational, informative and, most of all, fun. Dare To Be Different is all about overturning preconceptions and showing that girls are every bit as capable of forging a career in motor sport as boys are – the opportunities are there for everyone.” After each event, there will be a prize for whoever spreads the D2BD message in the most effective way when back at school.
Turn to page 22 for an in-depth look at the inaugural D2BD event at Sandown Park in Surrey.
engineering, and it was fantastic to see not just Storm Racing but so many girls turn out for the ceremony.” Meanwhile, the Engima UK team from Robert May’s School in Hampshire, were crowned the overall F1 in Schools UK national champions and will head to the world finals in Austin, Texas in October. For more information visit f1inschools.co.uk
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News
championship’s standing as the only UK series conforming to global FIA F4 regulations. These were introduced in 2015 as the first rung on the racing ladder for young single-seater drivers starting out on the road to Formula 1.
Stefano Domenicali, president of the FIA Single-Seater Commission, said: “Given the global reach of FIA Formula 4, it is both natural and essential that the category establishes a strong base in the UK and continues growing from there. “It is obviously one of the major centres in the motor sport world with a proud and rich history. The nature of FIA Formula 4 is a national championship, meaning that driver entries are predominantly only allowed from the country in which it is run – as a result it is a way of specifically developing young British talent.” Gerard Quinn, senior manager at Ford Performance Europe, added: “Ford is delighted with the rebranding to F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford, which ensures that the name of the championship is now consistent with its counterparts around the world. It adds to the transparency of the FIA motor sport ladder in Britain and underlines Ford’s commitment to developing young drivers which has spanned almost 50 years.” The 2016 F4 British Champion will be awarded 12 points towards an FIA Formula 1 Superlicence. They will also attend the FIA Gala in Austria in December and join an exclusive FIA F4 drivers’ club. Petru Florescu, driving for Carlin, became the first ‘British F4’ race winner at Thruxton in May.
co-driver, plus sports psychology and first aid training. They then had exclusive use of Perez’s private stage, allowing them to test their newfound knowledge and
skills. First they made notes from a road car, before climbing aboard the former BTRDA Gold Star Champion’s Ford Focus WRC and tackling the stage at speed. “It was great to gain insight into how world championship teams work, and how we can implement that into our rally team,” said Whittock, who went on to score his first overall rally victory on the Severn Valley Stages (4 June). “Going forward it will all help me become a more professional codriver and to progress.”
Petru Florescu’s Carlin singleseater takes victory in the newly named F4 British Championship
MSA FORMULA BECOMES F4 BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP
A new name gives young drivers a leg up the single-seater ladder The championship formerly known as MSA Formula has run its first rounds under its new name: the Formula 4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford. The name change reflects the
ACADEMY MEMBERS IN CO-DRIVER MASTER CLASS National rally star Steve Perez gave five young co-drivers a money-can’tbuy experience aboard a World Rally car in Chesterfield. MSA Academy navigators Richard Crozier, Phil Hall, Jack Morton, Ross Whittock and Chris Williams joined programme leaders Nicky Grist and Paul Spooner for a classroom session on the complex role of a professional
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News
NEW AND RETURNING PARTNERS BOLSTER RALLY
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WRGB 2016 ROUTE REVEALED Cholomondeley & Chester form part of revised itinerary
Rally cars regularly take part in Cholmondeley’s annual sprint event
SIMON ARRON
A RallyFest stage at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire is among the highlights of Dayinsure Wales Rally GB’s extended route, which was officially unveiled on June 1. Once again based at Toyota’s Deeside engine plant, the event will begin with a ceremonial start at Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay on Thursday October 27. Crews will then tackle 208 competitive miles over 22 special stages predominantly across North and Mid Wales. These include reverse runs through Myherin and Hafren for the first time in more than 20 years, and the addition of Pantperthog for the first time since 1997. The winners will be crowned during the ceremonial finish on Mostyn Street in Llandudno on the Sunday afternoon. “The Welsh Government’s support for the Rally shows our continued commitment to the event, which has significant links with the automotive sector in Wales,” said Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure. “Wales is home to about 150 component and systems manufacturing companies and has 18,500 people employed in automotive manufacturing with an annual turnover of circa £3.4 billion. We look forward to the adventure in October.” It has also been announced that the rally will return to Chester for a promotional time control on Friday October 28. It will be the event’s first visit to the historic city for 20 years. For full route and ticket details, visit www.walesrallygb.com.
Wales Rally GB has announced short-term car insurance firm Dayinsure as its new title partner, while Hyundai returns as the official car partner on the October 27-30 event. The UK’s round of the World Rally Championship will now be known as the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB. Company boss Dennis Ryan said: “This partnership with Wales Rally GB will provide us with the perfect platform to promote not only the opportunity to take out such short-term cover but also its simplicity.” Meanwhile Hyundai Motor UK will again provide a fleet of liveried vehicles for the organisation team and FIA dignitaries. “Rally sport is in Hyundai’s DNA and we are delighted to be supporting Wales Rally GB for the third consecutive year,” said Tony Whitehorn, Hyundai Motor UK’s President and CEO. The Welsh Government remains the principal funding partner of the event, having finalised a new three-year agreement to support the rally until the end of 2018.
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Opinion
View from the volunteer
Tiegen Lillicrap A woman with a clear view of her route into motor sport – and the fun it brings, too
E
ven on the day I was born my parents were on their way to a motor sport event so it is safe to say it is in my blood. My family has always been heavily involved especially at club level, and growing up I’ve watched both of my brothers compete and win. Aaron, my oldest brother, is the main reason for me being a scrutineer. He used to compete in the endurance championship in a Mini. He tried to persuade me into the navigator’s seat but I didn’t have the guts – so I took the officials’ route instead! However, I have competed to national level in Land Rover trials in the Tyros class. The main reason for my involvement with scrutineering is for the opportunities it offers, especially as I want to be a motor sport engineer once I graduate from university. Starting at 16, my training took two years and allowed me to work on Wales Rally GB along with events such as hillclimbs, sprints and stage rallies. It gave me loads to talk about in my personal statement for uni and I got to meet some amazing people who have experience in the areas I would like to work in. Now 18, I have finished training and have just been upgraded to a full scrutineer. I am a true believer in club-level motor sport as it is accessible to young people, offering a chance to compete
Tiegen spends more time under the bonnet than behind the wheel, but aims for a degree that will enable her to work in a world motor sport series
The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of the MSA.
“Some have said ‘you’re doing this but you’re not an old man!’ But I’ve had a lot of support, which is nice in this male-dominated industry ” www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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without a huge budget. In turn this benefits British motor sport and is essential for the future of the sport. Being based in Devon, I get to experience a range of local events. For bigger events I get to travel, particularly within Wales. Luckily for me, I work within a brilliant scrutineering team which makes the travelling and events a lot of fun! In the future I hope to carry on scrutineering while completing my university course. I am planning on being at Loughborough University to do electronics and electrical engineering. With my degree and scrutineering experience I hope to work with cars within the World Rally Championship, the World Endurance Championship or World Touring Cars. Scrutineering is great in this sense as it allows me to gain the hands-on experience and knowledge of race vehicles that I won’t gain from my course. This is an area where Dare to Be Different could really help as I know that there is a shortage of women applying for these types of courses and so more needs to be done to encourage them. For me motor sport is a passion, something I do to take my mind off my studies, which can get pretty intense at times. You could say it gives me a chance to be different. I tend to stand out because I’m young and female, which seems to go against the trend. Some have said: ‘you’re doing this but you’re not an old man!’ But, overall I’ve had a lot of support, which is nice in this currently male-dominated sport. With that in mind, the Dare to be Different initiative is really positive, although I think it could be greater still. At the moment it seems to be aimed at girls of 12 or younger; I think it could be expanded to target older girls. Perhaps it could offer scholarships for those looking to get into the sport. Female drivers and officials need support to get into karting and reach F1, but also beyond into the WRC and other areas of the wide motor sport world. n
17 10/06/2016 12:20
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09/06/2016 17:09
Opinion
View from the competitor
Gillian Carr This enthusiast is always at the races, whether she’s competing or on duty for the BRDC
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long-standing dream became a reality for me in 2003 as I donned a race suit and headed up Prescott hillclimb in a 1930 MG M-type loaned by fellow competitor Tom Dark whom I knew from my PR role at the Vintage Sports-Car Club. Tom was the first of a long list of wonderful people who have loaned me some great machinery over the years to fulfil an ambition I’d held since a teenager – to compete in motor sport. I’ve held my ARDS for 12 years now. My first race was the VSCC Pomeroy Trophy in an awesome Z28 Camaro which belonged to enthusiastic American collector Dean Butler. Being so closely involved with the VSCC I bought a Singer Le Mans to hillclimb and race and was loaned a B37 Singer and a very historic ex-Le Mans car by the Gibson family for a time. In 2006 my father acquired a single-seater GN (early Frazer Nash) and we had a great period where my father, brother and I all used the car. Brother Rob still regularly races it and I do when I’m feeling brave as it’s a bit feisty. I have a fondness for Edwardian cars and I have competed in more than 15 VSCC Edwardian races. I’m proudly associated with Alisdaire Lockhart’s racing Vauxhall ‘equipe’ and it was with his Vauxhall A/D Type that I scored my first race victory at Donington Park, a circuit that has
From her start at a hillclimb meeting, Gillian has driven an ever wider range of vintage, Edwardian and endurance races, all while coping with the office job – club secretary at the BRDC
The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of the MSA.
