9:16am Wednesday 2nd July 2008
MOTORSPORT fanatic Roz Shaw is ready to rev it up at Silverstone after being invited to line up in a support race at Formula One's British Grand Prix.
The Lickey End resident received an invitation from the Historic Sports Car club to join their race on Sunday, in her 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT.
Roz, aged 41, has been racing historic saloon cars for just over two years.
The cars she races are dated back to 1966, with period tyres and engines.
Motorsport is very much a family affair for Roz, who works as office manager for her brother Richard Shaw's Laranca Engineering company, which makes parts for teams competing in a range of top class series, including Formula One and Le Mans.
She combines this with work for GTS Motorsport, with both companies being based at the Earlswood Trading Estate near Solihull.
Richard, who will be part of her team at Silverstone, also races saloon cars in events such as the Top Hat series.
Roz said:"It is quite something to be invited as the rest of the entries are like a who's who of anybody and everybody who is anything in racing."
"My whole family have been petrol heads.
"I used to drag race a bike and I have always had a motorbike.
"My brother has been doing it a lot longer than me so I suppose there is peer pressure."
Roz's previous outing was at Italy's Monza circuit, in the historic 56th Coppa InterEuropa Storica.
The only female driver in the event, she qualified 20th out of 49 Alfas.
After a fantastic start and four laps of gradually working her way up the pack, engine trouble forced her to retire.
However, her car has been rebuilt and she has undergone testing at Leciestershire's Mallory Park, before heading to Silverstone tomorrow (Thursday), where she will compete against 48 cars, ranging from Falcons, Mustangs, BMW's, Alfas and Minis in her 12-lap race.
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.droitwichadvertiser.co.uk