Bentley Belles in preparation for Spa 6H race

[pieterbakker]

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Three out of four “Bentley Belles” participated in the SPA test & track DAY, co-organized by the Legendary Circuits Series,
this Sunday 26 April 2015. This all-female team, consisting off [l-r] Gillian Carr, Georgie Brewster, Katarina Kyvalova and
Georgina Riley [not present] will be participating in the Spa 6 Hour event, later this year. With little or no knowledge of the
Spa circuit, the team choose to get ... read on @http://www.historic-motor-racing-new...entley-belles/

Happy reading !

[john ruston]

Great girls but why the truck name included in name?

Historical needs news like this to get younger people involved.

The girls do racing ,rallies the lot.

Two were on Flying Scotsman the other week.

[Derwent Motorsp]

Do we know what their background is? Are they from motorsport families or have rich boyfriends/partners?
It does seem that most youngsters coming into historics come from families already involved or who can cover the costs.

[Mike Bell]

Only you would bring up the question of their family background or wealth, Mr Forrester.

Good luck to the ladies, whatever their background. Will see them there!

[Derwent Motorsp]

A rather odd comment Mike.
As someone who is heavily involved in organising, we are seeing fewer and fewer younger folk getting involved. Those that do are either: a) from well off backgrounds, or b) have parents who compete.
I am happy to admit I come from the second group but the issue that the MSA and motor clubs all over the UK are facing is getting more people interested and involved from a wide range of backgrounds as perhaps we were 30 or 50 years ago.

[john ruston]

They are all from the VSCC route and are not from particularly well healed families.

Sure knowing that will make you sleep easier at night but still think the query is sexist and nonsense!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by john ruston

Sure knowing that will make you sleep easier at night but still think the query is sexist and nonsense!

My point......

[Derwent Motorsp]

Sadly guys I have to suggest you are out of touch with the state of UK motorsport. I don't know if either of you are involved in running clubs or events but if you were I think you would get the gist of what I was saying.

[midgetman]

Nope, don't get the gist at all. Really don't understand the relevance of your comment. And yes I'm involved in the grubby end of motor sport.

Have to disagree about the VSCC not being well-heeled, although I suppose everything is relative.

[John Turner]

For the record for those reading this who don't know, it's Bentley Belles because they did a 24 hour race in a prewar Bentley last year and finished. Gillian won a race in an Edwardian a while back and Katarina runs at least one Austin Healey which annoyingly she is taking to the Le Mans Legends race instead of bringing her Cooper Jaguar (which ran at Goodwood 73rd MM, I believe) to the Archie Scott Brown race at Snet.

I think that the point DM was making was that the cost of getting into motor racing now at any level is so prohibitive that youngsters simply cannot afford to do it, male or female, and that when they do many do so because of their background.

[Derwent Motorsp]

It's becoming a major topic at MSA officials' and regional meetings etc. Motorsport has always been broad based in background but a combination of commercial organisers and folk with lots of dosh taking up an interest in motorsport is having a long term affect. Max will know about how much some parents are spending on their kids to make them the next Lewis or Jenson and yet by the time most of them are 18 they will have given up on motorsport.
Funnly enough VSCC folk tell me that they are also losing out. Yes, many of their members, but no all, are reasonably well off, but in the main it is "old money" which is much less than the "new money" which is buying older cars in the last 15 years. The true VSCC folk will have their cars out at Silverstone in February or April or in the Lakes in November as they have for the past 50 years. The new owners either want the cars as an investment or just for the "prestige" events. Even things like Austin Sevens and Model A Fords are now worth silly money.

[john ruston]

VSCC Anyone from the church mouse to rich.

Cheapest way to race with an A7.

Cars don't depreciate and can go on forever.

I would agree there is s higher percentage of eccentrics than in any other form of Motorsport.

Ms Carr used to work for VSCC and is clever enough to build her own car.

[john ruston]

The VSCC cars do not depreciate and an A 7 can be put on grid for 6 K

Problem is that young people are not interested in cars these days and most of the few who are cannot do their own spanner work.

It's a different world than thirty years ago.

I went to a car club AGM last week and out of sixty people I was forth youngest in my seventieth year!

That's the problem!

Dosh has always been a problem entering racing and if the rich bankers want to spend their well earned gains doing all the fancy stuff best of luck to them.Its doing wonders for all their hangers on and the preppers who get lucky looking after them.

One of the girls likes doing all the flash stuff but assume it goes with being blond nearly 6 foot and like a model.

Assume that's sexist and the bit about bankers income should rattle a few people.

[Tim Falce]

I don't see the issue here, if they have the money then good luck to them but let's not forget that the car they are running isn't exactly heritage and would be quite at home in Birley's banger series.
As for young people racing, I know a few blokes in their early mid twenties that would love to go racing but other things such as high rent, mortgages, kids and working long hours to pay for them take precedence. Racing has never been cheap and unless you are going to go down Arena Essex for your jollys then historic or cheaper forms of club racing aren't going to happen for them.

