Post by Catriona on May 26, 2010 11:20:20 GMT
By the end of her first year of racing outside of karts in 2003, Sarah Playfair had easily marked herself out as a very promising talent to watch for the future. Having raced karts for several years, she had her first test in a Formula Ford Zetec in Autumn 2002 with well known Scottish team Taylor Motorsport, agreeing to run with them for the 2003 season. She learned her trade well, getting quicker and quicker as the season went on, deciding to try again the following season.
Her 2004 season got off to a great start with her taking her first podium finish in the first double-header round on April 11th with third place. She went one better in the second round later that day with second step on the podium, making the world take notice. Results continued to come and at the July 18th meeting she took her first victory in the second race of the day after a gamble on wet weather tyres on a drying track saw her take the win. Her great run of form continued with a win at the next round on August 15th and third at the September 5th race.
This all meant that she went into the last double-header round of the year with a good chance of taking the "theoretical championship" (so called as new MSA rules on field numbers meant that there was no Scottish Formula Ford Zetec Championship to fight over in 2004.) Whilst there was no trophy on offer, the pride of the combatants was at stake and Sarah took first blood, taking second place in the first race while her "championship" rival Stuart Thorburn could only take fourth. It all fell apart in the second race, however, when broken suspension ended her race, leaving her with a long walk back to the paddock in the knowlege that Thorburn's second place was enough to knock her down to second in the standings.
She had impressed everyone though and took the Young Single Seater Driver Of The Year award at the SMRC awards ceremony. Add to this an impressive showing in the Knockhill round of the UK Formula Ford Championship and a run at a Formula Ford event at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium and she had a very fulfilling 2004 season. Her plan is to run the UK Formula Ford Championship in 2005 budget allowing and if she does, ScottishClubRacing.co.uk will be keeping you up to date on her exploits.
We recently caught up with Sarah and asked her a few burning questions.
SCR - What is your racing background and how long have you been racing?
SP - I started karting in 1996 at my local indoor circuit. The bug bit and my dad's wallet has never recovered! I raced in the National 4stroke Kart championships for 3 or 4 years and my best finish was 7th overall in Britain.
SCR - When did you first race at Knockhill?
SP - 2003. My first test with Taylor Motorsport was in autumn 2002 then I agreed to race the following year's Scottish championship with them.
SCR - How did you find your various races with National Class competition in 2004?
SP - I competed in odd UK Formula Ford Championship races as well as some Avon Tyres Clubman 1800 championship races. In the Clubman races both myself and Julian were at the sharp end. The level of competition in the UKFF however was exceptional and racing with them raised my game quite a lot and made me more confident about battling in a single seater.
SCR - You raced in Europe during the year - tell us about it.
SP - Spa Francorchamps was fantastic! The circuit is over 4 miles long (the infamous old circuit is over 10!) and in a zetec the laptime is over 2 and a half minutes. Thats three times as long as Knockhill. The whole experience was amazing and to finish as well as I did in the second race made it worthwhile. I also met an all time hero of mine - Allan McNish! That really sealed the experience for me!
SCR - What was your high point of your 2004 season?
SP - The UK round at Knockhill because that started the snowball rolling. And the Dinner Dance!!
SCR - What are your plans for 2005?
SP - I want to race with Marque Cars in the UKFF Championship for next season and I'm currently working on securing the budget to do so.
SCR - What is your ultimate goal in motorsport?
SP - Ultimate Goal?? I don't really know what to say when people ask me this because anyone who knows me will know that whenever I achieve something I immediately look higher. I'm never happy to settle for what I've done. I want to keep doing as well as I can and work my way up the ladder. If I win a World Championship, I'll just aim to win another one!!
SCR - How annoying is it to keep getting asked questions about being a female in a male dominated sport?
SP - Very! I get congratulated for taking the fight to the boys, or for flying the flag for women all the time but when I'm racing I don't want to be "the token girl" or "top female", I want to win.
SCR - Where did the ex-Arrows F1 racing suit come from?
SP - The race suit was a gift from an established and experienced racing driver who spotted me while I was racing Karts and helped me make the move to Cars. He gave it to me to inspire me to keep striving for success as a racing driver, to hang on my wall and to look at. But I discovered it fitted me (it was allegedly Jos Verstappen's) and I have only ever raced in it twice. I wore it at Spa and at the Scottish final round.
SCR - We understand your sister will be racing in Formula Ford in 2005. What kind of racing background does she have?