“I believe strongly that female racers do it for all the same reasons as the guys – chasing that adrenaline buzz” www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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great memories for me. In 2010 I organised a VSCC Ladies Race there, and the ethos behind it is something that I remain true to – the Club wanted to promote just how many ladies were racing and encourage more to do so. I believe strongly that female racers do it for all the same reasons as the guys – chasing that adrenaline buzz. Twenty-six ladies made the grid that weekend. A few spins in Julian Majzub’s glorious Pelmore 4.5-litre Bentley started the next chapter. Katarina Kyvalova invited me to become a member of her all-female ‘Bentley Belles’ team to contest the Benjafield’s 24 Hours for Pre-war cars at Portimao. It was a dream come true to compete in a proper endurance race, and finish 11th out of 22 teams. We’ve gone on to fulfil a shared ambition to compete in historic endurance events. In September 2015 we became the first all-female team to enter the legendary Spa Six Hours race and were ecstatic to finish third in our class and feature on the podium in Kat’s Austin Healey 3000. As well as dream drives at Spa and Le Mans in 2015 (I codrove Paul Griffin’s ALSR Connaught in the Le Mans historic support race) I also accepted the role of secretary of the British Racing Drivers’ Club. I’m the first female to hold the position and it’s a real honour. It’s an incredibly busy role but I don’t begrudge that – my career comes first – so I have to shoe-horn competition in around Club commitments, but all that means is that pretty much every weekend is at a race track! I’ve loved every second of my career in motor sport, over a decade with the VSCC and a great period with the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association and am grateful to all those who have given me chances to race a wonderful spectrum of cars. My advice to anyone is to ‘stop thinking it – get on with it, it’ll happen’ and I’ll use that mantra as I strive to tick the next box: racing modern sports cars. n
19 10/06/2016 12:08
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26/11/2015 13:53:01
Opinion
View from the MSA
Cheryl Lynch The MSA Race, Speed & Kart Executive on the crucial role of women in motor sport
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uring my working life at the MSA I have spent many weekends officiating at motor sport events, much to the benefit of my desk job back at Motor Sports House. I find that getting out in the field and performing the role of a licensed official gives me greater understanding of the situations I have to deal with from a governance perspective. Conversely I have also been able to carry my working knowledge across to the stewarding activities, most recently at the FIA World Rallycross Championship round at Hockenheim, where I chaired the stewards for the first time. My next Rallycross event is at Hell in Norway (June 11-12) where I will again be chairman – this time of an all-female stewarding panel! Joining me will be Belgium’s Liliane Nottermans, a very well respected and experienced international steward. I also understand that the Norwegian ASN has successfully nominated a national lady steward. Stewarding is a road I first ventured down with the support of then MSA chief executive Colin Hilton, and then general secretary Rob Jones [now chief executive]. I have also been very fortunate to be able to call on the guidance
“Support from colleagues made me realise it doesn’t matter that I’m a woman in what’s perceived as a male-dominated sport” www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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of Andy Lasure, president of the FIA Off-road Commission, as well as my fellow Rallycross colleagues. Over the past 25 years in the sport I have seen a small but constant female influence behind the scenes. I say small because in 2015 we had 716 licensed clerks of the course in the UK, of which 47 were female, equating to only seven per cent. And out of 187 MSA licensed stewards there are just five women, including me – three per cent. That said, of the 345 MSA licensed timekeepers there are 105 women, which is a creditable 30 per cent! These are numbers that we can all play a part in boosting, simply by encouraging friends and family to get involved, and by providing a warm, welcoming and encouraging atmosphere when they do. I have to say that I have only ever received immense support from all my colleagues, which has made me realise that it really doesn’t matter that I am a woman in what is often perceived to be a male-dominated sport. All that matters is that I have the necessary understanding and appreciation of my role and that I’m not afraid to get stuck in and offer my view. Somebody who embodies this and who has been of great support to me is Sue Sanders. Sue is an MSA-licensed international rally clerk of the course, deputy clerk of the course, and event safety co-ordinator for Wales Rally GB. She is also an MSA lead trainer helping to deliver training worldwide, as well as being the UK representative on the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission. Oh, and she’s integral to the RallyFuture project, too! Competitors may be the most visible participants in motor sport, but I do think it is time we celebrated some of the leading ladies performing other roles that are absolutely crucial to our sport. n
21 10/06/2016 13:05
A day at the races Dare to be Different kicked off at Sandown Park as 100 school girls descended on the kart circuit within the Surrey horse racing course. Katie Grimmett was there, too
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here’s a hum of activity at Sandown Park as the quiet morning becomes anything but with the arrival of 100 excitable schoolgirls. They are met by the familiar figure of Dare to be Different co-founder Susie Wolff, her boundless enthusiasm on eager display at the Surrey karting track. The girls gather around as the sun gleams on the nearby podium, their faces a picture of awe and intrigue. One girl nudges her neighbour, points to the nearby karts and swiftly meets her classmate’s gaze with a smile. “Look,” she exclaims, “we get to drive the karts like Lewis Hamilton!” Such feelings of excitement and anticipation can leave one hooked on motor sport for life. There is nothing quite like that first encounter. The day represents a new era for motor sport, one aiming to celebrate, inspire and encourage the participation of women across the many spheres of motor
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racing. At the heart of Dare to be Different is an intrinsic belief that women possess as much talent as their male counterparts. Certainly the girls in attendance at the first Dare to be Different headline event seem confident in their abilities, and so they should. After all, that’s what the initiative is all about, to encourage young women to join an industry considered to be male-dominated. The atmosphere of the day reflects those aims; a definite sense that anything is possible lingers in the air. “I think the biggest thing for women in any walk of life is the confidence to do things that perhaps weren’t once open to them,” says Sky Sports F1’s Natalie Pinkham in animated fashion, clearly sharing the collective sentiment of female empowerment. “Everything’s about perception. If you’ve been told from a very young age you can’t do something then it’s very difficult to break that and to go outside your comfort zone and push boundaries.”
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
10/06/2016 12:18
Indeed, with every turn of their head the girls are introduced to more women who have ‘dared to be different’ in recent years. Upcoming rally driver Catie Munnings, single-seater talent Tatiana Calderon and fitness trainer Gemma Trotter are among those who join Pinkham for Dare to be Different’s maiden voyage. These are the women who the next generation, both metaphorically and physically, look up to in wonder. They each play a role on the day by talking to the girls, answering their questions and reminding them at every opportunity of the equality Wolff and her colleagues strive for. Less than six per cent of Formula 1 staff members are female and only 1500 women currently possess a UK competition licence through the MSA. With this in mind, the need for this event is hard to ignore. Brought to life by MSA chief executive Rob Jones for its first headline event, the day offers engineering, driving, presenting and fitness activities to its young and
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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Hands up who dares to be different: 100 schoolgirls get a taste of the motor sport world
impressionable guests, something Jones deems necessary to the future of motor sport. “If you are female and you are choosing your GCSEs or your university course, think about motor sport,” he urges, standing in the Surrey sunshine. “Whether it is as an engineer, a medic, a nutritionist, a chef or a psychologist, the job already exists for you.” It is this attitude on which this bright April day is based. To one side, girls are building hovercraft under a marquee with STEMNET – an initiative itself designed to encourage female participation in science, technology, economics and maths. In building the hovercraft, the girls see the power that everyday objects can yield when combined with knowledge and, perhaps most crucially of all in motor sport, team work. The thrilled look on the face of one young pupil as she hovers higher and higher from the ground is undeniable – she is the envy of everyone and ❱❱
23 10/06/2016 12:18
Dare To Be Different
is met with audible gasps of approval from onlookers. Building a makeshift hovercraft is something that will not be forgotten in a hurry. Behind them, more schoolgirls dabble with presenting; the camera and microphone adding further detail to the spectacle. Some of the young interviewers and interviewees stand tall and proud from the off, seemingly at ease with the task put before them. Others take a little longer but all come out of their shell as they replicate the actions they have so avidly consumed through their TVs. More than ever, the once-exclusive industry feels that bit closer for children who, in years to come, could define the next era of motor sport, its technology and media presence. “It’s awesome,” says Amelia, aged 10, one young girl potentially eyeing up a future in the fast-paced and evolving sport. “Now I think I might want to be a part of [motor sport]. My favourite was the television bit, but the karting was really fun too.” Further into the depths of motor sport they go as the children try their hand at karting, simulating pitstops and sitting at the helm of Valtteri Bottas’ 2014 challenger, adorned with the familiar blue stripes of a modern-day Williams Formula 1 car. Their questions are answered patiently and with care by the team’s sponsorship manager who dutifully explains downforce, steering and the rapid pace of the car. It is a photo opportunity too good to ignore. One girl lines up for the shot of a lifetime. Then another,
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As well as trying karting, the girls learned about engineering, fitness and (top right) media skills with Natalie Pinkham
and another. At the very least they will leave with memories of a day which positively thrusts young women into the racing spotlight and is absolutely worthy of a boast on the playground the next day. After all, is it not the opinions of the girls which matter most? Create a positive environment now and the male-dominated motor sport industry may not feel so intimidating to young children still with big decisions to make about their futures. The success of the inaugural Dare to be Different event is obvious. For these girls motor sport suddenly represents a future which promises that talent will come before gender. All they need to do, Susie reiterates to them all with a caring smile, is understand the value of their talent and its worth to the industry. What a confidence boost at such a impressionable age. The day ends with reflections from the real stars of the event, those for whom the initiative was created. Hayley, aged eight, from Lime Tree Primary School in Surrey perhaps sums up the day better than anyone else ever could. With a twinkle in her eye, she reflects on the jampacked day she has just enjoyed. “The karting was my favourite bit because I’ve always wanted to try driving and when I’m older I really want to do it,” she says with pride. “Today Susie showed that girls can have the same experience that boys have, and that’s good.” Indeed it is. The future for women in motor sport who Dare to be Different looks bright. n
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
10/06/2016 12:19
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03/06/2016 11:03
WomenInMotorSport GC DS.indd 1
10/06/2016 12:28
Top of the
Bill
6 best Women in motor sport
of the
These women and girls have all found their own different ways into motor sport lives. As Rebecca Chaplin discovers, they are all equally inspiring
Photos by Amy Shore www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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Sometimes you meet a person who is so passionate about what they do that you can’t help walking away with a fresh and positive outlook. It’s unusual to meet a group of people who are so enthusiastic and determined that each one leaves you feeling that way. On a recent trip to Williams I was lucky enough to meet a group of women who had each adopted different careers in motor sport but were equally inspiring in their pursuit. ❱❱
27 10/06/2016 12:28
Top of the
Bill Women in motor sport
Sophie Ogg
Head of Communications at Williams F1
A passion for motor sport pulled Sophie Ogg trackside from an early age and she hasn’t been away from it since. That has led her to a shining career in Formula 1 within the communications team at Williams. Sophie joined Williams at the start of 2010, but has always worked in motor sport. Before joining the team in Grove she was part of the World Touring Car Championship paddock, but even before she started university she was involved in the sport in any way she could be. “I think it was in the early 1990s that my dad took me to a British Touring Car race and I just decided that I loved the atmosphere and the sport, and that I wanted to work in it,” she says. “When I was about 15 or 16 I started working with little race teams close by – washing wheels or polishing bodywork. Anything to just be there on a race weekend.” She adds: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the sport. Originally I wanted to be an engineer.” Sophie continued that career path until choosing her university, but as she was studying for her A-levels decided that words were actually her strong point. “I thought if I want to be successful I need to play to my strengths. So I ended up on a PR degree at university, while at the same time working on more of the media side with the teams I was involved with.”
