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Headed for Zandvoort with strengthened
confidence. Her strong tenth place in the
DTM’s round at Mugello a week ago marked
Susie, the driver of the TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes
C-Class, for her best result of the season. Next
she’ll be tackling the difficult dune circuit
at Zandvoort (the Netherlands) where she clinched
twelfth place in her 2006 début
season.
Bio
Results
Schedule
Snippets
Rebecca Hobbs
interview
Winner of Special
Awards
Contact: www.susiestoddart.co.uk
or E-Mail
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Bio
DOB 06/12/82
Occupation Racing Driver
Why did you start? My Dad raced road bikes
and while racing at Knockhill my brother and I
would spend all our time and money on the fun
karts, my Dad eventually decided it would be
cheaper to buy us karts than race himself!
Snippets
Halliday appears in 18 month Women in the
Winner's Circle 2007 calendar along with 17 other
women throughout the motorsports field. 
Results
Susie a former world championship karter, races in
the Formula Renault Championship. She will return
to international motor-racing in 2006 at the wheel
of a Comtec Racing World Series by Renault machine
as part of her determined quest to enter the world
of F1 by 2007. The former Formula Renault driver
from Oban in Scotland has not raced in 2005 since
her double-header F3 races with ADR at Donington
Park back in April, other than a one-off outing in
the UK Porsche Cup at Brands Hatch last June. Susie
suffered a broken left leg and a fractured left
ankle after a fall near her Scottish home in
January and had ten pins and two plates inserted
into her leg as a result. The injuries caused her
acute discomfort during the early part of the year
but she says she is now going to be "much stronger
both physically and mentally" when she returns in
2006. Stoddart finished fifth overall in the 2004
Formula Renault UK Championship driving then for
Jonathan Lewis's Comtec organisation alongside
Westley Barber.
2007
DTM with TV Spielfilm Mucke Motorsport
2006
DTM with Autoscout 24 Mücke Motorsport
2005
British F3 International Series with Alan
Docking Racing
One-off Porsche Carrera Cup GB VIP invitation
drive at Brands Hatch
2004
Comtec Duckhams – British Formula
Renault
5th (3 podium finishes)
McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of 2004
nominee.
2003
Formula Renault UK Championship, 9th (one podium
finish)
Formula Renault UK Championship (one podium
finish)
Finalist BRDC Mclaren Autosport young driver of
the year Award and selected as BRDC Rising Star
2002
Formula Renault UK Championship with DFR
Formula Renault Winter Series with Motaworld
2001
Formula Renault Winter series with Motaworld
2000:
10th British Formula "A" Championship, 15th
Formula "A" world Championships and Won award for
top female Kart driver in the world
1999:
13th British Formula "A" Championship, 34th
Formula "A" world Championships and British Woman
Kart racing driver of the year
1998:
10th British Junior Intercontinental "A"
Championship, 11th Federation Cup, European
Intercontinental "A" Championships and British
Woman Kart Racing Driver of the year
1997:
1st 24hr Middle East Kart Championship, Scottish
Junior Intercontinental "A" Champion, Scottish Open
Junior, Intercontinental "A" Champion and British
Woman Kart Racing Driver of the year
1996:
British Woman Kart racing driver of the Year
Rebecca Hobbs interview
Susie raced karts from 1996 to 2000, competing in
Formula "A" at National and World Championship
level. During this time she picked up the titles of
"British Woman Kart Racing Driver of the Year" and
"Top Female Kart Driver in the World".
From there she moved into cars competing in
Formula Renault picking up a multitude of podium
finishes. Her efforts also brought her a "Finalist
BRDC Mclaren Autosport young driver of the year
Award" and she was selected as a "BRDC Rising
Star".
Earlier this year I wrote up my interview with
Susie Stoddart for Racerchicks.com, quite adamant
that she was one of the most talented young drivers
(regardless of gender) in Britain. Now at the end
of the season I can confidently say my assumption
was correct!
I caught up with Susie at the final round of the
Formula Renault UK Championship at Donington Park.
She would finish the weekend an impressive an
impressive fifth in the championship, two points
off fourth. For her performance in the first race,
going from 11th to 6th in a courageous display of
driving, she would receive the 'Drive of the Day'
Award for the second time this year.
"It has been a fantastic year" Susie told me. "I
think it has been a particularly strong year for
Formula Renault as a whole, with a very competitive
field. I've had consistent, strong finishes."
Indeed, consistent is the word. With continual
points scoring positions and a trio of podiums, it
was only in the final race of the season that Susie
did not finish. But of course, the obvious question
was looming and I had to ask about the elusive
win.
"Ah!" laughed Susie, "Everyone asks how I feel
not getting a win! Obviously, I start every race
wanting to win but it wasn't to come. There were
times when I should have won, Thruxton and
Snetterton. But my consistency has been my strength
so I won't get hung up on not getting a race
win.
