DOWN THE PUB
WITH GILLIAN CARR
Age: 36 Lives: North Cotswolds VSCC all-rounder
Motor sport is in her family
“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t into motorsport. My parents have always been into pre-war cars and I’ve been a modern motorsport nut since I was about 12. The RAC Rally at Clumber Park in the 1980s was my first event and my first race meeting was the VSCC at Cadwell Park when I was about seven years old.”
She worked for THE VSCC
“I went off to university and was meant to have a career as a chartered surveyor but when I left I saw this advert for the VSCC press officer. So I applied for the job and got it in 2002.”
She got the chance to race
“My friend Tom Dark leant me an MG M-type and I did some hillclimbs and then got my race licence and did the Pomeroy Trophy in a Z28 Camaro. That was my first race. Then I raced some MGS for Dean Butler. In 2005 I was offered a drive in an Edwardian car and ever since I’ve been really lucky in getting cars to drive and I’ve done just about all the Edwardian races, including Goodwood this year. I also did some driving on the Targa Florio film, ‘Sicilian Dream’, with the Edwardian cars.”
It is all branches of the sport
“I race the family Frazer Nash and Riley and do everything from autotests to trials. I absolutely love doing VSCC trials. I also ride horses but I’ve put my horse on loan as I don’t have time. I had a big horse riding accident three years ago.”
She wants to go GT racing
“We have a group of female racers and we call ourselves Bentley Belles. We did the 24-hour race in Portugal last autumn and I was lucky enough to do the Spa 6 Hours in an Austin Healey. But I want to start doing more modern racing and desperately want to do some GT4 or the Silverstone 24 Hours.”
The day job is at Silverstone
“I’m now club secretary of the British Racing Drivers’ Club and it is the first time a female has done the job since 1928. I’m involved in lots of things at Silverstone. I’m a lucky girl but you’ve got to work for it.”