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When I asked Sophie how many championships she’d worked in over the years, she struggled to recall all the series. She worked in Formula Ford, British GT, Formula BMW, A1GP and WTCC before joining Willliams. Sophie admits that, as interested as she is in Formula 1 technology, it was more than just the cars that drew her in. For her it was the whole experience of being in a team, and the competitive element. “There is something about working in a paddock, the smells and the atmosphere; I caught the bug completely,” she says. “For me it was about finding something that I could bring to that sport, a way to add something.” Sophie now heads up all of the PR for the Williams group, which includes the F1 team but also Williams Advanced Engineering, while anything from the heritage division to the conference centre will also fall under Sophie’s remit. She explains: “I manage a team of eight people now; it’s grown quite considerably since I joined as a press officer five years ago. I’ve worked my way up and as I’ve done so I’ve built the department around me.” Not only that, but she’s virtually right-hand woman to deputy team principal Claire Williams, who was previously her superior in the communications team. “We have a great relationship. I’ve learnt so much from Claire, but she trusts me and I think that’s why we work together so well.”
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
10/06/2016 12:28
Ella Stevens
Karter aiming for the big time
The youngest of our racers is nine-year-old karter Ella Stevens. She’s one of a handful of girls racing in the Easykart Cadet Championship and spends most weekends karting in that series or MSA Club events. For such a young girl she’s extremely dedicated, getting out on track regularly and racing around six times on a race day. She did admit that she wasn’t always a fan of the early mornings, though, saying: “sometimes starting at five in the morning to get to a race isn’t the best.” Ella might have started karting when she was six but she immediately made an impression. It was actually her brother who got her into karting, as he was competing before she was. This season she’s progressed from Bambinos into Cadets. At the time of writing Ella had attended six race events this year and was pleased with how she’d been doing. This season has been tougher since moving up a class, but Ella tells me about her proudest moment this year: “My best result of the season was finishing fourth after starting in 17th – and it was really good to get fastest lap of the day at that round too. Unfortunately in the six races this season, there have been three DNFs, but all due to mechanical failure.” Those DNFs have thrown Ella back in the points but she’s determined to finish in a good position this season. “We’ve been testing for the next round and I was the fastest so the rest of the year is looking up.” She’s got a bit of time to get some practice in, but Ella is planning on a shining career in motor sport. “I want to be a Formula 1 driver,” she says. Unsurprisingly Lewis Hamilton is her favourite driver, and she has every intention of being just as good as he is. ❱❱
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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29 10/06/2016 12:29
Top of the
Bill Women in motor sport
Nabila Tejpar, aged 22, has just started her rallying career, but it’s been a lifelong dream for her, with rallying heritage firmly planted in her family. At her age Nabila feels she’s a bit behind some of her competitors, and in the Junior BRC where she’s currently competing she is one of the oldest. However, her delay in getting started was purely down to getting her degree and it’s not left her at any significant disadvantage. “I wanted to race from a young age but my mum said I needed to finish university first,” Nabila explains. As she tells me the story of managing to complete her course early, I can tell just how intent she is on being a success. Last year she finished studying International Business, International Relations and Entrepreneurship in Washington DC, and was preparing to go rallying as soon as possible. “I graduated last year and got into a rally car as soon as I could after that.” Nabila is piloting an R2 Fiesta, run by MH Motorsport,
after moving on from the Proton she learnt in. For a first season rallying with limited experience, she’s certainly showing her competitors how to make a shining start. Unfortunately there were some issues early on, as Nabila adds: “I was ready to go rallying but my co-driver ended up pulling out. I was lucky that my friend was able to jump in at the last minute and it’s worked well.” Now three rounds into her first season rallying in the MSA Junior BRC, she can say she’s scored points in every round. She has the rallying bug in her genes. When her father was younger he also rallied, as did Nabila’s grandfather who was a Group N Champion in Kenya. So what’s in the future for Nabila? “The aim would be to get a paid drive and at the moment I’d like to get a drive in the North America Stages,” she says. This is more than just a dream for Nabila, who has already reached the top 10 in her BRC class. “Now I’ve had a taste of being in the top 10, I don’t want to drop out of it!”
Nabila Tejpar Rally driver, Junior BRC
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Charlie Broughton Technical Buyer for Tuthill Porsche and engineer for Power Maxed Racing She has taken a fairly unorthodox route into engineering, but Charlie Broughton was always determined to prove herself a worthy member of the team. Now she’s coming up to 20 years working in motor sport, from club racing to touring cars and an eight-year stint in the World Rally Championship. At college Charlie trained in hair and beauty so, despite a keen interest in motor sport from a very young age, her mother was fairly surprised when she decided she wanted to learn to be a mechanic. “All I ever wanted to be when I was a teenager was a mechanic,” Charlie explains. “When I was younger it wasn’t particularly easy to get into, though, especially as it was seen as a male industry.” She has had a varied career, but these days Charlie is a technical buyer for Tuthill Porsche during the week. On weekends, though, she is one of the engineers for Power Maxed Racing in the British Touring Car Championship,
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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working on Hunter Abbott’s car. “I wasn’t remotely interested in cars growing up, neither was my dad, so it wasn’t something I picked up from him or my brothers. It was my mum who was interested in motor sport and as soon as there was a race on TV, I remember my dad telling me to ‘keep quiet during the race or your mum will be really angry’.” As Charlie began earning money she started taking her mother to race events, as she had never been to the real thing, but it was Charlie who found herself completely absorbed by the sport. “I couldn’t afford to retrain after college so it was a case of asking anyone ‘what can I do to help?’. “One guy who was running his own club team, as well as working in touring cars, told me to come along at weekends and he would teach me what I needed to know. I took him up on his offer and he taught me the basics of setting up a car. He was based in Lancashire and he asked me to come and work with him, so I made the decision to move away from home. “I think my mum thought I would always work in a nice salon once I completed my hair and beauty course, so when I said I was moving away from home and what I was going to do they thought I was crazy.” At the end of her year with the team her boss couldn’t afford to pay her over the winter. Fortunately for Charlie, that experience got her into Triple Eight Racing who were running in the Vectra VR6 Cup at the time. She spent a year there, then moved up to the BTCC team, which was running Jason Plato, and then she moved on to the World Rally Championship and a Subaru Impreza for Prodrive. “When I went to Prodrive, as it’s such a big company they did a lot of training and they funded me to go back to college and study a car maintenance course,” Charlie says. In her eight years with Prodrive she says that although it was only Imprezas she worked on, there was a huge amount of change, explaining “there were different drivers, new regulations and the next car to develop.” Charlie does admit there had been some struggles as a woman trying to work in a male-dominated industry. “I remember one particular incident at Subaru. I started off as an assembly technician, so I was factory-based and I really wanted to go out and travel and do the events. “It took me a long time to prove I could do it as they were worried about all of the heavy lifting involved. When you change a gearbox in a rally car it’s almost 100kg in weight and it takes three people to change it – there are no lifts to help you on a rally because it has to be done there and then. “They took me into the workshop for a practice to start with and I couldn’t lift a gearbox the way the guys could, because of my upper body strength. Because I was very determined I changed the way I did it until I found a way I could. That was it and I was allowed to do it.” Charlie may be determined, but her strongest quality is how humble she is. Despite all of the cars and the series she’s worked in, she says: “I don’t really feel I know that much – I just do what I do. I love it. I just really love my job.”
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Top of the
Bill Women in motor sport
At just 17, Bryony King is the youngest racer and the only girl in the single-seater Formula Jedi championship. Bryony has always been sporty and fiercely competitive. She started out racing horses but had been karting at weekends while her brother was competing on track. “I loved both but my parents told me I had to choose and I just went for the one which was faster,” she explains. Bryony’s brother used to race motocross and it was at one of the tracks he was racing that she first tried karting. She says: “I was too small to go on it, but then my dad begged them to let me have a go. So while my brother was racing, I’d be going round this little track every weekend. “My dad bought me a cheap kart off eBay. At that point we didn’t even realise people raced, not until I was going to practice events and people were asking where I raced.” Bryony chooses her words carefully to explain that she was “quite good” in karts. In her first year racing in Cadets she came 14th out of 60 racers. Because she started what might be considered fairly late, she moved up to the next class in her second season but still managed to achieve the title of vice-champion. “In my third year a new class came out, so I raced in two championships. I’d get out of one car and then have to run to the grid where they’d be waiting for me. The karts were on completely different tyres, so when I’d go out on the less grippy tyres it would feel like something was wrong with it!” At such a young age she has already been thrown into the limelight, and is dedicated to a career in motor sport whether that’s on track or off. “In my last year there was a championship called Formula Kart Stars. They relaunched it at the British Grand Prix where another cadet and I were chosen to be ambassadors for it. That meant we got paddock passes for the whole weekend at the F1 Grand Prix. We had to have interviews with Sky to tell them about it and then Bernie Ecclestone took us onto the grid before the race. “That was when we decided to go more into car racing. It was a big step up but I’m getting used to the fact that the faster you go the easier it feels and that if you don’t go as fast as you can you feel out of control.” Bryony is now studying with the MSA Academy at Loughborough College, where she goes for two weeks a month with other young racers aiming to reach the sport’s elite levels. “It’s good because you earn a lot in racing that you wouldn’t have thought about before,” she says. So what does she want to do in the future? “Everyone says they want to make it to F1, and if I could that would be good, but my main goal is to get a paid drive. Even though I do single-seaters now, I wouldn’t mind switching to a car with a roof and doing something like touring cars.” And as the only girl racing in her series, did she ever find it a struggle? “When I first started racing I was the only girl doing it and all of the dads would say to their kids ‘don’t let that girl beat you’. But for the last few years, even though I was the only girl out there, I didn’t feel it made a difference anymore.”
