Sarah Hall comes from a family of motor racing fanatics...and she's looking forward to another successful season on some of the UK's top circuits.
Last year was Sarah’s first full season of racing and, out of a field of 24, she came 12th which is a terrific achievement.
But she’d like to do even better in 2024. We caught up with Sarah before she headed off to her first racing weekend of the season.
“I compete in a series called Focus Cup,” said Sarah. “All of the drivers are in lightly modified 180bhp Ford Focus cars, and the key feature is that the cars are identical so it’s a case of drivers pitting their skills against other drivers.
It’s hugely exhilarating to race of some of the UK’s top circuits like Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Donington, Oulton Park, Snetterton and, here in the region, at Croft which is my favourite circuit because it’s close to where I live and is the place where I’ve spent many happy hours since I was a child.”
Her father, Ken, is a well known face amongst the North East motorsport fraternity
he was an accomplished rally driver
so it’s no surprise that Sarah has followed in his tyre tracks.
And because of her success she’s keen to promote motorsport to other women in the region.
“As I grew up and got more involved in helping my father and then becoming a racing driver in my own right, I was conscious in the early days of how rare it was to see any other females either working as pit crews or as drivers. Thankfully that is changing and I’d encourage anyone, especially women, no matter how old they are, to get involved. Last season there were three women competing in our championship and we have a female mechanic and we are all treated as equals and really have a great time in such a friendly paddock. It’d be wonderful for others to get involved because this level of motorsport is more accessible than people may think.
The Focus Cup is a brilliant place to start because it’s an arrive and drive competition. You don’t need to make a large investment and commitment of building a car and transporting it – they take care of everything! The car, fuel, tyres, mechanics, maintenance and moving the car from circuit to circuit, are all taken care of by the team.
You simply turn up with your racing suit and helmet and enjoy it. And there is an abundance of peers about to give you advice on safety gear and gaining a racing licence. You have so much support as a rookie, you are given the same respect as the experienced racers.
You can try one race or you can enter for the entire season. Depending on which circuit you opt for, a single race could cost from £1750 or you can go for the whole 7-roune series for £21,000. That’s a whole season with seven test days, seven qualifiers and fourteen races. Testing takes place on a Friday followed by qualifying on Saturday and then two races throughout the day.”
Oh and well done to Sarah for thinking about the environment. One of her sponsors for this season is Carbon Positive Motorsport. They offset Sarah’s entire racing carbon footprint for the season. It’s a step in the right direction for keeping motorsport sustainable and paving the way for future generations to enjoy a sport that so many are passionate about.
Driving is plainly something that is in Sarah’s blood. Not only does she enjoy motor racing, she also runs the Teesside Driving Academy. She can teach everything from basic driving lessons, to advanced driving and performance racing standard. She also focusses on teaching drivers how to be safer on the road.
“I’d encourage anyone to give motor racing a try. It’s huge fun, makes you into a better driver overall, and it’s not only a case of you competing against other drivers, you’re competing against yourself…trying to set a quicker time…trying to get a better placing than in your previous race.”
Sarah’s a great example to other women and girls who perhaps felt that motorsport wouldn’t be the sort of place you’d be accepted.
Go on…give it a go…careful though…you might find Sarah Hall looming in your rearview mirror.
Want to contact Sarah? Check out her Instagram, Facebook and TikTok pages @ sarahhallmotorsport