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TINA SMITH@SLR

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Hi, welcome to my website!

My name is TINA SMITH, I am 26 years old and I live in Ipswich, Suffolk. I am a full-time Vehicle Technician and part-time racing driver, my aim is to become a full-time racer and mechanic in my spare time!  I am currently working at a BMW dealership where I have achieved Technician status and am studying for my Senior Technician assessment. 

I have been selected to be one of the 100 finalists in the Formula Woman (FW) search for women racing drivers, and competed in my first race at Pembrey circuit in November of last year.

Formula Woman is a unique concept aimed at getting more women into what up until recently has been a male-dominated sport. The first FW competition began in 2003, with over 10,000 women applying to be one of the 16 women chosen to race in the first all female Formula Woman Championship. Formula Woman selected 16 novice drivers and after extensive training they raced in an exciting one make Championship, which was televised on ITV 1.  The viewing figures for the FW championship exceeded all expectations with ratings in excess of 1 million viewers on occasions, greater than for the British Touring Cars shown on the same afternoon, with three and a half hours of television coverage in total. The total combined press, television and radio coverage was in excess of 120 million people, giving plenty of opportunity for sponsor exposure.

The 2006 FW Championship attracted over 4000 applicants, from which 2500 (including me!) were chosen to attend an assessment day in October. I found out that I had been chosen in March 2005 and so I began preparing for my assessment by joining Club Formula Woman, with whom I did a total of seven track days with instruction.  I had novice training at Dunsfold Park (the home of Top Gear), five intermediate days driving a Caterham at Bedford Autodrome, Snetterton, Oulton Park, Mallory Park and Cadwell Park, and an advanced day at Dunsfold. I also decided it was time to get fit, so I gave up smoking and took up circuit training and cycling instead!

The assessment consisted of a karting test, a fitness test, a written exam, a filmed interview and a track test in a Caterham. The assessment went very well, and I secured a place in the final 100. The next stage was to get a racing licence, and so a week later I was at Thruxton taking my ARDS test.  I passed this with no problems and am now the proud owner of a race national B licence!

FW staged the FW Novice Challenge at Pembrey in November 2005 for 64 of the 100 finalists, on a first-come-first-served basis. There were four races held over the weekend, with the winner of each race securing a place in the 2006 Championship.

The next stage in the selection process is an elimination camp that will take place in June 2006, at a location yet to be disclosed. Over the three days the remaining 96 finalists will be put through various tests, and 12 women will be chosen to join the four winners from Pembrey to race in the 2006 FW Novice Championship. I am intent on being one of those 12 and I have stepped up my training program this year to ensure I have the best possible chance of being selected.

The final 16 women will compete in a Championship that will consist of eight rounds held over four weekends in August and September 2006.  'The Championship will be shown on terrestrial television, which will provide national exposure for sponsors.

I am hoping to compete in two non-championship events that FW are planning in March and April 2006.  This will provide invaluable experience for the elimination camp and will help me to hone my race craft, and will hopefully result in my first race win!

 If you would like to know more or would like to find out the benefits of becoming a partner then please e-mail me, I would love to hear from you!

Tina

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