This year has been very much about consolidating
my driving and gaining even more experience."
One particularly strong aspect of her driving
skills is her love of over taking - somewhat of a
rarity in some sections of motorsport these days I
think we agree! She agreed with me that her
strength in overtaking and commitment on the track
undoubtedly lies in her karting background.
Talking to Susie it is apparent how comfortable
and confident she is within the Comtec Racing Team.
It is a shock to many that this is their first
season in Formula Renault, taking second in the
entrant's championship and sporting two such strong
contenders as Susie and her team-mate, Wesley
Barber. But Comtec have a strong pedigree behind
them having had much success as national and
international level in Formula Ford, having seen
such drivers as Ayrton Senna, Eddie Irvine and Kimi
Raikkonen cutting their teeth with them.
"The team have been amazing" said Susie. "We
gelled from the onset and I have a fantastic
relationship with the engineers and mechanics. It
is a very supportive, committed and ambitious team.
There have been times in the year when they've made
a mistake and times when I have, and we are always
the stronger for it."
Susie is also full of praise for her team-mate.
"I get on very well with Wesley" Susie said. "We
both respect each other as drivers and think we
have pushed each other quite hard from the
beginning which has been very positive for both of
us and the team."
Possibly, not everyone has been quite so
welcoming and I wondered how the reaction had been
to Susie as a female racer. Whilst there have been
a number of female drivers in the series in the
past, it can easily be argued that Susie is one of
the more successful and came into the championship
as a contender from the outset which perhaps would
ruffle the odd feather.
"There have been a few problems in that respect"
Susie said honestly, "but I really don't let it
bother me." And why should she, she is at the end
of the day a competitive racing driver of
considerable talent.
As well as strengthening her talents on track,
this year has proved to be a learning curve behind
the scenes as well. Susie has received excellent
support from her sponsors especially BT Broadband.
This in turn has further exposed Susie to the
promotion and marketing side of the sport.
"It has been hard work" she told me, "and we
have ten guests from BT at each round. We give them
a full behind the scenes tour which I hope they
enjoy. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here and
their support has been fantastic and this will help
me in my ambition to make it to Formula One. Away
from the track I do internal talks and appearances
for them so I have learnt a lot more about the
media and promotions which is very valuable."
Not that I feel Susie need ever worry about her
persona. She is a delightfully open and easy to
talk to person. As well as her own ambition within
the sport, her clear love of the sport as a whole
is infectious. As we sat at the rear of the team
awning a beautiful display of flowers, 'To Susie',
was sat on the table. Perhaps an admirer?!
"This is really lovely" she told me. "A girl
contacted me earlier this year as she was
researching her dissertation regarding women and
motor racing and I was more than happy to help her
with an interview or in whatever way I could. She
arrived this morning to say I was one of few people
who had helped and she brought me the flowers and
some wine as a thank you. I was really
touched."
This was of no surprise to me and perfectly
summed up Susie's friendly manner for everyone from
the top ranking sponsor to the race fan.
"It is the fans who support the sport who make
all the difference" she said as I nodded
enthusiastically in agreement. "I know from when I
watch sport as a spectator if someone is
forthcoming you warm to them. I mean, really what
is the point of being a boring old sod?!"
Looking to the future, Susie is now looking
beyond Britain's shore and plans are afoot for GP2
in 2005, graduating with the Comtec team.
"I feel I need to learn new tracks and head into
Europe and beyond. I now need to make the
transition to quicker cars and the associated
technology such as paddle shifts etc. And I would
like to stick with Comtec."
GP2 (the new embodiment of F3000) will support
Formula One and I have little doubt Susie will
command much interest from teams, media and
spectators world-wide.
In 2005 any hope of my impartiality will be out
of the window I'm afraid, as I for one will have
the St Andrews flying!
Source: images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.racerchicks.com/images/racer_IM/susieS2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.racerchicks.com/chick_pick/CP_Hobbs3.html&h=256&w=250&sz=18&tbnid=eavZPCvywNNItM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=104&hl=en&start=6&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522Susie%2BStoddart%2522%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG
Susie Stoddart - Wins
Special Awards
- Susie won this by driving her Formula
Renault on 30 May at Thruxton with a lap speed
of 116.73 mph
- Susie Stoddart - Winner of the Goodwin
Trophy
- Susie Stoddart - winner of the Monoposto
Trophy for the Best Single Seater Driver
- Wakefield Trophy (for outstanding
achievement) to Susie Stoddart
- Susie Stoddart - Jamieson award for
the Highest Lap Speed
- Susie Stoddart collecting the Embassy Trophy
for the BWRDC Champion of the Year
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