Melanie Paterson
Canadian Formula Ford Championship Driver
 
After a career as an international competitor in alpine skiing,
winning three Canadian Championship titles, Melanie Paterson left
ski racing for the University of Guelph and completed her Bachelors
degree in Landscape Architecture. With ‘the need for speed" still in
her blood, Melanie signed up for a four-day racing school and the
rest is history!
After falling in love with the sport of auto racing, Melanie
worked as a mechanic in exchange for a race series in Formula 2000
cars. With the skills in car racing similar to those of ski racing,
Melanie caught on quickly and saw success and podium finishes. While
her parents were urging her to get a "real job", Melanie had other
plans.
Melanie went on to race go-karts, and then raced on oval tracks
in a Legends car. In 1998, Melanie competed in a few events of the
Professional Canadian Formula Ford Championship. For the 1999 and
2000 seasons, Melanie returned to the Canadian Formula Ford
Championship to compete in the full 8-race series in the
Sunoco-backed Van Diemen RF98. Some of the race events included The
Canadian Grand Prix, Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres and the Toronto
Molson Indy. She teamed with JDK Racing based out of Calgary,
Alberta. In the year 2000, Melanie finished 11th in the
Championship. She returns to the 2001 Canadian Formula Ford
Championship for another successful year with a new title sponsor in
Schneider's Hot Rod.
As well as racing, Melanie is involved in various other
activities. She is a member of the prestigious CART Pace Car Team.
This exclusive female team pilots the Official Pace Cars at all the
CART FedEx Championship Series events as well as giving VIP rides
around the race tracks. She is a partner in Driving Unlimited, a
national company that specializes in driver training as well as
introductions of new product lines for automotive manufacturers. She
is a race driving instructor and teaches race driving courses,
advanced driving and defensive driving programs. Melanie hosts
women’s clinics to teach them about car maintenance and safety and
attends many events for speaking engagements. She is an automotive
journalist and an Associate Editor of Carguide Magazine and has also
done stunt driving for the movies.
Melanie is looking to move up the development ladder and is
working towards her ultimate goal of competing with some of the best
drivers in the world, in the CART FedEx Championship
Series!
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