As I write this, I’m preparing for the new season of the Scottish Rally Championship.
We kicked off with the Snowman Rally near Inverness at the weekend, and it was fantastic to get back out in the car for the first time in over four months. I was quite cautious for the first couple of miles on stage one having new suspension and tyres to get used to.
It was my first visit to the Snowman and I really enjoyed the stages. They flowed really well and didn’t get too cut up even on our second run through.
I was delighted to finish 3rd in class M2 and first female driver, so it’s a great start to our season. I’m looking forward to getting a test in the car before we head to the Speyside Stages in April, then the iconic Jim Clark Rally in May.
Scottish Ladies title win
I entered the championship for the first time last year after several years of circuit rallying, but due to a reduced calendar because of Covid, this is my first visit to these three events.
I was delighted to win the Scottish Ladies’ title last year in my first season in the championship, and it was great to celebrate with my team, sponsors and other competitors in January at the SRC awards dinner before the new season commences.
The ongoing support from my sponsors – Morris Lubricants, Carbon Positive Motorsport and Demon Tweeks – has helped make the successes possible.
While the higher levels of the sport are now investing in electrification and hybrid models, it will be a long time until that technology can filter down to the grassroots of motorsport
With this in mind, I’m pleased to renew my partnership with Carbon Positive Motorsport and will be a brand ambassador for them again for 2022.
They launched last year with the aim of making motorsport more environmentally sustainable.
It’s critical for the future of our sport that we take action, and while the higher levels of the sport are now investing in electrification and hybrid models, it will be a long time until that technology can filter down to the grassroots of motorsport.
Protecting the sport and the environment
We all need to play our part, both to protect the environment and also the image of our sport.
Carbon Positive Motorsport can play a pivotal role for competitors, teams, organisers and spectators, enabling them to offset their carbon footprint in a cost-effective way.
With International Women’s Day taking place this week, it got me thinking about women in motorsport – or the lack of.
One of the questions I’m asked the most is why there aren’t more women in the sport, which can be difficult to answer.
Motorsport is one of the few sports where men and women can compete against each other on equal terms and in equal machinery.
There aren’t any physical reasons why women can’t compete successfully against men.
This year there are four female drivers entered in the Scottish Rally Championship, and a number of female co-drivers.
However, there is still a real lack of women in the sport at all levels, and only around 5% of Motorsport UK licence holders are female.
Personally, I think it’s about perception and visibility, and it does feel like things are slowly starting to change for the better.
It’s crucial that we get girls interested in the sport at a young age, and nurture that talent
For me, one of the biggest barriers to entering rallying was knowing where to start.
Motorsport is generally still viewed as a male sport and we see much higher numbers of boys starting out in karting.
It’s crucial that we get girls interested in the sport at a young age, and nurture that talent to encourage them to stay in the sport and give them every chance of success.
I often wish I had started my motorsport career earlier but it wasn’t something that was encouraged when I was younger, and I didn’t have any female role models in motorsport.
There are far more opportunities now, with junior rallying accessible to competitors from age 14.
Motorsport UK (the UK’s governing body of motorsport) launched their “Girls on Track” initiative in 2019 to encourage girls and women into motorsport, while the British Women Racing Drivers’ Club (BWRDC), of which I’m a member, has been promoting and supporting women in motorsport since 1962.
The new W Series, a global race series for women, gives young female competitors something to aspire to, and sponsors like Morris Lubricants, Carbon Positive Motorsport and Demon Tweeks – who are willing to support female drivers – can really make a difference and help raise the profile of women in motorsport.
While I believe in men and women competing together rather than being segregated, W Series has raised global awareness of female racing drivers, and it’s important for girls to have role models they can relate to.
You can follow Ashleigh’s progress in this year’s Scottish Rally Championship at ashleighmorris.com, on Instagram @ashleigh_morris, on Facebook @AshleighMorrisRallying and Ashleigh Morris Rallying on YouTube.
- W Series is a free-to-enter championship, launched in October 2018, that provides equal opportunities for women and eliminates the financial barriers that have historically prevented them from progressing to the upper echelons of motorsport.