Driver on track for success

By BARBARA WARD

An ambition to try the male-dominated sport of motor racing has led a Hawksworth woman to enter a competition to find 16 of the best drivers in the UK.

Fiona Grant (38) has been selected from more than 1,300 women for the preliminary rounds of the 2007 Formula Woman competition, having taken part in taster days at Donington Park and Oulton Park.

Fiona, a freelance graphic designer, said: “I am just an ordinary driver, but I got such a buzz from the taster days.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity, so I’m going to take it.”

Fiona, originally from Gloucestershire, believes her love of cars and motorsport was inherited from her father, who raced in the 1950s and 60s and inspired her with his driving knowledge and stories.

She said: “My grandfather also ran a motor racing garage and spent most of his life with his head under the bonnet of a Fraser Nash or Aston Martin.”
Formula Woman began in 2004 and is designed to help women enter the arena of motor sport. Over the past three years there have been more than 15,000 entrants.

A week today, Fiona will be assessed on her driving at Curborough sprint circuit, near Lichfield.
She will take the wheel of a 1.6K series Rover-engined Caterham 7. The judges will be looking for natural talent and car control skills, as opposed to outright speed.

She will also face a fitness test, a written test covering motorsport knowledge, a karting assessment and will have to give a two-minute talk on why she wants a place in the Formula Woman championship.

The final 100 names will be announced and they will be invited to attend a two-day elimination camp in June when a final 16 will be chosen to race in the 2007 novice championship.

The top three drivers will receive free scholarships, but the remaining 13 will need to raise money before taking part in the finals at a series of weekends arranged around the country throughout the summer.

These will take place at circuits such as Brands Hatch, Snetterton and, the home of the British Grand Prix, Silverstone.
Fiona says: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be taught and develop the skills needed for racing, something I’ve always wanted to experience and be part of.
“I’m hoping I can achieve this through the Formula Woman competition.

“I have already proven that I have good car control and speed on track during training sessions.

“I know there are a lot of experienced and talented women drivers out there, so of course there are no guarantees, but I am quietly determined.”
FIONA GRANT in the driving seat ready for the next stage of the Formula Woman Championship.

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