A MOTORSPORT fanatic who nearly lost her life from a very rare airborne virus now has aspirations of one day becoming a professional female co-driver after winning two trophies at her first forest rally gravel event.
Ella Tyson, 20, was induced into a coma with parainfluenza type 3 when she was just six-years-old - but now the sky is her limit.
Her hobby in motorsport started in her early teens when she became a Junior Cadet Marshall volunteering at rallies in Grizedale.
She followed up on her interest by completing a three-year Motorsport Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma at Myerscough College & University Centre, and then when she turned 18, she decided to become a Rally Navigator, and has never looked back since.
Her role entails using pace notes or stage diagrams to direct her driver through the track.
Ella and her driver Mike Wolff raced in a classic BMW three litre car at the six stage Greystoke Forest event last week, where they were awarded the Keith Baglee Memorial Spirit of the Rally trophy and a trophy for coming 1st in Class Four.
“To do my first gravel event and win these two trophies was an unbelievable feeling,” said Ella, a service Advisor at DSG Vauxhall in Barrow.
"It was such a thrill to be racing at speeds of 110 mph through the forest with Mike. It doesn’t scare me one bit, it’s such an adrenaline rush."
The duo took the first 6.25-mile stage steady, completing the circuit in 7:19 before finishing the same circuit again in a time of 6:58 in stage two.
Unfortunately, they lost time in stage three because of a cable jam which resulted in a slower time of 7:27, but after minor repairs to the car, they finished strongly with sector times of 7:07 in stage four. The pair then eased off the gas in the remaining two stages finishing in times of 5:45 and 5:47.
Ella is now looking forward to racing with Mike again at the Grizedale stages in December - but has her sights set much higher.
She added: "I must be doing something right because Mike has asked me to be his Rally Navigator again.
“I want to end up as a Rally Co-Driver in the British Championship or if I could go even further, the dream is to compete at the World Rally Championships. I want to set my sights high because it’s something I’m so passionate about.”
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