Bryony King BRSCC Formula Jedi racer
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Carole Watts
Start-line marshal in British Touring Cars
Carole Watts has been marshalling for eight years but admits: “I only wish I’d started a lot sooner. I even met my husband through marshalling, and you should see the calendar on our kitchen wall. Every weekend is blocked out with a different event.” Level-headed Carole describes herself as a motherfigure who always wants to help. “Friday afternoon I start thinking that I need to make sure my desk is clear at five o’clock so I can get in the car and drive to whatever circuit I’m going to that weekend,” she says. “Then it’s a dash back home to get ready for work on Monday morning.” As a huge motor sport fan, being a marshal was a perfect fit for Carole but she admits that despite spending a lot of time at racing circuits over the years she had no idea how to get involved. “I’ve always been a big F1 fan. I loved watching Graham Hill and James Hunt, and later Jean Alesi was my hero. When he moved to DTM I used to go along to Donington and Brands Hatch to watch him. “For a long time I’d wondered how you get into being a marshal and I always thought it was a full-time paid job! One year I was watching the touring cars at Croft and saw a marshal recruitment tent [Must have been Team Wilson! – Ed]. They said I could volunteer and told me all about marshalling. I thought ‘this is for me. I’d love to do this’.” Carole has never looked back, working her way around
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different marshalling roles to help the sport as much as she can. “I think I could have given a lot more to marshalling and sport if I’d started younger, but as it is I didn’t and I can’t, so I do as much as I can now,” she says. She doesn’t deny it’s tough and you must be dedicated, but continuous training has equipped her with the skills she needs. “When I started I was a track marshal, so the training was dealing with incidents. You’re always given the basics every year and it progresses as you progress. “I was a track marshal for a couple of years and then went in the pitlane, which is all totally different. You’ve got to be aware of fast cars, drivers with red mist and any incidents in the pitlane. Even more so, you’ve got team members who are running across the pitlane, visitors and guests of teams that are in and out of the garages. It’s a little bit different to being out on track because there you’ve only got other marshals that you’re looking out for. “Then I progressed onto the startline – which I love. This means making sure you’ve got marshals out there to get the cars in the right grid position and then being aware of the countdown for the race. It makes it quite an intense weekend.” These days she’s mainly involved in British Touring Cars and although she has volunteered with F1, she says: “it’s only one race for one weekend – whereas in touring cars you’ve got three races. It’s always a busy weekend.” n
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MSA Spring Classic
Full of the joys of spring Long-suffering wife of a motoring hack Louise Frankel surprised herself by enjoying her first navigational rally, the MSA Spring Classic
I
’d like to say I am an old hand at this, that the thought of the next historic rally is what gets me through the day – but I just can’t. Despite spending the last quarter of a century married to a motoring journalist who’d race a milk float so long as someone else was paying, to date I have managed to limit my exposure to motor sport to one corporate day out at
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Knockhill, six hours being frozen half to death on board a motorised kettle during a London to Brighton run and an afternoon leaping around in the back of an old Vauxhall as its owner tried to drive it up the side of a hill. I didn’t arrive at the start of the MSA Spring Classic at gunpoint, only because the truth is more mundane. This is the fourth time the event has been run and I had run out of excuses.
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Actually what I would never have owned up to at the time is that I was secretly quite interested to see what the Spring Classic was all about. Andrew, the aforementioned other half, had insisted it was the most accessible and straightforward event of its kind, the perfect introduction to the world of navigation rallies. He even let me select our weapon: he spends so much time driving other people’s 500bhp supercars that these days his idea of a fun old car to own is something with less power than our lawnmower, and I exaggerate not at all. Mercifully there still lurks in the shed our trusty old Peugeot 205GTI, so it was that in which we duly lined up for the start at Celtic Manor outside Newport, one sunny Saturday morning. Reassurance came first with the technical examination of the car. The official checked we were indeed aboard the car in the entry list and promptly deemed us fit to take part. We joined friends Deborah and John Simister in a Sunbeam Stiletto and Richard and Karen Bremner in what was billed as an Austin Princess but which looked suspiciously like an immaculate Jaguar XJS. They were all Spring Classic regulars and had been imploring us to take part for a while. I thought the entry would be all swift 911s and E-types but in fact there was an impressively eclectic assortment including a pre-war drophead Derby Bentley, a couple of Turners, a Gordon Keeble (complete with fabulous tortoise mascot), a brace of beautiful old Alpine Renaults and even Princess Anne’s favourite, a Reliant Scimitar GTE. Scheduled breaks for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea all provided ample opportunity to meet fellow competitors. They had come for many different reasons, some for the driving, others for the navigation and a few just to escape the children for the weekend. Richard and Katja Hill, however, were there in their newly restored Series III E-type for another reason. “The car’s just come out of a lengthy restoration and we wanted to shake it down before its next event,” explained Richard. Which was? “We’re going to drive it around South Africa.” Andrew said it was as beautifully understated a restoration as he’d seen on such a car. For myself, I couldn’t decide whether I preferred John and Ann Ruston’s Porsche 356 or Jeremy Copp’s stunningly original Lotus Elan Sprint. Andrew’s favourite was Bryan Smart’s early Aston Martin DB4 which he says is both prettier and nicer to drive than the DB5 of 007 fame. I can vouch for one, but not the other. The route book consisted of tulip diagrams so simple even Andrew could understand them, and he’s had to ask for directions out of airport car parks before. We had feared that our travels through the most beautiful parts of Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and the Cotswolds could be choked with traffic on this sunny spring weekend. In fact, and thanks to superb route planning, the roads were clear. This to me is where the real value of the event could be seen: yes, anyone could go for a drive in this part of the world, but unless you know exactly where to find the quiet but open roads, and exactly how to string them together, you would struggle to make the most of your journey. As it was, we were shown the most stunning countryside and
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prettiest of Cotswold villages and, best of all, thanks to the frequency of instructions to turn this way and that, on those very rare occasions we did get held up, we knew it would only be a matter of a few minutes or seconds before we would be free again. It meant the navigator was always busy, the driver almost always free to drive the way she or he chose and both were happy. Day one took us on a circular route of around 160 miles with plenty of time for coffee stops and a delicious lunch at the quite extraordinary Hampton Court – older even than the one you may be thinking about – before a highly entertaining dinner back at Celtic Manor. The next day we cruised around Gloucestershire, visiting the eclectic and delightful Cotswold Motoring Museum before checking in for the final time at Castle Combe, where an earlier puncture and a 26-year-old spare prevented us from lapping the track. I didn’t mind at all. The Peugeot is a hoot to drive on those roads, narrow enough to feel truly nimble and sufficiently quick always to hold your attention, and the navigation is engrossing too, plus you get to see more of
“The navigation is engrossing and you get to see gorgeous countryside” the countryside. If I were to change anything, it would be do more miles on day one than two, allowing an earlier departure time for those with work on Monday. That said, there were no points to lose if you failed to stick to the route. You could come and go as you pleased and at a speed of your choosing. So having resisted for so long I now have my first navigation rally behind me and find myself in the awkward position of rather looking forward to the next Spring Classic, likely to be around the south-west of England. Such is the demand for the Classic that the MSA might be tempted to invite more cars to participate or to raise its prices – both of which might risk the success of the current format. So, the organisers are considering adding events to the Classic portfolio, which could range from a one-day event to a resurrection of the EuroClassic which took the cars to the continent for a longer duration. A September event similar in character to the Spring Classic, but in an entirely different part of the country was also mooted, such as a route around the Dales and up onto the North Yorks moors. Andrew was positively buzzing when he heard the news. As would I be were it not for the fact that now he reckons I’ve had my fun in the 205GTI, the weapon au choix for next year is his to choose. Which knowing him means we’ll be heading north in his beloved 1958 Citroen 2CV. If we leave now we might just make it to the start on time. n For more details of MSA Classic events, please email: classics@msaevents.co.uk
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Life in the Fast(est) Lane Louise Woodhams meets some of drag racing’s quickest female drivers
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Women drag racers
MATT WOODS
O
Anita Mäkelä, 55, started drag racing 30 years ago and brings her family along for the ride
n any trip to Santa Pod Raceway, you soon notice there are women everywhere – and they tend to be right in the middle of the action. At the qualifying day for the FIA European Drag Racing Championship, I managed to interview seven female drivers. Aged between 13 and 57, and competing across a selection of classes, there is one thing they all agreed on: drag racing is a ‘sexless’ sport. That’s quite remarkable when you consider motor sport is generally perceived to be a man’s world – whether they’re behind the wheel or behind the scenes. In drag racing circles however, women take on various roles with great success. As I discovered, they’re more than capable of racing, marshalling, managing and spannering. This diversity can be mainly attributed to one special woman, who is quoted as being an inspirational figure by all of our female racers: Shirley Muldowney. In 1965, aged 25, she became the first woman to race dragsters with America’s National Hot Rod Association. After racing Funny Cars – a class of drag racing using vehicles with road car bodies – in the early 1970s, she turned to Top Fuel dragsters and became the first woman to win the title and the first driver of either sex to win three World Fuel Championships. She retired at 63. Quite a woman and I was similarly blown away by my first interviewee, Finland’s Anita Mäkelä. She started racing in Competition (Comp) Eliminator in 1987 and after winning in her home country, she moved to Top Alcohol (now Top Methanol) and then Top Fuel, where she is currently the only female competitor in Europe. Anita was the first to run a four-second pass in Finland, the first European drag racer to win European Championships in both Top Methanol and Top Fuel categories and last year she was crowned Finnish Racing Driver of the Year, beating the likes of Valtteri Bottas. “Mika Häkkinen came over to me and said ‘none of the F1 or rally drivers did anything spectacular last year, but you were the only one to break the 500km/h barrier’,” she says. “I said, well, if you put it like that, it sounds good.” What was it that attracted Anita to drag racing and has she ever come across any prejudiced attitudes? “I was really interested in American cars for their loud V8s and I guess that’s what led me to this. I’ve encountered the odd guy who’s had doubts about women racers, but generally I find it doesn’t matter what sex you are. When you put the helmet on there is no difference. My fellow male racers are so nice – although they never say ladies first,” she laughs. ❱❱
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Women drag racers
Rhiannon Bellenie, 18, top, is already in her second season of the Pro ET class
