From hillclimbing to Le Mans
After swapping hillclimbs for the mammoth task of reaching Le Mans, Charlie Martin has decided to challenge gender equality along the way
Charlie Martin has spent her life climbing mountains. The last couple of years have provided the biggest challenges yet, as a path to Le Mans is being paved by the
36-year-old from Leicestershire.
Ironically, the challenge involves moving away from climbing hills, in order to scale greater heights. Martin has impressed in hillclimbs in the UK and Europe for a number of years, but a life-long dream to compete at Le Mans has kick-started a switch to circuit racing and the Ginetta GT5 Challenge.
“I went to Le Mans in the early 2000s and ever since it’s been my dream race to do,” says Martin. “Endurance racing is something that has always fascinated me.
“You couldn’t get two more different ends of the spectrum in switching from hillclimbing to circuit racing, but I think I’ve got good grounding. In hillclimbing you’re doing what is effectively a qualifying run with very little margin for error. You have to be very accurate and precise because you don’t have any runoff, and that applies to racing as well. The racecraft and moving in traffic is something I’ll hopefully pick up as my career progresses.” Martin has always bitten off more than the average person could chew and challenged herself more than most, starting with her motorsport career. “I bought my first race car after university, a Peugeot 205, with the objective of going hillclimbing,” she adds.
“I did four years with that car and then changed to a Westfield. My dream in hillclimbing had always been to race in Europe. I’d seen a lot of the videos with the longer hills. In 2014 I took the Westfield to do a round of the French national championship.”
With just a trailer in tow, it’s fair to say Martin was one of the poorer-funded drivers climbing the hills of Europe. But it didn’t show in the results, and in 2015 and ’16 a step up to a Norma prototype delivered podiums in the European and French championships.
But then the racing had to take a back seat, as Martin completed her transition from male to female. It was a turbulent period, during which she worried about her motorsport future. Would she still be accepted, especially by a sport dominated by middle-aged and older men?
“When I transitioned in England, I took a year out of racing and it was a difficult time for me,” Martin explains. “I really was unsure as to whether I would continue racing. With the racing I did in France, I had a lot of friends on Facebook and friends from the trans community, so I was in this situation where
I’d rather just tell people [to avoid confusion].”
A decision like Martin’s is never easy. But the nature of motorsport and the race against the stopwatch has had advantages. Once the helmet is on, everyone is treated the same. It’s a mixed-gender sport, one that accommodates those from all walks of life. Whether its transgender people, amputees, people with mental illness or with physical injuries – none of these things can be seen when a car is attacking an apex.
“First and foremost, I just want to be seen as a driver,” declares Martin. “I’m out there to go fast and to try to win. I don’t like to jump up and down and shout about it. Hey, I’m trans, but
I’m a racing driver. I’m here to get in the car and go fast.”
The added benefit of Martin’s anticipated path is that she gets to raise awareness of an issue that isn’t exactly a common topic in the world of motorsport, one a stereotypical racing
“FIRST AND FOREMOST I WANT TO BE SEEN AS A RACING DRIVER. I’M OUT THERE TO TRY TO WIN”
crowd probably doesn’t know much about.
While Martin admits that she doesn’t define herself as an activist, she realises the opportunity to help similar people is there. “I think by being visible as a trans woman, the fact I have a public profile, there’s a lot of positivity that can come from that,” she adds. “I would never say
I’m an activist, but the trans community suffers a lot of discrimination and there’s a lot of progress that needs to happen both in the UK and globally.
“I think anything that can change the public’s perception in a positive way, and can change attitudes in society towards the trans community in a positive way, it’s something that people should try to do. And if you have the opportunity to do that through racing, then that’s something I would like to do.”
Thankfully, Martin has been well received in the sometime Toca-undercard, the GT5 Challenge. British Touring Cars brings a lot of spectators and people working for teams in the paddock. So far, the reaction has been positive.
“Apart from the odd stupid comment on Twitter, there was no real negativity at all, just people who were very supportive and that is very encouraging,” says Martin, who worked hard to publicise the cause in the recent Trans Day of Visibility in March. “I’ve not experienced anything to the contrary. I guess the more you get to know people in the paddock, the more you become known. It’s a bit of a work in progress.”
A work in progress, much like the switch to Ginettas.
The GT5 series itself has been boosted by a number of highprofile drivers deciding against another year in junior racing to step up and compete, forming one of the strongest grids the category has ever had, making Martin’s leap a big one.
“My goal is to try to finish in the top 10 this year and to get on the podium,” adds Martin. “As many podiums as I can manage. A top 10 result would be great.”
With her team Richardson Racing, Martin has taken three Am-class podiums in the first four rounds. While there’s plenty of pace needed to forge a graduation to
British GT next year, if Martin attacks that challenge like she has the transition from hillclimbing to circuit racing, and transgender rights, then don’t bet against her making it to the world’s greatest sportscar enduro.