Katrina Gray: Racing Across the United Kingdom

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Melinda Russell 0:48

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Welcome And Meet Katrina Gray

Melinda Russell 3:41

Hello everyone. This is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast. And my guest today is Katrina Gray. And Katrina comes to us from a land across the ocean. And I'm going to let her tell you about that. I'm so excited to have her on. And and I love talking to women all over the world. And so this is a very special episode. So I want you to be sure you listen to the end because I think you're going to enjoy hearing Katrina's story. So, Katrina, welcome to the show. And as we always do, will you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Yeah. So hi, I'm Katrina. Most people call me Kat. Um, I live in a very small um town called Mabel Thorpe on the East Coast in Lincolnshire in the UK. Um, so um so I've got no pets, uh, but I have got two teenage children which keep me very busy.

Melinda Russell 4:42

Absolutely. They will keep you busy, and at some point they'll give you some gray hair. So just look at that. So, Katrina, you have um Katrina's School of Motoring. So I know you love motorsports. How did you get involved in motorsports?

From Teaching Teens To Tracks

SPEAKER_01 5:02

So it started by uh I'm a driving instructor by trade, um, and I used to do under 17s driving on a circuit because in the UK um under-17s are not allowed to go on the road. Um so we used to hire a circuit and then I used to teach them on the on the track. Um, and my husband used to bring his um his Westfield kit car as a via IP option. Um and then um I decided to go out in the kit car after I'd finished with the teaching, and uh I just got a bug for uh for getting on circuits, um, so it all stemmed from there, really. Um I also was teaching um for the supercar companies as well, so I was instructing the under-17s in Ferraris and Lamborghinis and things like that um on circuits as well. So um, so yeah, so I definitely got the bug for it. Um so I didn't go through the normal route of being really young and starting in go-karts and things like that. Um, I was actually sort of um, I think I was in my late 30s when I started uh racing. So uh so yeah, but it's good fun. Wow.

Melinda Russell 6:15

So if you're under 17, you're not allowed to drive on this on the regular roads there. Is that what I understood you to say? Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 6:25

So yeah. Um and it's private over here, so they have to pay for lessons over here, it's not part of the curriculum at school.

Melinda Russell 6:33

Okay, all right. I think the United States, a lot of schools have kind of gone to that as well because it's gotten more expensive and kids have to pay to take driver's training away from the school. When I was in school, one of the teachers taught us how to drive, which is kind of scary when I think about it now. He was no, he was no expert, I can tell you that, that's for sure. So when you say you um are racing in a series, tell me about that. What is the series and what kind of cars, and tell me all about that.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

So

Racing A Mini Cooper R53

SPEAKER_01 7:11

I'm currently racing my Mini Cooper R53, so it's a supercharged mini. Um, and I race that in a um in something called track action. Um, and in track action, there's um three well, four different sort of um categories. So I'm in the German category, so I race against the German cars, but I'm also all four of us racing the same race together, basically. So we have the nippon for the Japanese cars, we have the um the Peugeot's for the French, um and I can't think what the other one is. Um, but yeah, there's four of us in total. Okay. And how long have you been doing that? Um, I've been racing uh nine years, um, but I've done a lot of different uh racing. So I started out in citron C1s, which were just one litre petrol cars, front-wheel drive. Um, and then I used to do endurance racing, which was three hours. Uh well, one hour each, but you had a team of three. Um then I went on to C1 Sprint Racing, um, and I did that in the UK and Scotland. Um, and then I moved on to the Focus Cup Championship, which was diesel Ford Focus engines, um, still front-wheel drive. Um, and I did that for a year and a half. Um, and then I've decided uh I've always wanted uh a mini race car. Um so um so yes, so this year it's uh it's been fantastic. So I've actually got to go out and race my mini.

Melinda Russell 8:50

That's very cool. So and are these road courses, I assume?

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Um so um these are yeah, these are road circuits. So I've raced at Silverstone, which is probably one of the most known circuits with the Formula One. Um, and I've done Donington, I've done Knockhill at Scotland, um, Cadwell Park is my local circuit, uh and that's the nickname that the mini Nurberg ring because it's very uh similar to the Nurberg. Um I've also done um Alton Park is one of my favourites as well. It's quite a twisty uh circuit, um, and I quite like Mallory as well. So Mallory's where I took my racing license. So and how often do you race? Um normally it I'm saying normally, uh in cut in brackets. Um normally it's once a month, uh, but there is certain times of the year where you'd have two, they'd miss a month and then you have two races. So um my next race now is August, and I've got two in August. Um I've had to unfortunately drop out of Pembury um because I think Pembury's in two weeks' time. Um, but um I've had a lot of things going on with my car, so I've um I've had to buy pots and things like that. So um so I've had to skip Pembury, but I will be back out at Brands Act, which is uh another big circuit. So looking forward to that

Why Women Are Still Outnumbered

SPEAKER_01 10:19

one.