It’s not easy being a Top Fuel drag racer, especially as the launch acceleration generates 6g. When you get to the Pro League levels you have to pass a medical each year, and over the winter Anita follows a hard training programme, which includes skiing, running and cycling. “If I wasn’t so physically fit, it would be hard to make it through a four-day weekend like this,” she says. “It also gives you an edge and has helped me to keep racing at 55.” As I learn throughout the day, racing is very much a family affair: Anita’s husband Tommi is a fellow racer and helps run the team with Anita (as well as their chicken farm where they live in Vilppula), while son Heikki, 16, and daughter Hanna, 18, are always at every event. Aside from the history behind drag racing with Muldowney setting the benchmark for women drivers, family-run teams are cited as another reason as to why the sport attracts so many females. Just as encouragingly, there has recently been an explosion in the number of women drivers as girls coming through the ranks from the junior classes, where you can race from as young as eight. Kent-based Rhiannon Bellenie is a good example. After becoming the 2013 UK National and Santa Pod Champion (Junior Modified Advanced) she is now competing in
Laura Turburville, top, was given dragster lessons for her 14th birthday
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Charlotte Bradford,13, has roped in her parents and sister to help on race days
Pro ET for a second season, aged just 18. With a father who raced Super Street bikes all of her life, she has been coming to the strip since she was in nappies and started competing in Junior Stock when she was nine. “It’s not a sexist sport; the women are just as good as the men and it’s great to see that. When I was racing in Juniors there were more girls than boys,” she explains. The story of how 21-year-old Laura Turburville from Nottingham got into the sport is almost identical to Rhiannon, except that her father competed in Super Twin and she started a little later. “For a few hundred pounds you can rent a junior dragster here at Santa Pod over a weekend and they’ll teach you how to drive them. It was my 14th birthday present, and I was hooked from there,” she tells me. The next step was a slingshot dragster – so called because it has the engine mounted in the front – which she raced with her dad for two years. “As it’s air-cooled it’s not as reliable or consistent, so I did it more for fun rather than to compete,” she says. “The dream was to always enter Super Pro, and this is my first full season season.” Out of the Sportsman classes, Laura was the fastest female driver at the Raceway this weekend. ❱❱
Belinda Bull says the sport is unique in treating men and women equally
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Women drag racers
“The drag racing world has an excellent attitude towards women, and I treasure that” I also meet 13-year-old Charlotte Bradford – again her father looks after the car and her sister and mother are at every race to offer support and advice. She comes from a generation of drag racers, so it was perhaps inevitable she would end up on the strip at nine and take the crown aged just 12 – the youngest racer from the Junior Modified class to have won the UK title. While the younger generation may have the best reaction times, which gives you a huge advantage on the drag strip, the older generation have experience on their side, which means it’s easier to get consistent times – that’s also key. And as well as Anita, I meet Belinda Bull, 50, from Wakes Colne, Essex, whose husband looks after the mechanics of her car. “I love the sport and always enjoyed spectating and helping out friends, but I never saw myself as a driver – it was another husband-and-wife team who persuaded me to race before I hit a certain age,” she explains. That was 11 years ago and she’s now smitten. As with all of the women I speak to, Belinda believes it’s the only form of motor sport where it’s truly equal between men and women. “There is always a bit of friendly, competitive banter, and as the first girl to get into Super Modified [and the last ever champion in 2012, when the class merged into Comp Eliminator] I felt I needed to be accepted because I was a girl, but that was probably never the case – I was just one of the boys!” Belinda’s goal now is to achieve 200mph, unless she
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Italian–born Carla Pittau, 57, has won multiple championships
wins the lottery and then she might go Pro Stock. “We are knocking on the door of it with 6.96sec at 196mph, so we’ll do it. I always say I’ll retire once we’ve achieved that as we are at our max with finances, but we have talked about putting a smaller engine in the Chevrolet S10 truck and running in Super Comp just to have some fun.” Later she wins her class that weekend. Much like Anita, Italian-born Carla Pittau got into drag racing because of her love for the classic American car scene. In fact, she competes in the same car that she first raced in 23 years ago – a Chevrolet Camaro, although back then it didn’t have a self-built 7.1-litre engine. “It was my daily drive, and I used to drive to the track, change the plugs, drop the exhaust, swap the tyres to slicks and then race,” explains the 57-year-old. Unusually she builds the transmissions, and with her husband Rick who also races, they look after the engine. Moreover, her crew chief is 20-year-old Grace Roaf, who is currently studying mechanical manufacturing engineering. Roaf has been coming to the strip with her father Colin, an auto electrician, since she was seven. They met the Carla and Rick eight years ago at the London Motor Museum Show where the Chevy was on display and remained friends while now supporting the Pittau team here in the UK and Sweden. Despite winning multiple championships in Pro ET and Street ET, Carla is still as passionate about the sport as she was when she started, so much so, the couple sold their ❱❱
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Women drag racers
home in London where they had lived for the past 35 years and moved to Sweden so they could retire from work and still race. Her ambition now is to have a second car to race in Stock/Super Stock in Sweden, alongside Rick. “The drag racing world has an excellent attitude towards women, and I treasure that. There is such a feeling of community, too, which is very unusual. And I think it is such a family sport,” says Carla. “It is part of the pleasure I get from drag racing – without it I wouldn’t enjoy it, despite the fact I love the cars and working on them. I would definitely recommend drag racing to other women, because the sense of fulfilment and respect you get is not normally found in motor sport.” The day begins very much as it started – talking to a legendary figure in drag racing. Paula Atkin from Daventry
Paula Atkin, 52, is one of the most successful British female racers to ever take to the strip
is having the season off to work on her car with husband and crew chief Stan, to achieve mid-6.20sec, beating her current best of 6.61sec at 210mph. Now 52, she started racing 29 years ago, after her husband bought her a 1958 Ford Popular E with a Rover V8 as a wedding present and suggested she go racing in it. Having begun in Street Rover, she then progressed to Pro-Rover, Super Comp, Super Pro ET, Comp Eliminator, and then Pro Mod, the MSA British Drag Racing Championship class – becoming the first British female to do so. She was headhunted by Cobra Motorsport when she was in her 30s alongside renowned drag racers Gary Page and Steve Reed and trained alongside circuit racers David Coulthard and Gareth Rees. She also went to Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in the US. Previously sponsored by Ford Rapid Fit for three years, she even swapped seats with British Touring Car Championship driver Anthony Reid for a programme on Sky TV, although she says she will stick with drag racing. And at one point, ProDrive also offered to run their car, but the husband and wife team wanted to retain control. Unlike any other sport, throughout the history of drag racing women have gone head-to-head with men at every level and helped to make it one of the most diverse as well as one of the most thrilling sports in the world. What’s more, you can hire a Junior Stock Dragster for less than £200 which includes full tuition with an experienced instructor. So if you have a daughter that’s keen to get behind the wheel, there couldn’t be a better route in. n
When it comes to drag racing, women and men are on an equal footing. As well as racing, women also work on the organisational side of things. Caroline Holden, commercial manager of Santa Pod, joined in 1996 aged 27. It was a very small team then, and Caroline’s role was to help with PR and marketing. Today the workforce has increased fourfold (50:50 male/female split) and she’s now responsible for overseeing all events. “Every day is different, the business is constantly evolving and it keeps you going at 300mph all of the time,” she explains.
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Carole Ismail has been working in the Santa Pod Racers Club for more than 26 years, during which time she has progressed from club steward to international race director. When her predecessor came on board seven years previously, the business was male dominated and his vision was to help change that. When he retired last year, she was offered the position. Carole explains: “It’s a big responsibility as the buck stops with me, but I absolutely love it. It’s great to see more women take the lead in motor sport – on the track, the committee and in marshal roles.”
ALL IMAGES ANDY WILLSHEER & DAVE JONES
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Full of Middle Eastern promise
T Speed Sisters is in UK cinemas now, and also on iTunes and DVD. See www. speedsisters.tv
hink of Palestine and you probably don’t think of racing drivers. Youths hurling rocks at soldiers through clouds of tear gas maybe, but not apex-hugging Lewis Hamilton wannabes. But you’d be wrong. A new film showcases the thriving street racing scene that takes place across the region’s troubled cities, while following the fortunes of the country’s first all-female racing team. Speed Sisters, directed by Amber Fares, documents the lives of a group of Palestinian women racers as they attempt to overcome roadblocks – both literal and figurative – to their dreams of making it as drivers. There’s Maysoon Jayyusi, the team’s 38-year-old manager, from Jerusalem, who says her love for racing came from the frustration of being stuck in the West Bank’s traffic jams and military checkpoints; Mona Ali, 29, from Ramallah, who was one of the first female racers in
A new film captures how a group of women racers are breaking with convention in Palestine. As Joe Dunn discovered, the MSA played an unlikely role in their story
The Speed Sisters may be short of facilities, but not of enthusiasm and drive
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Speed Sisters
The Palestinian racers have a few more hurdles to cross than we are used to
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Palestine; Marah Zahalka, 23, who was a racing champion at 19; Noor Dauod, 25, from Jerusalem; and Betty Saadeh, 35, the only member to openly play on her femininity and who comes from a family of racers in Bethlehem. Theirs is an uphill task. For a start there is the on-going tension between locals and Israel. Driving through one town, Maysoon comments “The smell of teargas reminds me of childhood”. Another scene has Betty actually being shot with a teargas canister after straying too close to a checkpoint while on their way to a training track. But it is the bridging of the gender divide that plays strongest: in a conservative Muslim country, girls racing cars is simply not the done thing. It is a ground-breaking documentary, offering genuine insight into the little-known everyday lives of people in a benighted part of the world and the film is already making waves among fans of independent cinema and racing alike. But it would never have been made without the help of an unlikely alliance between the British government and the Motor Sports Association. The story starts back in 2012 when the MSA received an unusual call from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Its consulate in Jerusalem had heard of an all-girl racing team and wanted to support it. The idea chimed well with the Foreign Office aim of projecting Britain’s soft power in the region by supporting grass-roots initiatives far away from the high-table of politics. The consulate had forked out to buy the team an old BMW and some rudimentary kit, but what the girls really needed was some expert tuition. As a leading ASN with vast training experience, the MSA was a logical port of call. Even so, the organisation was not accustomed to taking a call from Whitehall mandarins. “We were amazed when they got in touch,” says Sue Sanders, a consultant at the group and at the time the chairman of the MSA Women in Motorsport group. “We had never heard of this team but it sounded like a great project to get involved in.” The FCO paid for flights for Sanders and Helen Elstrop, a fellow trainer, to Tel Aviv and put them up at the Dan Hotel – the grandest hotel in town that was coincidentally hosting Tony Blair, in his capacity as Middle East peace envoy, at the same time. “It was a bit of a culture shock for us,” says Sanders. “But the thing I remember was the