[Mike Harte]

Like Tim and others, I really can't see the problem here. Considering the number of events that are competing with each other to attract full size grids, most of the UK's motor sport would seem to be in fairly rude health.

And as far as the money needed to go racing, I would venture to suggest that there is not much difference now compared to how it was in the sixties and seventies. The major difference is that budgets to go racing have are much higher than back then, although they may well not be that much greater than in proportion to those days.

When I decided to take the plunge, I think I was earning the princely sum of around £25 per week and I drove a company car with all associated expenses paid by the company, and luckily I still lived at home so my overheads were minimal. However, I still couldn't afford to fund my passion on that income, so I went out and got two part-time jobs to supplement my full-time earnings. My situation wasn't much different to many of the other guys that were racing back then, and there were also a number of other racers who had financial support from their families, as well as those who had parents who had been involved in the sport. There were even a few who raced courtesy of their employers, although the bosses may not have been aware of that fact.

As Tim said above, it was only when I needed to replace the engine in my car that competing financial demands dictated that I needed to pack up motor racing; I was going to get married 6 months later, there was the requirement to save up a deposit to buy a house and my future wife and I had decided that we wanted to start a family as soon as we were married.

I can't see how things are that much different now.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by john ruston

The VSCC cars do not depreciate and an A 7 can be put on grid for 6 K

Problem is that young people are not interested in cars these days and most of the few who are cannot do their own spanner work........

Agree completely with JR; I have put 3 cars on the grid for less than 6k each (MG Montego, Porsche 924, MG ZS) - but son and I prepped them ourselves. There's plenty of youngsters with money, just look at trackday cars and what turns up at any Nordschleife Touristfahrten; IMO they are put off racing by the over-complex rules & regulations, and cost of entry into the sport.
Bacl on topic I think there's a chance Katarina may do one of our endurance races this year.

[terence]

To right, we have many cars here from Astons , Porsches, and of course M3s that have been built with one thing in mind, trying to be fastest.With sums exceding 160, 000euro often spent, why not race instead? "Dont fancy it" is the usual reply?????
As for the Bentley girls, wtf does it matter where they are from? Important bit is they are competing and I for one would like to see them do very very well.Did try to put a team together a fw years back back holidays booked got in the way!

[midgetman]

Motor racing has never been for the masses only the well heeled or those willing to face penury to fund their addiction.

Motor racing is a confusing place and it's not surprising that newcomers have a family background in the sport. What's second nature to us confuses the hell out of my newbie karters, they don't understand the terms, hierarchy and procedures. I have to hold their hands and take them round on race day.

Derwent mentioned people giving up at 18 but this sport is no different to any other. My customer cycle is fascinating, suffice to say we actually lose more drivers at 11 than 18. The MSA wants to get out of its ivory tower and consider the real world, this is as much about other things in life getting in the way of a hobby as with motor sport itself.

To add to the situation unfortunately the MSA is taking itself far too seriously. Most people do the sport for FUN but the MSA themselves are more interested in "professional " sport. If your regional and MSA bodies would take a good hard look at themselves instead of the usual "bash the rich" syndrome they might learn a bit. It's the "rich" who keep a lot of us in business!

And breathe...

[john ruston]

Max

Impressed,one a has hit nail firmly on the head.

To much of envy politics and stuff.

Many of these rich buggers started with now't.

They enjoy their wealth and many feed off of their largesse.

It's not a problem for the majority who indulge in Motorsport.

We are at the end of our Motorsport careers as have won many things and need new
things to do.

People try new ideas,the Portimao 24 hrs for Pre Wars ,was one.

Good idea and many who took part it was their first race and most are going onto other Motorsport activities..It was not run to any particular AFN's regulation and some who should have known better acted like prats but that's life.

Going off topic as usual but the girls first got together at Potimao.

Just need to get them a better class of cars!

[John Turner]

Ermmm, a Talbot 105 perhaps, John?

[john ruston]

Much better than those Bentley tractors!

Thinking about it the 105 is the best of all the Pre War sports cars but I could be biast!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by John Turner

Ermmm, a Talbot 105 perhaps, John?

Rumour has it you've got to be on the Sunday Times Rich List afford one of those!

[Will Nuthall]

Talbot Totties?!

[john ruston]

Like it Will!

Trust you to come up with that with women involved.

They are all taller than you!

J T Cost of the Best Cars- Not if you bought them 20 years ago but it would help if you needed to have one of the seven works cars today.
BGH 23 the 34 works car was sold by Bonhams in December for 1.4 million and it was in ropy condition.Listening to the great and good of Bonhams they would value one of the 31 cars higher than 34 cars.

Got to be a better bet than one of those Ulster things!

[FISCracer]

Katarina is absolute sweetie. She has done Goodwood 73MM (Healey) and Flying Scotsman (Bentley) this year and is currently on the Mille Miglia; she has an entry to the Revival (Cooper) and is doing the Spa 6 Hours (Healey) with the other BB girls.

Yes she is very good looking and married to a rich man but she is a breath of fresh air. What's not to like?

If she encourages any younger person into historic motorsport that can only be a good thing.