INTRODUCING OUR ROOKIES

2023 sees a new line up of drivers, entering an entirely new championship. Our rookies will compete in the Silverlake C1 Endurance Championship and we have some new faces joining the ranks. Here’s more on the newest additions to the Team BRIT family.

Asha Silva

Age: 39

Disability: Autism and ADHD

Asha Silva from Barton Seagrave was diagnosed with adult autism and ADHD a year ago, and hopes that her story will encourage others to seek help and understand the battles they face, whilst also encouraging more women into the sport.

Asha began to realise she may need support with her mental health after going through conflict with her family and temporarily losing contact with them. She has also always struggled with traditional communications, making day to day working life difficult.

In 2021, Asha’s wife Anji, who has multiple sclerosis joined Team BRIT. The IVF treatment she is undergoing, and the treatment for her condition meant she needed to pause her racing plans, whilst Asha steps into the driving seat.

Asha said: “To be honest, it feel like a dream that this is happening. I am a real believer that if you think big, anything can happen, and life has a funny way of making things happen if you believe.

“I’ve faced many battles throughout life, as a gay woman, and also as a woman working in a maledominated industry. I know that I will be in the minority in the racing paddock too, but I’m proud to be doing what I am. If I can inspire other women to get into a sport such as this, or to inspire someone who might think they could have a hidden disability to get some help, then that makes me really happy.”

Steve Crompton

Age:45

Disability: Paraplegic

Steve, from Southampton, sustained life changing injuries in 1998 when he was in the back seat of a car that was hit by another vehicle and veered off the road after hitting black ice. He was operated on, with metal put into his spine, and after two weeks he was transferred to Odstock Spinal Unit in Salisbury Hospital where he spent nine months working on his rehabilitation and recovery.

Despite the accident, Steve soon got back into his passion – driving. He converted a car with the adaptations he needed and had it shipped to America to take part in the Gumball Rally, driving from New York to Los Angeles. He went on to take part in the race 4 years in a row. He also went on to play wheelchair tennis for more than ten years.

Steve said: “Being a racing driver has been my lifetime dream since I was 6 years old. After my accident, I thought it was game over, and that the opportunities to compete in motorsport just wouldn’t be there.

“To finally have the chance to compete in the sport I love is just amazing. My ultimate dream is to be racing a GT3 car, so I want to continue to learn and improve with the team with the goal of joining them in Le Mans.”

Noah Cosby

Age: 18

Disability: Paraplegic

Noah Cosby, from Heathencote was a motocross free rider for years, and was set to move to the USA to pursue a professional career in the sport. In 2020, he overshot a jump, landing flat and breaking his back, paralysing him from the ribs down. An art scholar, he returned to school to finish his A Levels, receiving 100% for his final piece – an incredible life size sculpture of his legs after his injury. His sculpture has been entered into consideration to be displayed at the Royal Academy of Art this Summer.

He says: “I’m really excited about the season ahead. I’ve always loved cars but with my passion for skateboarding then motocross, car racing was never part of my plan. I’ve already got back into sport since my injury and in November won a downhill mountain bike race on an adapted hand cycle. Even that felt so good – I enjoy being out of my comfort zone and pushing myself hard.

“Being given this chance has given me lot of the confidence I had lost back. I’m not like I was before the accident. I was always proud of my physicality, my strength and my fitness. Not being able to do the things I loved with my friends has been really hard, but now knowing I can compete in this way makes me feel more whole again.”

Yvonne Houfelaar

Age: 30

Disability: Scoliosis

Yvonne, who is from Rotterdam was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of five, which had a major impact on her racing dreams. A long-term fan of motorsport, Yvonne was kart racing from the age of 7, despite having to wear a brace to straighten her spine. When she was 13, Yvonne had surgery on her spine, which meant she lost some of the feeling in her legs, making her less able to compete at the level she was aiming for. She continued racing for some time, securing her race licence at the age of 15, before stopping due to the limitations of her condition. Yvonne then looked for alternatives and discovered the world of esports. She has been racing online since the age of 22, and began working with Team BRIT, managing eTeam BRIT, in 2021.

Yvonne explains: “I have had a huge passion for racing since I was a little girl. Having been forced to stop competing due to my condition, it has always been my dream to go back into a racing car. I stopped racing because the technology wasn’t available to enable me to compete in the way I wanted. Team BRIT’s solution is incredible, it’s a fantastic system and a real enabler. I want to use this to become as competitive as I’ve always hoped.”