Melinda Russell 10:19

Are there a lot of other women that are in these that you race against?

SPEAKER_01 10:25

So in this current championship, no, I'm the only woman. Uh when I raced in the Focus Cup, there was another four ladies. Um, so that was uh and they had a ladies' cup as well, which was really good. Um, and then in the C1 racing, um in Scotland, I was the only lady. Uh, but in the UK um C1s there was um a few of us, probably about four. Um, but yes, not not not that many in fairness. Okay.

Melinda Russell 10:59

And and is it just that it's um what would be the reason, I guess, why you know the United States it's growing by leaps and bounds? Um why would you think maybe it's not growing as much?

SPEAKER_01 11:18

I think it's a lot down to money and sponsorship. I think women find it hard for sponsorship in a sort of in a male oriented sort of sport, um, which is strange because the things that we have, the products, the hair stuff and makeup, you would think that a lot of companies, big companies, would get involved with things like that, but um, but they don't, I'm afraid. Um, and also um I think now we've got the women on track uh in the UK. I think that's really started to push young women up through go-karting. Um, and we've had um the W series as well. So we've had a lot more women in motorsports uh events now, which is good to see. Um, so there is a slow improvement of getting women into motorsport. And like this with the podcast and things like that all highlight into women that get you can get involved, which is really, really good.

Melinda Russell 12:19

Right, right. I'm glad to hear that it's that it's changing and that it's getting you know more women. And you're right, you know, a lot of times if women or little girls or parents don't see other kids, you know, other little girls or other women in it, then they just don't think that their child or that they can do it. But when they see someone like you, Katrina, who's involved and and that, then it it encourages other women to get involved and see what that's all about.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Yeah, yeah. No, uh, I absolutely love it in the paddock when I've got the little girls coming up and wanting my autograph and wanting pictures inside the car, and yeah, I'm all for that. I'm like, yeah, go and sit in the car, and they're asking me questions, and it's just lovely to see. It really is.

Melinda Russell 13:10

Yeah, it it it really is because it's honestly it's a great sport for women to be involved in, and I wish more women would take a look at it because it's something you can do a long time in life, it's not something that you, you know, it's not tennis or basketball where your your career is pretty short. Um you know, you can race for a long time or be involved with racing at least for a long time. So

Katrina’s School Of Motoring

Melinda Russell 13:39

tell me about your school of motoring. What is that all about?

SPEAKER_01 13:44

So I'm a driving instructor by trade. Um, I've been a driving instructor for 20 years, uh, and even when I got into driving instructing, I was only one of four uh out of about 56 instructors in my area. So again, it was very much male-dominated. Um, and yeah, I just um I spend six days a week teaching um 17 all the way up to 76, I think my oldest student was year old, how to drive um a car. So um, so yeah, so that definitely keeps me busy.

Melinda Russell 14:22

Yeah, absolutely. So, like, um are you affiliated then with any of the schools, or how do people find you as far as your company?

SPEAKER_01 14:33

So I have a website and I've got a Facebook page. Most of my work, because I'm self-employed, um, we have a license with the government um and we get assessed every four years um to just make sure that we're teaching correctly. Um, but other than that, um most of my work just comes from word of mouth. Um from people that pass the test and friends of friends and things like that, which is good.

Melinda Russell 14:59

Yeah. So referral is a big part of your business. Yeah. What's been the what's the hardest part? Yeah. What's the hardest part about teaching somebody to drive?

SPEAKER_01 15:13

I just think most of it is confidence. It's it's trying to get them more confident and not be scared because it's a big thing, isn't it? Getting people on the road. And not only have they got to control this big vehicle, um, they've got all these people around them that are not really sometimes doing what they should be doing as well. So they've been cut up, they're having cars overtake them, and so it is quite a scary thing. So I definitely think confidence is a big thing in driving.

Melinda Russell 15:43

Okay. So I know nothing about the kind of roads or anything that you have there. So are there a lot of like four-lane, bigger roads like that, or are they mostly two-lane?