hassle we had coming through customs: we were loaded down with racing helmets, gloves and racing suits and the officials couldn’t understand why. It took us ages.” The timing of the visit was also perfect for the Palestinian Motorsports and Motorcycle Federation, an FIA-sanctioned group that was looking to promote its time trials series throughout the West Bank. Sanders and Elstrop were impressed with the Speed Sisters when they met them – but not the training grounds: “Because of the lack of tracks the time trials take place on car parks and areas of waste ground; it is similar to autotesting in the UK – essentially slaloming around a course marked out in cones in the fastest time possible. “Our job was to harness their natural aggression and teach them some of the basics about car control: balance, braking at the right moment, seating position, line of sight and how to hold the steering wheel. We also spent a lot of time trying to focus their minds on the race, mental training is as important as the physical side; you need to concentrate and focus on what you want to achieve.” The trip was such a success that the squad came over to the UK two years later where the MSA paid for two more days of tuition – this time in a Caterham. “It was a little different to what they were used to,” says Sanders with a laugh. The relationship continues today and has become part of the MSA’s wider Dare to be Different initiative that is designed to encourage more women into motor sport, and is the inspirational theme behind this particular magazine. Back in Palestine, the Speed Sisters are still racing and cocking a turbocharged snook at gender prejudice. And Sanders says women racers here could learn from them. “The biggest difference between those girls and the ones that I often train in Britain is that here the girls are often too passive and need to be encouraged to be more confident. With the Speed Sisters it was the opposite: they were aggressive and my job was to try and rein them in.” n
10/06/2016 12:46
Heather Calder’s Gould GR55
Highlanders march on the south – and often carry away the spoils of competition. By Paul Lawrence
F
48 Weekend Warrior GC DS.indd 1
TECH SPEC Engine: 3.5-litre V8, normally aspirated Power: 650bhp Weight: 475kg Gears: Six forward Top speed: 180mph
ANDY LEIVERS
ew competitors in British motor sport travel further to compete than father and daughter team Colin and Heather Calder, leading contenders in the MSA British Sprint Championship in their Gould GR55 single-seater. “I work in Aberdeen but the car is based with my father in Thurso,” says Heather, 26. “Our closest track is Knockhill, which is a good five-hour journey and somewhere like Pembrey takes 14 or 15 hours of driving with the trailer.” Thurso is the northernmost town on the British mainland, just 20 miles west of John O’Groats. Most rounds of the championship are held on permanent race circuits including Snetterton, Anglesey, Castle Combe and Kirkistown. Heather’s background is karting but she says she gets a buzz from speed events – short, sharp blasts of action of one or two minutes. “I don’t think you get the same kind of adrenaline buzz anywhere else. When it is only you on the track and you hook it up, it feels really good.” The Gould’s power-to-weight ratio is not far off a current Formula 1 car. Father and daughter are usually very closely matched, regularly within a second of each other. Heather says this pushes them both to improve still further. Colin was 2015 British Sprint champion, while Heather’s sister Louise also competes, with a 1-litre Jedi single-seater in the Scottish Sprint Championship. She won the Ladies’ crown in 2015. The Calders’ 2004-built ex-hillclimb Gould GR55 has a good pedigree: it was previously campaigned in the British Sprint Championship by Nick Algar and Roy Dawson. An engine rebuild and other car problems meant that they missed the opening couple of 2016 rounds. Inevitably, being based in the north of Scotland adds some logistical challenges to running such a specialised competition car. “We do all the preparation work ourselves apart from the engine,” said Heather. “But next-day courier deliveries up here aren’t always an option…” n
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10/06/2016 12:48
Weekend Warrior
THE CHASSIS
Purpose-built sprint and hillclimb single-seater using a carbonfibre tub along with carbon-fibre bodywork and wings. Originally built in 2004 by David Gould at Gould Engineering in Berkshire.
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
Weekend Warrior GC DS.indd 2
THE ENGINE
Nicholson-McLaren 3.5-litre normally aspirated V8 engine, a popular choice for sprint and hillclimb competitors and an engine with its roots in the Cosworth XB Indycar engine.
THE GEARBOX
Xtrac gearbox with Geartronics gears and pneumatic paddle-shift system. The unit runs six forward ratios but has no reverse gear.
49 10/06/2016 12:49
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Place Notes
KARTPIX.NET
A demanding track which has produced some famous names – and Larkhall is set to get tougher
Larkhall Kart Circuit Scotland’s premier kart track has plans for the future
“D
AVID COULTHARD, ALAN McNISH, Ryan Dalziel, Paul di Resta, Dario Franchitti and Susie Wolff are all drivers who have come through the West of Scotland Kart Club. Today we have the likes of Dexter Patterson, Dean MacDonald, Ross Martin, Ciaran Haggerty, Ross Wylie, Charlie Robertson and many more.” Those are just a handful of names that West of Scotland Kart Club chairman Bill McDonald reels off as he reflects on those whose racing careers started at the Larkhall circuit, based in Hamilton. The track is at the heart of Scottish motor sport as a proving ground for future stars. The circuit was built on the site of Summerlea Colliery in 1961, led by principal organisers James Smith and David Byars. The first race on the circuit took place on August 20 that year, and was run by the Rolls-Royce Motor Club, no less. After that, meetings were run by the Lanarkshire GoKart Club until WSKC was formed some years later. The original circuit was just 450m long, but was almost doubled in length in 1983 to 850m, making Larkhall one of the most challenging and technical tracks in the UK. “The best thing about the extension was that it made it a very difficult track to master,” says McDonald. “It’s hard for the driver, hard for the mechanic to get a good set-up and you need a good motor. Everything has to be perfect at Larkhall to hit the sweet spot. It’s very technical. If you can
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CIRCUIT
INFO
Merryton Road, Larkhall, Hamilton, Strathclyde ML9 2UL Opened: 1961 Course length: 852m Course record: 36.59sec, Mark Litchfield, Super KF class
be competitive there you can be quick anywhere in the UK.” In the wake of that extension, a steady stream of young stars helped put Larkhall on the map and it now had a regular spot on all the national racing calendars. But slowly that position came under threat thanks to grumblings about its lap time, which was still deemed too short. “We decided we needed a new extension a few years ago,” says McDonald. “Lap times started to come down with the equipment and tyres getting quicker, so we decided that we needed to increase it.” But why did it take so long to come to this decision? “Larkhall has been under threat of moving for years,” explains McDonald. “We are in a community growth development area so we have been told we will be moved at some point, but it keeps getting pushed back. It was for that reason we never extended it earlier, but now we have decided to proceed anyway. We have some 60-plus years left on our current lease, so any relocation will have to be with our agreement. But it will happen sometime.” The extension planned for the circuit will increase its length to 1320m and hopefully increase the lap time to around 55 seconds for senior classes. It will also meet CIK standards for international meetings. “We have planning permission for the circuit and we are now in the stage of drawing up a tender document for submission of quotation,” says McDonald. “After that we will be seeking funding or a grant to help us on our way.” Once given the go-ahead WSKC plans to start work on the extension around October this year, with a cost estimated around £250,000. “Ideally I’d like work to be fully finished by April 2017, but we have had lots of setbacks already, so who knows?” adds McDonald. There’s no lack of effort in the quest to secure the future of Larkhall. To the likes of McNish, Franchitti and Wolff, for whom the circuit holds a special place in their hearts, that’ll be music to their ears. Chris McCarthy n
51 10/06/2016 12:50
A NTI–DO PING
DRIVE OUT DOPING!
X
You have the right to compete in a clean, fair and safe sport – that’s why the MSA works with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) to maintain your sport’s integrity.
Banned Substances can be found in:
All competitors, coaches and athlete support personnel must abide by anti-doping rules. These are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code, which governs anti-doping internationally.
Prescribed medication.
If you hold an MSA Competition Licence then you are bound by anti-doping rules, regardless of the level at which you compete.
Over the counter medication.
Performance enhancing drugs. Recreational drugs.
KNOW THE RULES Visit msauk.org/antidoping today.
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08/06/2016 10:04
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Toolkit The latest products and advice for competitors
The racer’s hidden shield According to FIA regulations, in certain competitions drivers must wear a second protective layer in addition to the race suit. This must consist of a long sleeved vest, long pants, balaclava and socks. The underwear must have a minimum weight of 180g/m2 and is subjected to a single flame-resistance test. The fabric is exposed to a 25mm-long flame for 10 seconds, after which the flame is removed and the fabric must extinguish itself in the subsequent two seconds. Visually, once extinguished, the fabric must not show wear or holes larger than 5mm (UNI ISO 15025). In 2015 Sparco launched a revolutionary range of underwear called Shield RW-9, manufactured from a new material for the best in fit and comfort. It is designed to adhere to the drivers’ body shape without creating friction between the apparel and skin, and is made from Aramidic/Modal Viscose Jersey and Elastane. The new filament has been designed and constructed to disperse sweat as quickly as possible for better breathability and freshness. The Shield RW-9 is as seamless as possible. The labels have been deleted to guarantee maximum comfort and the information is now printed direct onto the apparel. Shield RW-9 is designed to the minimum weight dictated by the regulations, which makes it one of the lightest fireproof underwear materials in the world. The underwear also benefits from Sparco’s X-Cool silver treatment which is antibacterial and gives a further sensation of freshness.
Tops start from £83.20 +VAT Bottoms start from £62.60 +VAT Balaclava start from £34.35 +VAT Socks £41.90 +VAT Available in black or White
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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53 10/06/2016 12:53
Toolkit
Safety with style The latest cutting-edge racing gear, courtesy of Grand Prix Racewear
SHIELD RW9 BALACLAVAS
The RW-9 incorporates Nomex fabric while also providing the highest level of breathability, comfort and protection. This unique product uses a seamless construction with ultra-soft stretchable material to create the best single eye-opening balaclava on the market. The RW9 balaclava uses two different woven materials in key areas; thin stretch Nomex for comfort and mobility as well as a double perforated Nomex for increased breathability and comfort. The minimal seams are stitched flat with thin specialised thread for added comfort. The RW9 Balaclava is treated with Sparco X-Cool Silver which draws heat from the body’s surface to cool the driver. Additionally, the X-Cool Silver treatment has anti-bacterial effects to help keep you clean during longer races. The RW9 Balaclava comes in two different sizes in a white or black option. The RW9 Hood is FIA 8856-2000 approved. £37.40 (white) & £34.35 (black)
SPARCO TIDE H9 GLOVE
FORMULA + BOOTS
The Tide H-9 is a revolutionary glove that utilizes cutting edge technology to provide incredible grip, shock absorption and comfort. Featuring an anatomically correct palm that contours to the natural shape of the hand, this part of the glove is made from advanced 3D HTX, a Sparcoexclusive material that increases grip, absorbs vibrations and increases dexterity. The hollow volcano shape of the HTX material was specially arranged to increase durability. A padded knuckle area provides additional comfort and protection when hands are bent. External seams and an elastic wrist improves fit and comfort. Available in black, blue, red and white. The Tide is FIA and SFI 3.3/5 approved.