SP - Linda has just won the Super 2 Junior National 4stroke championship in Honda Prokarts, as well as previously having won the Warden Law Junior Honda Championship and Raceland Outdoor and Indoor championships. She's only 15 at the moment and she won't be able to race until she turns 16 in July next year but she'll be out practising until then, as well as keeping herself sharp by continuing her Kart racing in a Biland SA250. Watch out!!
Her 2004 season got off to a great start with her taking her first podium finish in the first double-header round on April 11th with third place. She went one better in the second round later that day with second step on the podium, making the world take notice. Results continued to come and at the July 18th meeting she took her first victory in the second race of the day after a gamble on wet weather tyres on a drying track saw her take the win. Her great run of form continued with a win at the next round on August 15th and third at the September 5th race.
This all meant that she went into the last double-header round of the year with a good chance of taking the "theoretical championship" (so called as new MSA rules on field numbers meant that there was no Scottish Formula Ford Zetec Championship to fight over in 2004.) Whilst there was no trophy on offer, the pride of the combatants was at stake and Sarah took first blood, taking second place in the first race while her "championship" rival Stuart Thorburn could only take fourth. It all fell apart in the second race, however, when broken suspension ended her race, leaving her with a long walk back to the paddock in the knowlege that Thorburn's second place was enough to knock her down to second in the standings.
She had impressed everyone though and took the Young Single Seater Driver Of The Year award at the SMRC awards ceremony. Add to this an impressive showing in the Knockhill round of the UK Formula Ford Championship and a run at a Formula Ford event at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium and she had a very fulfilling 2004 season. Her plan is to run the UK Formula Ford Championship in 2005 budget allowing and if she does, ScottishClubRacing.co.uk will be keeping you up to date on her exploits.
We recently caught up with Sarah and asked her a few burning questions.
SCR - What is your racing background and how long have you been racing?
SP - I started karting in 1996 at my local indoor circuit. The bug bit and my dad's wallet has never recovered! I raced in the National 4stroke Kart championships for 3 or 4 years and my best finish was 7th overall in Britain.
SCR - When did you first race at Knockhill?
SP - 2003. My first test with Taylor Motorsport was in autumn 2002 then I agreed to race the following year's Scottish championship with them.
SCR - How did you find your various races with National Class competition in 2004?
SP - I competed in odd UK Formula Ford Championship races as well as some Avon Tyres Clubman 1800 championship races. In the Clubman races both myself and Julian were at the sharp end. The level of competition in the UKFF however was exceptional and racing with them raised my game quite a lot and made me more confident about battling in a single seater.
SCR - You raced in Europe during the year - tell us about it.
SP - Spa Francorchamps was fantastic! The circuit is over 4 miles long (the infamous old circuit is over 10!) and in a zetec the laptime is over 2 and a half minutes. Thats three times as long as Knockhill. The whole experience was amazing and to finish as well as I did in the second race made it worthwhile. I also met an all time hero of mine - Allan McNish! That really sealed the experience for me!
SCR - What was your high point of your 2004 season?
SP - The UK round at Knockhill because that started the snowball rolling. And the Dinner Dance!!
SCR - What are your plans for 2005?
SP - I want to race with Marque Cars in the UKFF Championship for next season and I'm currently working on securing the budget to do so.
SCR - What is your ultimate goal in motorsport?
SP - Ultimate Goal?? I don't really know what to say when people ask me this because anyone who knows me will know that whenever I achieve something I immediately look higher. I'm never happy to settle for what I've done. I want to keep doing as well as I can and work my way up the ladder. If I win a World Championship, I'll just aim to win another one!!
SCR - How annoying is it to keep getting asked questions about being a female in a male dominated sport?
SP - Very! I get congratulated for taking the fight to the boys, or for flying the flag for women all the time but when I'm racing I don't want to be "the token girl" or "top female", I want to win.
SCR - Where did the ex-Arrows F1 racing suit come from?
SP - The race suit was a gift from an established and experienced racing driver who spotted me while I was racing Karts and helped me make the move to Cars. He gave it to me to inspire me to keep striving for success as a racing driver, to hang on my wall and to look at. But I discovered it fitted me (it was allegedly Jos Verstappen's) and I have only ever raced in it twice. I wore it at Spa and at the Scottish final round.
SCR - We understand your sister will be racing in Formula Ford in 2005. What kind of racing background does she have?
SP - Linda has just won the Super 2 Junior National 4stroke championship in Honda Prokarts, as well as previously having won the Warden Law Junior Honda Championship and Raceland Outdoor and Indoor championships. She's only 15 at the moment and she won't be able to race until she turns 16 in July next year but she'll be out practising until then, as well as keeping herself sharp by continuing her Kart racing in a Biland SA250. Watch out!!