SPEAKER_01 15:57

Mostly two-lane, uh, where I live. Um, and we have very, very narrow lanes. So some of the cars in America would not fit down some of the country lanes that we have. Um, so and we have quite a few roundabouts as well. So I know I've not been to America yet, somewhere that I want to go. Um, but I've heard that there's not many roundabouts in America, so no, roundabouts are a newer thing.

Melinda Russell 16:25

Now it's uh funny that I live in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and we have quite a number of them, but it's only been in the last maybe five years or so that they've started putting the roundabouts in. And then my daughters, two of my daughters live in Arizona, and they've had roundabouts there. That's where I first encountered them. And I think um I know Florida has some, so I think they're more popular now than they used to be, but um not like you guys. I think you guys have had roundabouts for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

Yeah, yes, yeah, definitely.

Melinda Russell 17:03

Yeah.

Paddock Culture And Race Coverage

Melinda Russell 17:04

So um when you do your your racing on your circuits, what is it about that that keeps you going back? Like there's a lot of things you could be doing on the weekends other than racing. So, what what is the poll for you to go to the track?

SPEAKER_01 17:23

I just think it's um the friendliness of everyone. Um, and everyone just works as a team, so you've got the marshals, they'll come over and say hello, uh, which we're very grateful for because we couldn't race without the Marshalls. Um, and just all your friends are there as well, and you make new friends. Um, so uh it's everyone thinks it's like it's not a close-knit community or anything, but it does end up being that way because you'll you'll go to one circuit and you'll meet somebody and then you'll not see them for a year, and then it's like you spot them again at another circuit, and it's as if that year's just not been there. So um, that's the great thing about the um the circuits as well, and it's not just on track in the daytime because sometimes if you're staying over in camper vans, uh in tents and things like that, you'll all stay around um and and just enjoy the evening as well. So, so yeah, and we've got a lot of group chats going as well, which is quite funny. So, so yeah, it's just uh it's just a really good place to to talk to people.

Melinda Russell 18:27

Yeah, it's a good place for people watching, it's a good place to make new friends, like you said, and and with social media and texting and all that, we can stay in touch with each other so much easier. So it makes it easier to meet someone, and even if you don't see them for a year, you can still stay in touch with them, which is makes it easier.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And I think with some sports, um your your followers can't actually get to talk to you in person. So if I was like a footballer or something like that, um they they wouldn't have access um to speak to me, or whereas remote sport, it's quite open the paddock, so people can walk around and and come up to you and ask for photos and look around your car and things like that.

Melinda Russell 19:16

So yeah, I think motorsports is a very welcoming sport because you know, like you just said, people can come to the paddock, they can go into the pit area, wherever whatever track they're at, and being up close and personal to like a NASCAR driver on race day, you would never get up close to a football quarterback on race day or on football day, it just doesn't happen, they're so protected, and I think that just makes us feel like such a welcoming sport that we're happy for everybody that comes out to watch.

SPEAKER_01 19:58

Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.

Melinda Russell 20:00

Yeah, so do your series, you know, streaming is a big deal over here. Um, do they do that at some of your races? Are they streamed so people can watch them even if they're not on track, or is that not a big thing there?

SPEAKER_01 20:17

Um streaming's only just come in the last few years, really. Um, so my races are live streamed on YouTube. Um, and they're on um Bark, because Bark are the people that run the actual race meets. Um, so it comes under Bark B-A-R-C. Um, but it doesn't it they do have interviews, uh so we do get interviewed quite a bit before and after the race. Um, but other than that, um they they don't really film much in between, unless it's a big sort of race, like the truck racing and things like that, then then you'll see more footage um of what goes on in the background.

Melinda Russell 21:00

Um yeah, but it's definitely got back to so what would be what would be the most popular kind of racing uh like uh where you live in in London? Because like over here, you know, it's NASCAR and IndyCar and and somewhat F1. What would be the most popular um series in in London?

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Um Formula One is obviously the biggest one. Um, but we have British Touring Car. Um so this is um this is like every two weeks, um, and it's shown all day, and they have support races as well. Um, but yeah, I would definitely say the British Touring Car Championship is one of the second biggest thing that we have over here.

Melinda Russell 21:50

Okay. Yeah. That sounds that sounds fun, something different.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

Yeah, I mean it's um it's not. road cars but obviously they've they've souped them up to um so um so obviously for the circuit um and I think that's why people like them because it is a standard car made into a race car so they um they sometimes prefer that over the F1 um because the the cars are just like your everyday cars so so yeah sounds a little more yeah so it sounds a little more like NASCAR where the cars are souped up but they're still Toyota cars or whatever so um yeah I can see why that would be popular for sure.