Developed using feedback from Sparco’s professional drivers, the Formula RB-8 delivers to the needs of the most demanding racers. The Formula RB-8 features a next-generation sole made in pure lightweight rubber to enhance pedal feel. The mid-boot design features a full ultra-soft calf skin leather upper with perforated vents for breathability. The Velcro strap closure and Sparco Speed Laces have been incorporated for better support and adjustability (standard laces also included). Unique to the Formula RB-8 is the Achilles stretch panel for improved mobility and comfort.
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54 Toolkit2 DS.indd 1
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10/06/2016 12:56
ADVERTISING FEATURE
HELMET VISORS
A range of visors are available to competitors as we head into summer. Aside from the clear visor option, light smoked products offer a practical solution for sun blinding and are also designed to relieve the tension from drivers’ eyes and improve concentration. And for those with an eye for fashion, why not choose a brightly coloured Iridium or mirrored visor? Do check latest FIA visor requirements before you buy though. Bell Visors range clear to Iridium prices from: £60.60 +VAT – 94.70 +VAT Arai visors range clear to Iridium prices from: £62.50 +VAT – 99.99 +VAT Stilo Visors upon request… coming soon to stock at GPR
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Adidas’ new and innovative karting shoes represent the next generation in performance footwear technology. Developed and perfected with experienced drivers under the most demanding conditions, Adidas Karting shoes offer the ultimate in fit, comfort, sensitivity and protection. Features include an ultra-lightweight Sprintskin synthetic leather upper, a lightweight oil and flame retardant rubber sole, anti-abrasion rubberised print areas for increased durability, a soft padded Achilles gusset for greater comfort and a Velcro ankle strap closure for a secure and personalised fit.
Adidas’ new form-fitting gloves are constructed from high quality materials to provide the highest levels of grip, comfort, feel and protection. Features include a two-layer construction for increased protection and comfort, an ergonomic palm print for maximum feel and grip, pre-curved fingers with external seams for optimum fit and elasticated wrist closure for a secure fit.
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www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
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For information on all these products & more, please contact: www.gprdirect.com Tel: 01327 855 585
55 10/06/2016 12:56
#SaraNeedsYou MSAHouseAd.indd 1
msauk.org/rallyfuture 08/06/2016 10:02
National Court
Motor Sports Council National Court SITTING TUESDAY, 8TH DECEMBER 2015 David Munro (Chairman), Chris Mount, Ian Watson CASE No J2015/35 – Benjamin Hingeley The MSC National Court has considered the disciplinary proceedings brought against Benjamin Hingeley. Benjamin Hingeley was a competitor at the MSA Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix at PF International which took place between 31st July and 2nd August 2015. He was excluded from the event for using an incorrect chassis and tampered seal in contravention of Kart Race Yearbook B6.4 and the matter was referred to the National Court pursuant to General Regulation C1.2 and C8.1. The Court finds that following difficulties with his initial chassis, Mr Hingeley was present when a request was made to the Chief Scrutineer and the Technical Commissioner to use an alternative chassis and that he was aware that permission to use this second chassis was denied. Nonetheless he went on to race in Heat 3 on 1st August 2015 using an unapproved and unscrutineered
www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
National Court GC DS.indd 1
replacement chassis. There was unchallenged evidence that the seal had been removed from the first chassis and that it had been affixed to the unapproved replacement chassis in order to deceive anyone seeing it into believing that the replacement chassis had been approved and was legitimately sealed. The team, Sam Pollitt Racing, accept that they were responsible for changing the chassis and that a member of the team had tampered with the seal, broken it and affixed it to the alternative chassis. This was dishonest behaviour and cannot be tolerated, but the Court is not satisfied that Mr Hingeley was aware of the actions of the team with regard to the interference with the seal. Had it been so satisfied, substantial further penalty would have been merited. Given that Mr Hingeley is of good character and is only 18 years of age, the further penalty that is appropriate in his case can be mitigated; accordingly his competition licence is suspended for 12 months with regards to his entitlement to race karts. In addition he is ordered to pay a fine of £1000 and costs of £500.
This decision was set down at 13:02 hours on Tuesday 8th December 2015. DAVID MUNRO, CHAIRMAN
SITTING TUESDAY, 8TH DECEMBER 2015 David Munro (Chairman), Chris Mount, Ian Watson CASE No J2015/42 – Eligibility Appeal of Nick Foster on behalf of a competitor (a minor) The Appellant (a minor) was a competitor in the Forest Edge Kart Club IAME Cadet Championship 2015. His parent, Nick Foster, was his entrant. On 1st November 2015 the Appellant took part in the final race events of the Championship at Barton Stacey. He was the subject of post-race scrutineering and was informed by the scrutineer that he was to be the subject of a non-compliance report on the basis that the barcodes on his single permitted set of dry tyres had not been recorded on his scrutineering card. The non-compliance report was submitted to the Clerk of the Course, Mr Vic Parrott. Since that time the scrutineering card itself has been lost. At no time did the Clerk of the Course call the Appellant or his parent to a hearing. Later, Nick Foster, was to learn that the results of the Final had been published and that the Appellant had been excluded.
He sought to Appeal but was frustrated by the actions of the officials of the meeting. There was, in short, considerable confusion at the circuit about the relevant procedure and other matters. This unfortunate state of affairs comes before the National Court as an Eligibility Appeal, and having considered all the relevant submissions the Court concludes that :1. The officials of the meeting acted in good faith but the Appellant was denied a fair hearing. 2. The principal evidence – the scrutineering card itself – has been lost. 3. There is no evidence that the Appellant used anything except the permitted tyres. 4. Accordingly the penalty of exclusion from the race cannot stand and it is plainly appropriate for the Court to exercise its discretion under C3.1.1 in that it is satisfied that these are exceptional reasons why the Appellant should not be excluded from the relevant results. 5. His fourth place in the final should therefore be reinstated and the correct results should be issued, together with the corrected Championship standings. 6. His Appeal fee is to be returned. 7. No other orders are made. This decision was set down at 14:15hours on Tuesday 8th December 2015. DAVID MUNRO, CHAIRMAN
57 10/06/2016 12:57
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National Court
SITTING TUESDAY, 10TH MAY 2016 Guy Spollon (Chairman), Mike Harris, David Scott Case No J2016-02 – Eligibility Appeal The essential facts are as follows: 1. The Appellant is a minor competitor. 2. The Appellant’s parent is her PG Licence Holder and he, accordingly, pursues this Appeal on behalf of his daughter. The Appellant’s kart is prepared and run by her father. 3. The Appellant entered and participated in the Junior Rotax Kart races at the Larkhall circuit on 21st February 2016. 4. The Appellant successfully progressed to the final at the event which she succeeded in winning. The final was run in extremely adverse weather conditions as previous races had been. 5. After the final three competitors were asked to remove their engine clutch drums for inspection, including the Appellant. On inspection of each of the competitor’s clutch drums, two of the three drums were totally dry and free of any contamination. 6. The Eligibility Scrutineer deemed that the Appellant’s clutch drum was not in conformity with the applicable Gold Book Regulation C1.5 in that he maintained that the internal running surface of the case was contaminated. 7. There was active disagreement between the Scrutineer and the Appellant’s parent as to the actual state and condition of the clutch components. The Clerk of the Course directed that the centrifugal drum and the outer case should be sealed and sent to Motor Sport House. 8. The Appellant was excluded from the event and now appeals to the National Court. Regulation C1.5 of the Gold MSA Kart Race Yearbook provides: “The clutch must be supplied by Rotax for the FR125 MAX. The internal running surface of the clutch must remain dry and free of grease or lubricant or any
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additional substance…” The National Court opened the properly sealed bags containing the clutch components and with a perfectly clean white paper towel wiped the running surface of the clutch which revealed a black substance. In the premises the internal running surface of the clutch was certainly not free of “any additional substance” and the appeal must fail. GUY SPOLLON, CHAIRMAN
SITTING TUESDAY, 10TH MAY 2016 Guy Spollon (Chairman), Mike Harris, David Scott Case No J2016-03 – Eligibility Appeal 1. The Appellant is a minor kart race competitor in the 2016 Honda Cadet class of the Super One Championships. 2. The Appellant’s father is for all material purposes the relevant PG Licence holder. 3. The Appellant competed in the championship event at the Rowrah circuit on 19th/20th March 2016. 4. After race No8 the Appellant was subject to a fuel check using Digitron fuel analysers. According to the Chief Scrutineer, Malcolm Fell, there was a discrepancy between a control sample and the sample taken from the Appellant’s kart which had a pinkish tint which was a possible indication of oil being present in the fuel. Mr Fell asked the Eligibility Scrutineer/ Technical Commissioner, Paul Klaassen, to verify his findings. The Appellant’s mechanic, Mr Lewis Hall, was spoken to and it is alleged that he: (a) Admitted that he had put oil (Shell M) in the fuel and that there was nothing in the regulations to prohibit that. (b) Summoned the Appellant’s father. 5. 2 x 1-litre sample cans were selected and the Appellant were asked to provide their own measuring jug so that it would be possible to measure out a litre of fuel. It appears there was only sufficient fuel for one sample which
was duly sealed. This sample has never been tested. 6. It is alleged that whilst in the scrutineering office: (a) Mr Klaassen explained to the Clerk of the Course, Mr Bryant, the Appellant’s father and Mr Hall that in his opinion there was oil in the fuel. (b) Mr Hall conceded that he had put oil into the fuel. (c) The Appellant’s father did not deny the inclusion of oil in the fuel. (d) Non-compliance with the regulations was raised. 7. It is further alleged by Mr Klaassen that: (a) The Appellant’s father had to be called to sign the relevant paperwork. (b) He explained to the Appellant’s father all that was written down and that the Appellant’s father had the choice either to agree or to disagree with his statement. (c) The Appellant’s father expressed the need to speak to his mechanic before he signed the Non Compliance Form. (d) The Appellant’s father, having spoken to his mechanic, signed the Non Compliance Form to the effect that there was oil in the fuel and that it was not pure/neat petrol. (e) The Non Compliance Farm was then passed to the Clerk of the Course for his action with a copy being provided to the Appellant’s father. 8. The Clerk of the Course subsequently excluded the Appellant from the meeting on the basis that there was oil mixed in the fuel. The consequence of this was to prevent the Appellant from taking part in any further part of the event. 9. Shortly thereafter the Appellant’s father completed an Appeal From on which it is stated “I wish to Appeal the event exclusion as I am not aware that the fuel is ineligible therefore I am challenging the finding of eligibility”. 10. Three detailed submission documents have been lodged on behalf of the Appellant by Mr J Champkin, solicitor, together with submissions by and on behalf of the Chief Scrutineer and Technical
