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LATEST
Hope to get a chance in 2007 to race in
higher series of any type though touring cars is my
ambition. Also one day to race at the Revival. Will
defend my title with XJS series too and hope to go
to Daytona too.
Bio
Results
Schedule
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Bio
Age Wrong side of 40 and getting too near
50
Occupation NHS care home manager
Type of Motorsport Club track racing
First year of Competition 2002
Why did you start? I had watched some
friends from the Jag owners club in the 2001
season. Did a track day in my own XJS and thought
this is absolutely brilliant and the rest is
history
Best Race / drive and why? At Oulton park
this season (2006)….exactly one year on from a
disastrous race at Brands where my two cars got
written off when I led the championship, I took a
third overall, my eighth class win from nine starts
and won the overall XJS Championship with one round
still to go
Worst Race/drive and why? At Brands last
year. Leading the championship my 4 litre car was
written off on the Saturday on the run up to Druids
by another car which lost control and pitched me
into the Armco. The next day with the championship
still possible my car (bought for the 2006 season)
a V12 was brought down. I started 32nd on the grid,
finished 8th just behind the 2 cars in front.
Another driver (who shall remain nameless) went
across down the straight and then across the
circuit with one wheel missing and turned into the
pit lane exit, right in front of yours truly.
120mph crash ensued new car written off and a trip
to hospital was the outcome championship hopes out
the window
Favourite Circuit / Venue Any and all!!! If
it means I can race then anywhere will do
Types of cars competed / owned Road: Jaguar
XK8 (having just sold my Datsun 240Z) Race: 4 litre
road going XJS and 5.8 litre V12 (modified now
rebuilt)
Favourite car Race car by far because it's
the only one that really gets driven on the
edge
Any Funny stories? In my first season during
practice at Snetterton I heard a clunking noise
from the car, began to get worried when session was
red flagged. During a chat with the other drivers
in the pits someone mentioned Optimax petrol and it
was then that I realised what the clunking noise
was! I had left my spare can of petrol behind the
drivers seat..oops! to make matters worse when I
got into my car to take it out and couldn't find it
one of my colleagues kindly pointed that I had got
into the wrong XJS in my panic and my car was
further up the pit lane…didn't live that down
for quite a while!
Current Sponsors RH Classic Insurance and
Cov cats and still plenty of space elsewhere on the
car
Results
Previous Championships / Competitions Now
in my fifth year of Jaguar World Monthly/Classic
Spares XJS championship
Previous Achievements
2005 Class D (XJS) champion (5 class wins
from 10 starts) 3rd in overall championship
BWRDC Hillwood trophy winner
BWRDC Goodwin trophy runner up
2003 BWRDC Jean Denton best newcomer
2004/2005 I have also been writing race
reports for Jaguar World Monthly magazine
and this year began doing talks to JEC clubs about
racing. I also hope to do some after dinner
speaking about racing in the future too
2006 I won the championship at Oulton and
look forward to racing in Zaandvoort and in the
Birkett 6 hours
Schedule
Gail makes Pussycats of her opposition
94/24/05)
Gail Hill has got her season off to a storming
start, by notching up three straight class wins in
her attack on Class D of the JEC Jaguar XJS
Championship. At Silverstone on April 9th Gail kept
her cool whilst the chasing opposition examined the
scenery at Luffield. Then at Snetterton on the
weekend of April 23rd/24th Gail stamped her
authority on the class by scoring two wins, and two
fastest laps at the Norfolk circuit. Her
championship progress continues at Oulton Park on
May 14th.
Gail Hill testing Silverstone
Gail Hill was back on track last weekend at
Silverstone but not in her usual Jaguar. She was
testing the Ginetta G50 sports car and is now
working hard to raise enough money to compete in
the G50 Cup this season which forms part of the
British Touring Cars package.
The car is powered by a Ford 3.5 litre engine
developing 300bhp but with the car weighing in at
only 945kg there is more than enough power all of
which is fed through a Quaife six speed sequential
box to the rear wheels. She had not previously
driven such a professionally built car and wanted
to make sure she wasn’t a complete numpty
behind the wheel. ‘I am really looking forward
to throwing it around the GP circuit but sadly the
slick tyres have been replaced with full wets due
to the sopping wet conditions after all the rain
last night’ she said prior to going out for
her first few taster laps.
The conditions were treacherous and she did
admit to turning in a bit late at Vale and spinning
onto the grass infield. Once she re-familiarised
herself with the circuit layout however and got
used to the slip shift system she was flying. The
car is an absolute dream to drive with extremely
responsive steering and ten times easier than my
non power assisted V12 she quipped later. The
acceleration is lightning quick and the whole
package feels right, very easy to develop
confidence even in such bad conditions though I am
only driving at around 80% because I haven’t
organised insurance, and this baby is worth more
than my annual salary she joked after completing
several stints in the car.
It was a shame that the track never really dried
out all morning so she never got the chance to see
how the car performed on slick tyres but she was
very happy with the support provided by Ginetta
cars who had transported the car down for the day,
many thanks to them.
Asked afterwards what the next step was she said
‘I need to arrange to see my commercial
partners now and get the money together. I can
definitely go well in the car and with more seat
time think I could do well in the G50 Cup. The hard
work starts now with trying to get all the funds in
place and with the current economic climate it
could be hard and there is not much time before the
season begins. I’ll be spending more time on
the phone and travelling around I suspect in the
next few weeks but I am hopeful of getting a
package together.That said, anyone who is
interested in talking to me about what is on offer,
the TV and other media exposure, corporate
hospitality etc then don’t be shy and do get
in touch.’
Lets hope we do see this ex Jaguar champion
driver out competing with the mostly male grids
that appear on the TOCA calendar.
Source: femaleracingnews.com/gail-hill-testing-silverstone/
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