Weight Rules Goals And What’s Next

Melinda Russell 22:39

So Katrina if you had a mother come up to you at a race and ask you if you thought motorsports was a good sport for say her daughter to get involved in what would you say to that?

SPEAKER_01 22:52

I'd say yeah definitely um I'd and I would give them the opportunity to come um to the circuit and spend a day um as well on a race weekend. So yeah definitely yeah because it's one it's one sport where you can compete against the guys pretty evenly yeah yeah definitely yeah yeah it's it's I think the only thing that they say to me is my weight that they'll say oh you're lighter because in my um championship at the minute um sort of I don't have to have ballast so the more weight I lose the lighter I get so I could get faster than them. But then equally with what I'm wasting at the minute they can go out and they can spend more money on their car to make it go faster. So um whereas other championships that I've done before that they're very strict on the weight so we've all got to be the same weight. So then I had to carry the ballast then so it was more fair.

Melinda Russell 23:57

But we don't I don't need to do it in this championship so okay yeah I hadn't even thought about that part of it but that's pretty interesting. Yeah I don't know NASCAR yeah NASCAR it's it has to be a certain weight yeah so it's it's similar to that interesting um what is what's your race season? When does it start and about how long through this through the summer and that how long are you able to race?

SPEAKER_01 24:27

Um normally starts about March April ish and then my last race is the first week of October okay all right pretty much the same as the United States for sure right it gets a bit bad then after that the the I mean I can enter the we I've done uh something called the plum pudding which is Boxing Day um and it is really really popular because obviously everyone's uh not at work it's just after Christmas um so um it's really good atmosphere so I've sometimes entered into that and it's just a fun race um all different m makes and models a race car just all race um and have two races um so that's always been good but that's just a separate thing it's just a one-off thing that they do yeah uh in the year that sounds fun sometimes those kind of races are the best there's no pressure it's just go out and have fun yeah yeah yeah uh the the crowds definitely make it at at that event um I do I I love the plum pudding I think it's such a good race yeah but it always rains yeah always really icy I'm sure that's a cute name to the plum pudding I think that's pretty cool yeah um so what's your what's your goals do you have goals for the year or or even down the road what do how do you see yourself staying involved in motorsports um I think I think just my main goal is just to have fun um and um obviously I'm quite competitive so I do want to win something a trophy or even I mean most of the time um I just aim for the top ten. If I get in the top ten then I'm happy um but yeah um it it's sort of I'm not under as much pressure this year because it is mixed class racing. I suppose if some more minis join me then uh then I'll have more of a uh a sort of competition head on um but at the minute I'm I'm battling different cars with some of a lot faster than me so I just have to do my best then. But yeah so I haven't I'm not as strict with my goals this year as what I have done previously like last year.

Melinda Russell 26:50

Okay. And that takes the pressure off and kind of makes it fun. And sometimes we just want to have fun. We just want to have fun yeah definitely yeah for sure so if you came to the United States do you have a a track that kind of is your bucket list where you'd really like to go watch a race I haven't got a set track that but I just I really want to come and see the NASCAR definitely okay all right that's my favorite is NASCAR um I've gotten I've gotten to enjoy a lot of other types of racing too but uh NASCAR is my favorite as well so I would highly encourage you to to you know put that on your list of places to come and there's so many good tracks that you know you could come and spend the whole summer here traveling from track to track but it I think you would really I think you would really enjoy it. So I encourage you to do that at some point for sure. So Katrina is there anything that we haven't talked about about you or your racing or your teaching that I've overlooked that you would like to share no I think we've covered everything. Okay all right and you said uh you have a race coming up in August you're gonna have two races so you've got a little bit of time to get that car fixed and running great and then August will be here before you know it. It's the summer's going fast already. It is yeah definitely yeah it is well I want to thank you for being on and I really appreciate um your time and I know it's evening there or or you know it's 8 30 or so there I think if I've got my time right with you and um I I appreciate that you wanted to do this and and isn't it amazing and wonderful all together that we can live so far apart and yet we have common interests and we can see each other face to face and we can have a conversation. And I just think that's one of the most the most fun things about what I do is that I can talk to somebody from London and and just have a great conversation and you would think you were just down the road from me.

SPEAKER_04 29:10

Yes yeah definitely no it's uh it's really good it's fantastic yeah thank you ever so much oh you're welcome and thank you again for being on no problem thank you take care of the