Commissioners as well as a statement from Mr Lewis Hall. There has also been submitted on behalf of the Appellant a statement from Mr Michael Evans, a fuel scientist, who makes the point that: (a) Adding oil generally lowers the octane number of the fuel and is normally detrimental to the performance of a four-stroke engine. (b) Proper laboratory-grade beakers should always be used when fuel testing so as to eliminate the possibility of elastomer leaching. In addition the Court has had the advantage of reading statements from Alan Bryant, Clerk of the Course and a witness who heard the mechanic, Lewis Hall, admit there was oil in the fuel. 11. Mr Champkin in his submissions makes the following relevant points: (a) The Non Compliance Form and Clerk of the Course’s decision had been issued ‘notwithstanding Honda Cadet Championship regulation 3.5’. (b) The applicable regulations for the championship are the MSA General Regulations 2016 and 2016 Super One Championship General Sporting Regulations being the 2016 ABKC Formula Honda Cadet National Championship Regulations article 3.5. (c) The specific MSA regulations applicable in relation to fuel testing appear at Section D of the MSA Yearbook, paragraph 34.1 through to 34.6. (d) Within the court bundle there are three different versions of the non-compliance documentation. (e) The father of the appellant contends that he was forced by Mr Klaassen to sign the noncompliance report in the form presented to him with Mr Klaassen’s deletions and strike-throughs indicating agreement with noncompliance, even though he did not want to do so. (f) Mr Hall asserts in his statement that: (i) At no time did he ever make any statement or admission whatsoever that oil had been mixed with the Appellant’s unleaded petrol. (ii) He did however joke about
59 10/06/2016 12:57
DIGITAL EDITION
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www.msauk.org / Summer 2016
10/06/2016 12:58
National Court
oil being in the fuel because of the allegedly inappropriate way Mr Malcolm Fell had taken the fuel sample saying: “It’s probably got Shell M or something given how Malcolm Fell has just tested it” or words to that effect. (iii) The measuring jug he was asked to provide to measure out 1-litre samples may have previously contained contaminated fuel and/or oil. 12. By virtue of Regulation 3.5 of the Honda Cadet Championship regulations (which regulations were applicable to the Rowrah meeting): (a) No oil or additive is permitted in the fuel. (b) Any fuel testing done at the circuit is not the definitive test, merely an indicator to proceed with fuel comparison and/or analysis testing which will be carried out as per D.34. 13. Paragraph D34.1.3 stipulates that: “New unused MSA approved sample containers capable of being sealed by the authorised sampling official must always be used for the storage of fuel samples.“ There is no evidence that this procedure was followed in this instance. 14. It follows from paragraphs 11, 12 and 13 above that: (a) The fuel testing/comparisons at the circuit cannot be definitive. (b) The provisions of Regulation D34.1.3 were not complied with. (c) It is possible that the untested fuel taken with the use of the Appellant’s beaker may have been contaminated by the beaker and/or its contents. (d) It is not satisfactory to have differing versions of the same noncompliance paperwork. 15. It is the view of the National Court that once there was an issue as to the eligibility or otherwise of the fuel in the Appellant’s kart it was incumbent upon the officials, regardless of any alleged admission or otherwise, to follow the strict procedure determined by the championship regulations and D34 onwards of the General Regulations. This did not happen in this instance and accordingly the appeal must be allowed with the Appellant’s fees being reimbursed. It follows
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that the Appellant’s results should remain as originally published, namely without exclusion. 16. The National Court was troubled that even on the account put forward by the Appellant: (a) The mechanic Mr Lewis Hall, albeit jokingly, accepted that there was or might be oil in the fuel. (b) The Appellant’s father signed paperwork agreeing that his son’s kart failed to comply with the regulations without any caveats. In all the circumstances we do not consider it appropriate for the results of the Rowrah meeting to be declared null and void. GUY SPOLLON, CHAIRMAN
SITTING TUESDAY, 10TH MAY 2016 Guy Spollon (Chairman), Mike Harris, David Scott Case No 2016-04 – Nicholas Harrison – Appeal On 19th March 2016 the BARC organised a Clubman’s Race Meeting at the Oulton Park circuit. In the Michelin Clio Cup Road race there was an incident between two cars, namely No42 driven by Sarah Franklin and No99 driven by Nicholas Harrison. The Clerk of the Course considered the incident to be sufficiently serious to warrant the exclusion of Sarah Franklin and the endorsement of her Competition Licence with four penalty points. Sarah Franklin successfully appealed the decision of the Clerk of the Course before the Stewards of the Meeting who substituted a penalty comprising a reprimand and the endorsement of her Competition Licence with two penalty points. The Stewards, it seems, concluded that whilst there was more than a “racing incident” it was not sufficiently serious to justify exclusion from the event. The driver of car No99, Nicholas Harrison, appeals to the National Court against the Stewards’ decision to re-instate Sarah Franklin into the race results of the Oulton Park meeting.
The National Court has had the advantage of: 1. Studying at length on-board video evidence from cameras on board both cars involved, and 2. Reading: (a) A brief observer’s report who witnessed the incident. (b) The notes taken by John Leck (Club Steward) who was present during the Appeal Hearing before the Stewards. (c) The Grounds of Appeal and Skeleton Argument submitted by Nicholas Harrison. (d) The statements of two witnesses who were on the pit wall of the circuit. (e) The statements of both drivers, namely that of Sarah Franklin dated 7th May 2016 and that of Nicholas Harrison dated 10th May 2016. The Court noted when studying the on-board footage that: 1. The racing line normally taken by Sarah Franklin on her approach to the pits was to leave a not insignificant gap to her right. 2. On the fateful lap when the incident occurred: (a) Sarah Franklin ran wide on the exit of Lodge Corner and lost momentum thereby allowing Nicholas Harrison to make up ground. (b) Sarah Franklin did not take her normal line while approaching the pits. 3. Whilst Mr Harrison was in the process of overtaking Sarah Franklin and he was actually partly alongside her vehicle, Sarah Franklin pulled across the track and collided with Nicholas Harrison’s vehicle thereby causing his car to strike the pit wall a glancing blow. This Court considers that the driving of Sarah Franklin was such that the penalty imposed on appeal by the Stewards was both inadequate and inappropriate. The Court therefore: 1. Allows this Appeal and reinstates the penalty originally imposed by the Clerk of the Course which properly reflects the seriousness of this incident, namely exclusion and the endorsement of Sarah Franklin’s Competition
Licence with four points. 2. Orders the Appellant’s fees to be reimbursed. GUY SPOLLON, CHAIRMAN
SITTING TUESDAY, 10TH MAY 2016 Guy Spollon (Chairman), Mike Harris, David Scott Case No 2016-06 – Neal Martin – Eligibility Appeal On 2nd April 2016 the 750 Motor Club staged a Clubman’s Race Meeting at the Oulton Park circuit. At the conclusion of Race 6 of the 750 Motor Club Roadsports Series 2016, all finishers were directed into and parked in Parc Fermé. Regulation 5.13 of the 750 Motor Club Roadsports Series 2016 Sporting & Technical Regulations governs the use of tyres competitors are permitted to use and specifies them as “Any MSA List 1A, 1B or 1C tyre”. The car of Neal Martin No28 was fitted with tyres marked as Yokohama A048. There were no tyres with this identification on lists 1A, 1B or 1C and, accordingly, a Non Compliance Report was completed and submitted to the Clerk of the Course who excluded Neal Martin from the results. Mr Martin now appeals on the basis that: 1. He has allegedly spoken to a Yokohama agent who has stated that the A048 and A048-R (on list 1C) are the same tyre and all new tyres from Yokohama are now stamped A048 not A048-R. 2. The Blue Book is in need of amendment. Prior to this Appeal Hearing clarification has been sought from the tyre manufacturers Yokohama who have confirmed that the tyres used by Mr Martin, namely those marked A048, are and were at the material time permitted tyres and are specified as such on subsequently updated lists of permitted tyres. In these circumstances it is clear that this Appeal should be allowed and the Appellant’s fees reimbursed. GUY SPOLLON, CHAIRMAN
61 10/06/2016 12:57
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Club Focus
Members of the BWRDC (bottom centre) promotes women in all forms of motor sport. Top left, Suzi Perry presents the Mary Wheeler Trophy to 12-year-old Abbi Mullins
British Women Racing Drivers’ Club Championing women in motor sport for more than half a century
D
escribed as the small club with a big message, the British Women Racing Drivers’ Club (BWRDC) exists to promote and recognise the achievements of women in motor sport. With members such as our guest editor Susie Wolff and supporters including broadcaster Suzi Perry, the club certainly lives up to its billing. The BWRDC was founded by Mary Wheeler MBE in 1962, at a time when women were unable to join the famous British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) and race circuits did not provide female facilities. Fast forward to the present day and with an active membership of over 150, the club is proud of the wider range of disciplines its members now represent, from racing and karting to rallying and more. In a show of strength, the club organised the Race for a Record event during the 2014 Walter Hayes Trophy meeting at Silverstone. The event aimed to demonstrate the range of female talent in club racing and even broke a British race record, with 31 women on track at once, aboard everything from 1960s classics to a Lamborghini Gallardo GT. But the club is not the sole preserve of competitors. Since becoming chairman in 2012, Gail Hill has created a
66 ClubFocus GC DS.indd 1
CLUB INFO Founded: 1962 Membership: 150+ Twitter: @BWRDC www.bwrdc.co.uk
marshals section that offers free membership for female volunteers in their first year and a discount thereafter. Looking to the future, the club would like to recreate the Race for a Record event to celebrate not only the competitive disciplines but also its new marshal members. Hill, a racer who joined the club in 2003, explains: “In my last year as chairman I’d like to develop female-focused events on-track and seminars to promote women in motor sport – one of the key aims of the club. “We have the same overall goal as Susie and the MSA have with Dare To Be Different. We want to increase the number of female licence holders, quadruple it even! Women can do as well as men and they don’t have to be young either. I started racing in my forties and haven’t looked back since! “We need to build on the foundations already in place so that young women see motor sport as both a viable career path and a brilliant hobby.” At the BWRDC’s annual awards dinner in February, 12-year-old karter Abbi Pulling became the youngest ever winner of the Mary Wheeler Memorial Embassy Trophy, named in honour of the founder. The future of women in motor sport is certainly bright. n
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10/06/2016 14:37
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