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Women in
Racing,
Race
Schedules,
Notable
Women
In the Wales Star of the Future event Aggie
Foster guided her former Autotester Holly Bailey
round to a successful 15th place finish in the
MGZR. This new all girl team, sponsored by Pretty
Polly, includes an all girl service team as well. A
little bit of feminine intuition ensured they had a
car to compete with as they had to grab it quickly
from the factory before MG Rover was placed into
administration.
BWRDC Members Rally to Wales (25 April
2005)
The British Rally Championship started on the
weekend of 23/24th April with the International
Rally of Wales. The event also incorporated the
Wales Star of the Future and the Gwynedd Rally over
selected stages. In the main event our two BWRDC
rally trophy winners Kate Heath (drivers'
champion) and Gemma Price (co-drivers'
champion) were both looking to make good starts to
their season. For Kate Heath the event was doubly
special as it was her tenth wedding anniversary to
husband and co-driver Paul. Being an aluminium
celebration Kate had hoped for a little romantic
present in the shape of a spare gearbox or a pair
of alloy wishbones. Not having seen how much paper
Paul bought to wrap her present in we cannot
confirm which she got. Her reward for the weekend
was to finish 25th in her Subaru Impreza. Gemma
without an occasion to celebrate guided her driver
Paul Wedgebury to 7th overall and a third place in
class so they could at least share in some of the
Heaths anniversary champagne. In the Wales
Star of the Future event Aggie Foster guided
her former Autotester Holly Bailey round to
a successful 15th place finish in the MGZR. This
new all girl team, sponsored by Pretty Polly,
includes an all girl service team as well. A little
bit of feminine intuition ensured they had a car to
compete with as they had to grab it quickly from
the factory before MG Rover was placed into
administration. The British series moves onto
Cumbria for the Pirelli International Rally on May
20th/21st where hopefully all the girls will be
looking for yet another successful finish. See
www.brcweb.co.uk
for pictures and more details of British
Rallying.
2nd Rally Co-drivers
Championship
INTERNATIONAL CO-DRIVER
Competition Licence: Rally
International
Extensive Pacenote
experience (numeric or descriptive).
Experienced in the
preparation of management / service
schedules.
Rallied in UK, Eire,
Europe, Africa and Australia.
UK Club
Steward.
PERSONAL
DETAILS
Nationality
British
Occupation Education Officer (Special
Needs)
Education Post Graduate Diploma in
Management Studies
Email
MOTORSPORT
EXPERIENCE
1985 - 1993 Circuit
marshal various duties, mainly flag
marshal.
1986 - 1996
Competent Road Rally navigator competing in Inter
Association Road Rally Challenge on two occasions
and organising team on one other.
1991 Peugeot
Challenge Co-driver. The Challenge provided
an excellent co-driver package and introduction to
stage rallying, and enabled me to upgrade my
licence to international status.
1992 - 1994 Various
single and multi venue stage rallies.
1995 - 1999
Historic Rally Championship (inc RAC
International Historic).
3rd overall, 1st in class
in 1999 championship.
1999 - present
Organise and deliver Co-driver Masterclass
presentations giving either private tuition, or
tutoring groups of novice and more experienced
competitors.
2000 Diploma in
Sports Psychology.
2000 - present Mix
of modern and historic, national and international
rallies. BWRDC Rally Co-driver Champion 2000, 2001,
2002, 2005.
2001 FIA European
Rally Championship ADAC 3 Stadte Rally
Best Female Crew
2002 - present Club
Steward
2002 Classic
Adelaide 2nd in class (and "Most
Spectacular" award)
2003 Coronation
Rally 1st Overall
Ulster Historic Rally
1st Overall
World Cup Rally 6th
Overall
2004 WRC Rally
Catalunya 1st in class
A FEW WORDS ABOUT
MYSELF
Born and brought up in
Scotland I am fiercely proud of both my heritage
and sex. Its only recently Ive realised
how much my mums attitude and approach to
life have shaped me. Mum did not wait for Equal Ops
legislation to come along - she became the first
female licensed radio amateur in Scotland. I was
brought up believing theres no such word as
"cant", and you only fail if you dont
at least try. At 12 years of age I was already
playing football for a teacher training college,
and representing my secondary school at
hockey.
My interest in motorsport
began by spectating at motorcycle and rallycross
meetings at Cadwell Park, and events such as the
RAC Rally. Spectating soon developed into
marshalling. I have visited many race circuits as a
certified flag marshal, and continue to travel all
over the country to help with rally stage
starts/finishes, or as radio operator.
I joined Lincoln Motor
Cycle & Car Club and very quickly found I had
an affinity with OS maps gaining recognition as a
competent Road Rally Navigator and experienced my
first taste of overseas motorsport in Northern
Ireland representing ANEMMC in the
Inter-Association Road Rally Challenge.
Experienced in all aspects
of organising championship Road and Stage
Rallies.
British Rally Championship
Car 0 (safety) in MSA Rally.
In my role as Club
Secretary and a director of the motor club I have
worked closely with both the local Planning
Authority and Valuation Office to secure the use of
a disused quarry for motorcycle trials.
I have helped organise a
Ladies Driving Challenge which raised £12500
for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Regularly approached by
team managers / championship organisers to sit with
and develop the skills of novice
drivers.
Very recently I have been
appointed to work alongside the Association
Chairman (ANEMMC) to produce a 5 year Development
Plan for the Association and its member clubs,
identifying and developing initiatives to enable
motorsport at all levels to move forward during
that period and beyond.
"Losing is not an option"
according to the T-shirt, but that doesnt
mean there can only be one winner. The winners are
those who have a go and achieve a personal goal.
This applies equally to life and
motorsport.
As a professional rally
co-driver I endeavour to encourage and enable
others to take part in motorsport by passing on my
experience particularly through co-driver
tuition and mentoring. For a number of years I have
organised and delivered Masterclass presentations
(timing, navigation, road book, stage etiquette
etc.) either giving private tuition, or tutoring
groups of both novice and more experienced
competitors.
My ongoing involvement
with the MSAs Women In Motorsport initiative
and election as the British Women Racing
Drivers Club Rally Secretary has put on a
more formal footing what I believe I have been
practising for a number of years, namely providing
both encouragement and information to females of
all ages who have an interest in motorsport and may
wish to become more involved.
I have been lucky enough
to be able to compete for many years (modern and
historic, clubman to international, Adelaide,
Binbrook, Catalunya, Dakar
) and continue to
derive much pleasure from my sport.
FUTURE PLANS AND AMBITIONS
INCLUDE
Year out to rally in New
Zealand / Australia / Asia Pacific championships
Obtain motorcycle licence
Regularly Co-drive in the
European / World Rally Championship
Further develop provision
of co-driver training at recognised Rally Schools
Explore rallying
opportunities in USA
Compete in Rallycross
Continue to encourage and
enable others to take part in motorsport
Try white-water canoeing
Maybe even passenger in a
sidecar outfit (scary!)
AND FINALLY... SOMETHING
DIFFERENT...
Girl in a male dominated
sport - advantage or disadvantage?
I certainly dont
consider being female in a male dominated sport to
be a disadvantage, but then Ive never viewed
life or motorsport as a male/female thing - if you
want to do something then just go and do it - ask
advice from others along the way, and remember that
a smile and good manners cost nothing.
A day to do anything I
like and moneys no object, what would I
do?
No Problem!
The Safari Rally, or Rally
New Zealand, sat next to Michelle Mouton,
please.
Just to sit in with her on
those stages would be simply awesome!!
- to do it in competition
would be something else.
.........Where do I sign?
Photo -
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