The best female driver through the ages

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

(I was a bit of a stud muffin in me youth though )

That's funny alright Al. On the subject of stud-looks, my youth was the 1980s, so it was all big hair for me [OK, mullets to be exact]. I was digging through some old photos of my kart-racing days and spotted one taken from the side at speed. The tail end of my hair was streaming out the back of the helmet in the wind. I remember being so proud of that photo back in the day, because it mirrored the look of Johnny Herbert, who used to do the same. A sort of Simon leBon on the track. After a bad day's driving, I could always leave the circuit knowing that I was the coolest looking dude out there that day. Can you believe the vanity...

Nowadays I use a burberry decked Bentley as a towcar, wear the Sparco's 'super-baggy' nomex suit and have a full sound system inside the racecar, with a neon illuminated fish-tank

I think I may need to edit this post for embarrassment reasons in a few days from now

[Al Weyman]

You ain't seen the gold anodised anti roll bar I have recently fitted on my yellow car, a fellow (un-named) competitor commented it would look real nice with a bit of under car lighting, cheeky nerd!

[davyboy]

Al, you may as well just help yourself to the trophies when you sign-on on race morning

[johnny yuma]

You dandies aren't from the House of Lords are you ?

[gfm]

Dragging this out a little further -
Helen Bashford, didn't she do those Chevrons and then VERY GOOD in F1 Histerics?

[driftwood]

Jodie Hemming took the Jordan 197 V10 around brands in last weeks 2nd Boss race in 41.6 seconds
im going to the hospiatl to have my testiy`s removed so i can havethe voice of an angel and drive like the clappers!
so far i can sing bass and do 47`s

Jodie won the F Honda(ne jedi ) series 2 yrs ago winning i believe every round and she is only 18 yrs old
i would say today the top female drivers are Danica patrick Katherine legge suzi stoddart
maybe a head to head event like the race of champions in prod saloons Fford and a slicks n wings car for ladies should be put together

Get a grid of the top girlies of today and perhaps throw in a few from the past Michelle Mouton Giovanna amati desire wilson Lillian bryner and afew good club drivers
Maybe this should be the REAL Formula woman event!

im sure a grid aof 20-30 can be easily achieved witha simple set of rules
1 days practise in each car say 20 laps each and then 10 mins qualifying for 15 lap race in each type of car to see who comes out on top
with TV coverage im sure it would be great but sadly sponsors conflicts race shedules and no doubt some egos would get in the way fo rit not to happen

[Rob29]

Yes,last weekend was a great one for our british girls.Besides Jodie,Janine Payne was 4th in 1st round of TGP at Hockenheim in her Arrows A5,and in the supporting Euro F2 Amanda Whitaker won her class in both races.
In a fortnight Im off to Monaco to watch Lorina McLaughlin drive her McLaren M23 in the historic meeting.

[Rob29]

Thought this would be a good place to do regular updates on current women in racing.I was watching the italian Superstars final round yesterday.Tamara Vidali won 3 rounds to finnish 2nd in championship despite missing several rounds.

[cybersdorf]

Claudia Hürtgen. Had it not been for her F3 accident she'd have gone on to F1 success.

[Leighton Irwin]

Just to add to the mix: Lynn St James.
Also Erin Crocker (who?). She won a World of Outlaws race and is now in ARCA.
Another unknown: Penni Barker-Adams. Dominated 3/4 litre class in Ont. for several years.

[Mackmot]

A lot of people tell me that Jenny Birrell was one of the best. Ive seen her on old videos and she really does fly. I just remeber her being the scary woman who ran Formula Vauxhall Junior

[Quickoldtimer]

Without any doubt at all, the fastest most naturally talented female racer of all time was Lorraine Peck. She started karting as a raw novice in 1973, and just 15 months later finished 2nd in the world championship. But for her death the following year, she was an F1 certainty.

