Irish rally driver on track for Silverstone final 10

AN IRISH school teacher has wheelspun her way into the final of a prestigious British rally driving competition which could see her competing with sponsorship in the coming season.

Catherine Nevis from Bantry, Co Cork, has made it to the last 10 competitors of the 2006 Silverstone Lady Quest rally competition and if she wins on September 5, she will secure a £35,000 (€52,000) sponsorship package and will go on to take part in a season of rallying with full support from the Silverstone Rally School and a 1400cc MG ZR car to compete in.

Lady Quest, which is run by the school, is in its 13th year and is seen as the ‘X-Factor’ of rallying by industry experts.

It is a talent search for the next female rally driving star, where women with everyday jobs and no previous motorsport experience vie for the top prize.

The overall winner in the competition will be decided by a skilled panel including Silverstone Rally School director David Taunt, rally driver Shelly Taunt and last year’s Lady Quest winner Clare Rhodes.

At the heats in May the 120 competitors were tested in high-speed skills from handbrake turns to power slides, as well as completing a written test and interview. It was following those trials that Catherine Nevis was selected to be one of the 10 finalists.

The 25-year-old, a teacher at St Goban’s College in Bantry, said generations of her family have been interested in rallying, particularly as a race in Bantry goes past the family home.

“A friend of mine from Clonakilty took us to Rally Connection in Waterford, where you could win sponsorship for a rally but it seemed to be male dominated.

“Then I came across the Lady Quest Competition on the internet. It is not well known here in Ireland but I was shocked at how big the prize was.”

Catherine said her father John’s interest has grown again since she made it so far in the competition.

However, she admitted she has only told a few of the pupils in her class about her racing ambition.