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Julie Clark
URS Formula Ford 2000 Driver
Competition has never been too far away from Julie. Her
father, Ray, regularly raced a motorcycle in the 60's and
was quite successful, but Julie was distracted by her love
of horses. She worked with them seven days a week and
competed in local competitions. She showed great promise,
but working as a groom for a showjumper and
carriage-driving team (a timed competition for 2-8
horse-drawn carriages) gave her little time and money to
continue riding competitively. There were only the winter
skiing holidays that gave her the excitement of speed and
control. Julie could have never thought she would end up
loving every minute of being behind the wheel of a race
car.
Julie who lives in Buckinghamshire, England, was introduced
to auto racing by her boyfriend, Nigel Woolcott. He competed
in MG Midgets and she would accompany him across the country,
helping with the stopwatch, pit board, and tyre pressures.
Her big break came while attending the annual award dinner
when she got into a conversation with a racer who offered
Julie his racecar to use whenever she liked. Julie even
borrowed his oversized race suit, made to fit by a length of
Velcro around the waist.
Julie completed her Royal Automobile Club racing licence
course at Goodwood race circuit and entered her first race
at Snetterton in April 1993. It was to be a false start as
the race was oversubscribed, but she had her first taste
of driving a car on a racetrack in testing and she was
absolutely hooked. In her second race, at Oulton Park, she
finished in the points. Julie enjoyed her next race at
Pembrey, but the following races all ended with various
mechanical failures. It would be a long winter before
testing could start in 1994.
Plagued with more mechanical upsets in 1994 and 1995,
Julie battled to learn the circuits and racecraft in this
competitive 40-plus car racing series. The highlights
included a front-row start at Silverstone and a third
place finish in wet conditions at Snetterton. It was a
tough training ground.
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eight top
three finishes...
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Julie moved to racing a Midget in 1996 and spent the first
season learning the skills of rear-wheel-drive racing.
Mechanical problems spoiled her second season, but her
determination enabled her to record some good results in her
third season with a number of front row starts and top four
finishes and recording two fastest laps. The 1999 season
showed Julie to be a consistent front-runner. Qualifying on
pole position twice and recording eight top three finishes.
On a visit to a rival championship, Julie recorded a unique
victory, being the only driver to beat the three-times
champion that year and win the race.
Julie started the 2000 season with her first win at
Silverstone, the first lady to win a MGOC race in the
twenty year history of the club. Another two wins followed
and Julie achieved five pole positions, four fastest laps
and two lap records on her way to second place in the
Championship. Julie had long been keen to try a
single-seater race car and was offered a test drive in a
Van Dieman FF2000. She experienced mixed weather
conditions at Silverstone but was quickly on the pace.
This was definitely the car to be racing in 2001.
Julie borrowed enough money to buy a car in November and she
was testing it in December. Julie will be competing in the
Universal Racing Services Formula Ford 2000 Championship in
2001. She is pleased to be the first lady to compete in this
Championship and to accept any publicity that distinction
brings, but also wants to be known as a competitive and
successful racing driver. With slick tyres and wings, this is
a totally different style of racing, but with Julie's
enthusiasm and experience it shouldn't be long before she is
battling for top positions in what will surely be a very
competitive series.
Julie works as a manager of equestrian retailers in
Buckinghamshire. She spends all her spare time and money
on her racing, the winter months are spent studying
circuit maps, watching race videos and keeping her
reflexes sharp by racing karts. Her other love of skiing
has to wait but she fancies trying the skiing in America
in 2002. Julie has set her sights on single-seater racing,
and hopes to compete in a Formula 3 car as soon as she has
mastered the art of winning in FF2000.
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