[driftwood]

For those that do not know Lorraine was killed in a freak accident racing in the euro or world champ races
her kart left the circuit at speed and flew over a hump
The kart landed but the seat stay broke from the seat and pierced her side
I am not sure if she died at the scene or later
I tried agoogle search nowt showed up for the facts
Im sure more info will flow later

[Steve Wilkinson]

Just paged through this tread and I couldn't believe it! No mention of the great PATSY BURT.

Her best season on the Hills was in 1959 when she finished 4th Overall in the championship. Meanwhile in Sprinting she became the Inaugural British Sprint Champion in 1970.

She also campaigned various cars on the European Hills with limited success.

[driftwood]

can 1 classify a sprinter hillclimber as a race driver
next we will be including the drag racers like sylvia hauser
i accept Michele Mouton Louise Aitkin -Walker Pat Moss from rallying as a "race driver"

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Quickoldtimer

Without any doubt at all, the fastest most naturally talented female racer of all time was Lorraine Peck. She started karting as a raw novice in 1973, and just 15 months later finished 2nd in the world championship. But for her death the following year, she was an F1 certainty.

QOT Welcome to 10-10ths...nice to see you here too as well as karting.co.uk.

[Al Weyman]

Originally Posted by Quickoldtimer
Without any doubt at all, the fastest most naturally talented female racer of all time was Lorraine Peck. She started karting as a raw novice in 1973, and just 15 months later finished 2nd in the world championship. But for her death the following year, she was an F1 certainty

Her name came up only yesterday in a convesation with an ex karter, so gone but not forgotten she must have been good.

[Quickoldtimer]

Hi, davyboy, I dont get on here as often as I would like and only post when I feel particularly strongly about something. To expand a little on driftwoods explanation of Lorraines accident, it was caused by a clevis pin that held the brake cable to the brake master cylinder lever coming out so causing a total loss of brakes. Senna feared Terry Fullerton, Lorraine after just 2 years karting, was getting close to being regarded as No2 in britain to TF, although I doubt she would have fully achieved that status because her father had already bought a racing car for her motor racing debut ( a Chevron B27 formula Atlantic) which presumably she would have started racing once she had become 17 (she died about a month before that birthday). Its good to know that some others remember the immense talent that was lost.

[Al Weyman]

I think the guy I was talking with was there on the day competing and he is a very good driver so if he said she was good then she was very good.

[gravel_monkey]

havent checked the full thread but did anyone mention (i think this is right) michele routon, the woman who drove the quattro rally car in the 80's and i think she held one of the records at pikes peak aswell. iam sure someone will correct me though

[Quickoldtimer]

Hi Al, the accident occurred on the thursday before the meeting on a practice day. If the guy you spoke to was taking part, he must have been a member of the British junior kart team and a pretty good driver himself, but not (and no offence intended) quite in Lorraines class.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Quickoldtimer

Hi, davyboy, I dont get on here as often as I would like and only post when I feel particularly strongly about something. To expand a little on driftwoods explanation of Lorraines accident, it was caused by a clevis pin that held the brake cable to the brake master cylinder lever coming out so causing a total loss of brakes. Senna feared Terry Fullerton, Lorraine after just 2 years karting, was getting close to being regarded as No2 in britain to TF, although I doubt she would have fully achieved that status because her father had already bought a racing car for her motor racing debut ( a Chevron B27 formula Atlantic) which presumably she would have started racing once she had become 17 (she died about a month before that birthday). Its good to know that some others remember the immense talent that was lost.

Given the sad events of these past two weeks in karting, its particularly poignant to reflect on a major loss like Lorraine's.

[Eddy V]

There is a short eulogie on this site about Lorraine.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by driftwood

can 1 classify a sprinter hillclimber as a race driver
next we will be including the drag racers like sylvia hauser
i accept Michele Mouton Louise Aitkin -Walker Pat Moss from rallying as a "race driver"

One most certainly can class a SPEED EVENT driver as a "race driver" especially as you already "accept" drivers from "rallying" as a "race driver".

AFTER ALL RALLYING DRIVERS TACKLE VENUES ONE AT A TIME AND ARE BATTLING THE CLOCK JUST LIKE SPEED EVENT DRIVERS!

[Al Weyman]

Moulton was'nt it?